I need and want an Algae eater. A little lost ... Info please

[talldutchie]

Best solution to deal with algae is still to attack it at the root cause.

[Cermet]

As talldutchie said, if you have algae issues, getting algae eaters will not cure the problem and you will need to feed these guys, as well. If high nitrates are an issue, the algae will continue (and you will have high phosphates) and the fish and plants will suffer. The AE will hold the algae in check but not cure these high waste levels. Either larger and more freq. water changes or an algae scrubber can solve this issue.

[talldutchie]

Don't forget lighting. A lighting siesta of 90-120 minutes between two periods of 4-5 hours has fixed many algae problems

[steeler1]

Allow me to throw in my two cents for the Otocincilus.

They tend to stay below two inches in size, have a much smaller bioload than a pleco, and are the best true algae eater of fishkind. For a 65 gallon, you are going to want 6 of them, and they eat nearly all kinds of algae, save the brown and the bluegreen... as neither of those is an algae.

I am not sure about the Angel or the Rams, but if the Harleys survive, the Otos should too.

I doubt you will be able to grow enough algae to keep them fed, so include some soft veggies in your feedings. I use Zucchini on a skewer.

+1 to Otocincilus. Small and peaceful, they won't add much to any Bio-load and will eat alage that alot of pleco's will not touch. Just keep 6 like Moghedan suggested.

Sinking pellets will help supplement their diet.

[~firefly~]

+1 to otos. I have a nice school of 10 in my 30 gal and they keep it spotless. I have literally not cleaned the glass since I got them. They stay small but busy. Very sociable and very shy - give them LOTS of cover and hiding places.

[dizzydezzy]

Otos, they are pretty great for algae munching (and they LOVE brown algae, even though it is not an algae). With 6 of them in a 65 gallon, you might not even need to supplement their diet much, from what I understand (about 10 gallons worth of tank will generally provide enough algae to keep one oto well fed, or at least that is what I have been told). They can, however, be a bit fragile when you first get them, as they are usually super stressed and starved from shipping... Ithink the general "rule" is that if they make it a month in your tank, you will have them for years.

[~firefly~]

Agreed. Only add otos to a mature set-up. They do need a lot of feeding ground (or lots of regular algae tabs and veggies). Mine thrived from day 1. Got 11, a runt died within 24 hours, still have the 10 today from what I can tell.