# Best algae remover



## Guppy_Madness (Sep 2, 2010)

Hi all,
Please advise me about the best algae remover fish which do not harm the plants and do their job till the last day of their life i.e. not get too big for the tank in a short period.
Thanks for reading.
Please reply.


----------



## PanzerFodder (Oct 15, 2010)

I got a couple of Otto Catfish a few weeks ago for the 10G tank, as there was a bit of algae forming on the glass and stones, they seem to be doing a good job for such small fish  although you will still have to clean some of it yourself by hand if it's really bad.

Cheer's...PanzerFodder...


----------



## Chris S (Dec 19, 2007)

No fish will effectively combat algae issues in an aquarium in my experience. They shouldn't be sold as such either, as it typically leads to inappropriate fish being placed into aquariums.


----------



## BillD (Jun 5, 2006)

The only fish that fits the criteria are Otos, and they need algae to do well.


----------



## Y2KGT (Jul 20, 2009)

Guppy_Madness said:


> Hi all,
> Please advise me about the best algae remover fish which do not harm the plants and do their job till the last day of their life i.e. not get too big for the tank in a short period.
> Thanks for reading.
> Please reply.


Hi,
You don't specify the tank size so I'll provide my personal opinion with a caveat for each.

If the tank is at least 10 gallons I wouldn't be without Ottos. They are the best at keeping the algae that grows on the leaves under control.

If you have at least 46 gallons I wouldn't be without my SAE or Siamese Algea Eaters but they must be the true SAE and not the false. The are amazing for beard or hair algae.

I've kept 3 planted tanks in the past 5 years and had nothing but problems until I got these fish. Since then, no problem with regular maintenance of course as well. I still have to clean the glass myself which is fine with me.
--
Paul


----------



## fishclubgirl (Mar 4, 2010)

My first comment would perhaps removing the cause of the algae might be one possible solution. Second is that bristlenose seem to be effective against algae, I think?? As I don't have many algae issues but lots of BN, hmmmm. Another extremely effective solution are nerite snails. They seem to last and can't breed in fresh water though they do try..


----------



## tom g (Jul 8, 2009)

*sae*

paul how do u tell the diff from true siamese algae eaters than the not true ones , thanks 
tom


----------



## Guppy_Madness (Sep 2, 2010)

Thanks for that question about difference between true and false SAE Tom.
Hey paul
My aquarium is 75 Gallon with dual T10 light and lots of plants PLUS algae.....
but I have to set up another 65 gallon. Please also tell me what is th ebest time to add SAE or plecos


----------



## Chris S (Dec 19, 2007)

tom g said:


> paul how do u tell the diff from true siamese algae eaters than the not true ones , thanks
> tom


http://www.wetwebmedia.com/fwsubwebindex/saes.htm

Check out that site. It is actually pretty easy if you have them side by side, but likely a different story when only one type is available.

You can also trust shops like Menagerie to label their fish properly, so you know what you are buying.


----------



## Guppy_Madness (Sep 2, 2010)

For all other who are still wondering look what I have found!

A Nice Website:-
How to Identify TRUE Siamese Algea Eater

Plus a very nice video:-
How to Identify TRUE Siamese Algea Eater

Thanks everyone who posted and tried to help.
Have a great weekend!


----------



## gem (Oct 19, 2010)

Finally I got to know the difference between True and Flase SAE
Thanks for the info Mike


----------



## ppaskova (Apr 27, 2010)

My two cents will be to add Amano shrimps. They are much hardy then ottos and not bothered by other fish due to their size and also do a good job to clean the algae on the leafs. For your tank if you have a lot of plants, you may want 20 of them or so.


----------



## duckyser (Oct 4, 2009)

if your problem is on the glass, then using a razor blade to clean off algae works great.


----------



## anthropos (Nov 25, 2010)

Another vote for Otto's. Those things LIVE to clean your tank. I had 3 or 4 of them and the little buggers never rested, they just happily polished off my plants and glass all day long.


----------



## BettaBeats (Jan 14, 2010)

my ottos are selective on which algaes they eat. I always try to do the manual removal, nutrient balance method. But a tank will never be free of algae, and in some cases, they can help eat up excess nutrients so they dont hard your fish.

unsightly, but not without their merits.


----------



## mrsleny (Sep 6, 2010)

Hmmm ... I bought 3 "thai algae eaters" from Big Al's. After looking at the links and the video, I still can't tell whether they are true SAE or not. They have done a fabulous job cleaning all the algae off the plants as well as my "loach motel" (little stone hut the loaches like to hang out in).

They also seem to get along really well with my kuhlis and ghost shrimp.

Thailand used to be called Siam, so are these thai algae eaters, true SAE?


----------

