# How to grow algae



## tankboy (Jan 11, 2014)

I love algae eating catfish such as the otocinclus, but there is only so much algae in my tank for them to eat. What makes the algae grow and how can I promote more to grow in my tank?

Any help is appreciated so thanks in advance


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Simple, leave the light on more. I have Otos in my tank and they don't really do much in way of keeping algae off of things. They eat and they live of course, just don't think I would notice much if I didn't have them. I also never leave algae wafers for them.

I guess what I am trying to say is watch what you ask for. Otos are NOT miracle workers when it comes to cleaning algae out of your tank. Crank something up to get more and you could have a mess that they seemingly aren't touching.


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## tankboy (Jan 11, 2014)

jrman83 said:


> Simple, leave the light on more. I have Otos in my tank and they don't really do much in way of keeping algae off of things. They eat and they live of course, just don't think I would notice much if I didn't have them. I also never leave algae wafers for them.
> 
> I guess what I am trying to say is watch what you ask for. Otos are NOT miracle workers when it comes to cleaning algae out of your tank. Crank something up to get more and you could have a mess that they seemingly aren't touching.


I see your point there!
I think that I do need to be careful when it comes to growing the algae, but I want to make sure that I do not have the underfed and dead otos that everyone seems to encounter. Along with the corys and bristlenose plec, I am just concerned that the otos will not be able to compete for food


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## Raymond S. (Jan 11, 2013)

jrman couldn't have said it better. I've heard that they don't eat hair algae either and have one in one of my tanks
which has some hair algae and never have I seen the oto messing/w the hair algae.
Which brings up my point. I like it in my tank. But...when you try to grow it...you can't just say all I want is this kind.
I am far from an kind of expert anything but I think the oto's eat what is called green spot algae.
Unfortunately longer hrs of light seems to produce hair algae as much as it makes the green spot type which is the kind
that I really like to begin/w.
The only hope I can give on causing only one kind to grow is that when I first started my first tank 4 years back I only 
had an incandescent bulb over it and the tank only had the green spot algae till I used a florescent bulb.
And just for the info the type I had was one from Loew's which was 60W and clear and faceted like a diamond but
very heavy weight glass. Some kind of decorative bulb the same size as one of the regular old type/size.
Probably don't need to be that exact type but I think clear instead of white worked best to grow the algae.
Those things are hot and I wouldn't put it any closer than one foot from the glass.
If you don't want it all over best put the light way on one end or it will look like this.


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