Scaled Fish that eat Algae...

[B_Ez]

The reason I mention the scaled fish is because even though I like otos, I can't get one. I've got too much salt in my tank. I was told that Platys like to eat algae, but I don't want any more livebearers if I can help it.

My guppies actually eat at the algae a little, but not much. I plan to get flurescent lights for the tank soon, but it wouldn't hurt to add some other fish who'll do the job for me.

[Tigerbarb]

I have snails in my 10g that came along with my live plants as hitchhikers, and they do an excellent job cleaning algae off of decorations and the aquarium walls. Sometimes you will find a plant or rock at a petstore with a crowd of snails on it.
Snails or plecos seem to be the best algae cleaning maids.

[jbeining75]

How about Siamese Algae Eater.....They are like 3 oto cats in 1..... Plus scales!!!

[Algenco]

Florida flag fish are good for hair algae

[Tooch]

I have snails in my 10g that came along with my live plants as hitchhikers, and they do an excellent job cleaning algae off of decorations and the aquarium walls. Sometimes you will find a plant or rock at a petstore with a crowd of snails on it.
Snails or plecos seem to be the best algae cleaning maids.


I agree with Tiger mostly. Snails do a good job, as I have also gotten some hitchhikers on my plants, but I'm not sure how salty your water can be with them. I have one that is getting huge, but no salt is added to the tank. When we were kids, we would put salt on slugs, and they would shrivel up (I know I know... cruel). I may be way off as far as snails are concerned though.

As for plecos, they do a good job depending on the type. I have a Rubberlip pleco, and he does an excellent job cleaning alge. I also have a Common and a Royal who both do ok jobs! I have a Gold Nugget that could care less about alge. Also, if you decide on a Pleco, be sure to research research research! Some can get huge! Royals and Common both get very large. My Royal is only abou 2" right now, but my Common is right around 14". They are also turd machines.

How high is the salinity in your water, anyway?

[B_Ez]

I don't know how to check the salinity, but I put salt in the tank when i do water changes. I do it to lower stress and to keep any nitrites that might appear from affecting the fish.

My tank's small, so I'm just looking for something not too big. I would think that Snails wouldn't be able to handle any salt, but there are salt water snails out there. But don't they reproduced asexually? Wouldn't that mean I'm infested with snails eventually?

[Tooch]

I don't know how to check the salinity, but I put salt in the tank when i do water changes. I do it to lower stress and to keep any nitrites that might appear from affecting the fish.

My tank's small, so I'm just looking for something not too big. I would think that Snails wouldn't be able to handle any salt, but there are salt water snails out there. But don't they reproduced asexually? Wouldn't that mean I'm infested with snails eventually?


How much salt do you put in? I add about a tablespoon/10gal. Most salt I've seen typically call for about 1tb/5gal, but I cut that in half due to the scaleless fish I have (ID Shark, Clown Knife) and Pleco's don't like much salt. All these fish do fine. If you're only adding the small amount during water changes, everything should be fine, or cut it down like I do.

Snails do reproduce asexually, which is why alot of people hate them. I've seen a few snails in my tank, and I may just be a lucky one who hasn't come across this problem (infestation). If I'm not mistaken, Dave loves snails, but Hobbs hates them. LOL like alot of things in this hobby, it really falls down to a matter of preference.

[dgoulston]

I don't know how to check the salinity, but I put salt in the tank when i do water changes. I do it to lower stress and to keep any nitrites that might appear from affecting the fish.

My tank's small, so I'm just looking for something not too big. I would think that Snails wouldn't be able to handle any salt, but there are salt water snails out there. But don't they reproduced asexually? Wouldn't that mean I'm infested with snails eventually?

snails + a fish that eats snails.. the natural balance!

[DragonGoby]

Actually you can also give a try to shrimps...
Some can live happily in brackish water, and I think that Amano shrimps need it to grow up (if I remember correctly...).

[B_Ez]

Shrimps sound like a better option. So they'll eat brown algae?

I do the 1 teaspoon per 5 gallon, which winds up being two teaspoons.

[DragonGoby]

I don't know for brown algea, I'm sorry.
I've read that some kind of Ghost shrimp are brackish water and others are fresh waters...
i'm sorry I can't be more precise, I'm new at keeping shrimps...
Certainly, if the option of shrimps suit you, you can find answer in the invertabrate forum here...

Best of luck and keep us posted.

[jbeining75]

Brown algae do some water changes and increase your lighting daily... It is a diatom.. you get rid of it differently than regular algae.. SAE's will eat it... Snails I'm not sure...

[B_Ez]

SAE's? What's that?

[DragonGoby]

Siamese Algea Eater :ezpi_wink1:

[B_Ez]

Gotcha... Thanks!

[Levi]

Shrimps sound like a better option. So they'll eat brown algae?

I do the 1 teaspoon per 5 gallon, which winds up being two teaspoons.

that isn't brackish, that's still freshwater

[B_Ez]

Levi, I just didn't want to the animals in danger or anything else. I heard adding any salt could hurt scaleless fish.

[Levi]

it won't hurt anything at that low of a dose

[fishfanatic33]

Yeah good choice!

[fishfanatic33]

Well actually it can.Corys for example cannot handle any salt,if I remember correctly

[Levi]

he is putting in an extremly low dose

just the normal tonic-style dose is a rounded tablespoon for every five gallons, and that's for freshwater

[fishfanatic33]

Still I remember when I was going to put in that dose,and was advised against it because of the corys

[DragonGoby]

If you have freshwater only fish, better not use salt, even at low dose, with them... Sure they can live in it, but it's going to irritate (?) their gill and with scaleless fish can irritate their skin...
As for the corydoras, because they're armor fish doesn't mean they can tolerate salt... What I've read on them is that, they can survive in level of salt like for a livebearer but don't like it very much... So they live, but not happily and not as long as you can hope for this kinfd of fish...

But still it's your choice and your tank, just keep us inform and good luck :ezpi_wink1: !

[B_Ez]

Ok, the main reason I put salt in the tank is to keep the nitrites that may form between water changes from harming my fish.

I think I'll just get some shrimp or something, because at least with them I don't have to worry about the small amount of salt.

[DragonGoby]

Why do you need that? Does your aquarium not cycled already?
Because if it's cycle, you don't need it... nitrites will not show... Unless you have a major problem or add a lot of fish at once...
We used to put salt in our 10 gal as well, for our livebearer, but afer adding a catfish, we stop (slowly!) to use it, and we didn't have problem of nitrites...

Still, good luck and keep us posted!!!

[Levi]

If you have freshwater only fish, better not use salt, even at low dose, with them... Sure they can live in it, but it's going to irritate (?) their gill and with scaleless fish can irritate their skin...
As for the corydoras, because they're armor fish doesn't mean they can tolerate salt... What I've read on them is that, they can survive in level of salt like for a livebearer but don't like it very much... So they live, but not happily and not as long as you can hope for this kinfd of fish...

But still it's your choice and your tank, just keep us inform and good luck :ezpi_wink1: !

most freshwater fish can tolerate small amounts of salt just fine

in fact, it's good for them

gives them electrolytes

[DragonGoby]

I know that is good for some livebearer but it's not recommanded if your fish have no problem and no illness... Better use it for treating desease like ich, but if they're ok, you don't need it, I mean, the fish don't need it...

On this I only repeat what we have been told by the great majority of this forum on our platies thumbs2: ... And our fishies are all very well and are beautifully colored...:luxlove:

[Levi]

i think you guys are getting confused between brackish water and just adding a small amount of aquarium salt

with brackish you would use marine salt, and in a higher amount

[DragonGoby]

I know the difference between aquarium salt : for treatment, and marine salt, for brackish and saltwater system...
But as I said, if you don't need to use aquarium salt because your fish don't need treatment, why use it at all?

Still this thread is about kind of algae eater and not about the use/not use of salt in a fresh water system...
I even think there's already a thread about it somewhere.:ezpi_wink1:

[Levi]

But as I said, if you don't need to use aquarium salt because your fish don't need treatment, why use it at all?


because it's good for them

electrolytes and all that jazz

[Tooch]

This is getting off topic, but I use salt at the 1/2 dose (1tb/10g). It's important to remember to only replace the correct amount with the water being removed during water changes, as the water evaporates, but the salt does not.

EDIT: The reasoning behind my 1/2 dose is because I have an ID Shark, a Pleco and a Clown Knife fish. Scaleless fish and Pleco's don't like too much salt in the water, as it can irritate their skin. Just thought I should point this out incase someone reading didn't know (I know most of you do!)

[Levi]

This is getting off topic, but I use salt at the 1/2 dose (1tb/10g). It's important to remember to only replace the correct amount with the water being removed during water changes, as the water evaporates, but the salt does not.

we are already way off topic in this thread

i also use less than the recommended dose, so there's a margin for error when replacing the salt after water changes

[B_Ez]

My tank is newly cycled as of about a week ago. However, since I'm adding new fish, I know there is a possibility of a spike. And it's just a precaution. Since it can't hurt the fish (in small doses) what's the harm?

I guess I can just do my regular water changes each weekend and then hope that the salt that's left in the water won't hurt the fish (if I add an Oto).

[B_Ez]

Just as a quick update, my otos have about destroyed all the brown algae in my tank in only a few days.

Thumbs up for that suggestion.