# Algae eating fish question



## Firstaqua (Mar 17, 2012)

*Do Algae eating fish remove the good bacteria*

Do Algae eating fish remove the good bacteria that we need to keep in the tank?
Thanks!


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## Summer (Oct 3, 2011)

No, because as the fish eat the algae they also defacate providing a food source for the very bacteria.


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## holly12 (Apr 21, 2011)

Just don't go with Chinese Algae eaters! They only eat algae when they are very young, then they tend to start eating the slime coating off of tank mates - making holes in the other fish and killing them. They are also very spazzy fish.... try Oto Cats or Plecos (Plecos and Otos should have some real drift wood because they also eat that.) You could even try Amano shrimp. (Remember all algae eaters also need to be fed specifically - algae wafers, zucchini, etc...)


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## Firstaqua (Mar 17, 2012)

Summer said:


> No, because as the fish eat the algae they also defacate providing a food source for the very bacteria.


Thanks Summer. Good point.


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## Firstaqua (Mar 17, 2012)

holly12 said:


> Just don't go with Chinese Algae eaters! They only eat algae when they are very young, then they tend to start eating the slime coating off of tank mates - making holes in the other fish and killing them. They are also very spazzy fish.... try Oto Cats or Plecos (Plecos and Otos should have some real drift wood because they also eat that.) You could even try Amano shrimp. (Remember all algae eaters also need to be fed specifically - algae wafers, zucchini, etc...)


Yeah not sure what I want yet. It will be in with my betta's so I need to choose carefully. They will kill snails and prob shrimp. 
I need to complete research and find just the right tankmate.

Did not know they needed to be fed! Any negatives or things to watchout for with adding algae wafers to the tank?


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## navigator black (Jan 3, 2012)

95% of the time, algae eaters in the aquarium are actually algae nibblers. People have unreasonable expectations, and no fish will ever control algae. They will reduce the amount growing, but.


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## Firstaqua (Mar 17, 2012)

interesting. Thanks for the info.
So then if they eat so little algae why give them wafers? Wouldn't there be enough "natural" food for them in there?


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

Because they need extra nutriants that they don't get from just algae alone.


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## navigator black (Jan 3, 2012)

Some of the algae in tanks isn't nutritious, or is hard to scrape off. An Otocinclus, my favourite algae muncher, is superbly adapted to eat the kind of algae that appears on Amazonian plants in fast fast water. There's no reason for it to be adapted for feeding on the slow water, hard water North American, Asian etc species of algae it meets in a fishtank. It'll try, but sometimes, it just doesn't work.
Don't forget, algae is alive too, and it has its own defences. 
Algae eaters suffer from the same thing we do to so called scavengers. We don't really have scavengers in tanks, but because flakes land on the bottom, we started calling bottom feeders 'scavengers' and assuming they ate leftovers. In nature, the bottom sand is full of fresh organisms to be hunted, not scavenged. Tons of Corys have starved to death because we call them scavengers, and many algae eaters have lived short lives because we figure a tiny tank will provide for their needs.


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## FishFlow (Sep 13, 2011)

And to make it even more fun. You can easily overfeed algae / bottom feeders. What a wicked game we weave!!!


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## Firstaqua (Mar 17, 2012)

really good info. Thanks to everyone.


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## holly12 (Apr 21, 2011)

Some AMAZING algae eaters are Nerite snails! I had Zebras and they ate ALL my algat - even the BBA! Tossing in some zucchini and algae wafers helped them out too! They are large enough that a Betta wouldn't hurt them.

The only downside is that they leave little white "sesame seed" looking eggs all over the tank. The eggs don't hatch, but you can see them unless you scrape them off the decor.


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