# good "algae eaters" with betta and other fish



## prodrumernate (Jun 22, 2012)

i have 1 male betta along with 4 rosy red minnows aka fathead minnows..

10 gallon fully cycled.filtered with 2 filters,live and fake plants,hiding places,temp kept around 78 degrees.

what are some good algae eaters i can put in there?im starting to have atleast 2 different types of algae...brown and green spot..

my tank can handle the extra bioload if not more than like 2 or 3 fish.

i dont care if its snails,fish,or shrimp.anything that will get along with my betta and can fit in a 10 gallon and not have to worry about it out growing.and most importantly something that will help control the algae.so i dont have to tear the tank apart just to clean it every day..if that makes sense


----------



## MSG (May 8, 2012)

I was going to get one of these Siamese algae eaters, but not anymore. 6" is too big.
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=830+888+1086&pcatid=1086

These guys. The otocats. Try to wait till they're on special for $1 before you get them. 
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=830+1162+923&pcatid=923

I'll be using snails. Just the annoying pest ones. 

I just noticed a bunch of baby snails a couple hours ago when I got home. A mix of trumpet snails, ramhorn & pond ones as well. 


I just released my best snail hunter into the tank to take care of the problem. Senetti only had 1 fruit fly all day since I was away so she should be mighty hungry.


----------



## prodrumernate (Jun 22, 2012)

i was actually thinking of the oto's..i looked up at my LPS and they are cheap which is currently good.im still waiting on news about a job if ill start next week or not.but havent heard anything new.

so im down to my last dollar.i surly dont wana wait until the algae is so bad i spend a week cleaning and everything.but do want something to "help" control it.but not too expensive.i think the oto's get like up to 2 inches.

i wanted a snail but read they breed like crazy.i never had any so wasnt too sure.a fruit fly is a tasty treat for them im sure


----------



## ukandy (Jul 29, 2012)

Ive used Ottos ok and have a few Nerite snails as their eggs dont hatch in freshwater but the eggs can get annoying to clean so id advise lighter tank decor. Chinese algae eaters get too large and are aggresive i think.


----------



## prodrumernate (Jun 22, 2012)

i like the oto's...i woldnt have to worry bout them over stocking.and my ph might be a little too low for a nails after looking up info on nerite snails.hmmm...maybe ill give an oto a try


----------



## KukaaKatchou (Sep 19, 2010)

I have two Otos and they are great! I thought 3 might be too much for my tank, but I've heard 3 or more is good. My 2 zip around and are great fun to watch


----------



## ukandy (Jul 29, 2012)

prodrumernate said:


> i like the oto's...i woldnt have to worry bout them over stocking.and my ph might be a little too low for a nails after looking up info on nerite snails.hmmm...maybe ill give an oto a try



Well i'm a BAD fishkeeper!!! This post made me look into them a little more and now realise my mistake in keeping them. My ph is 6.8, too low for the snails Its 11.10pm here in the UK and now i've got to do an emergency water change to save my snails. (The almond leaves change my normal ph of 7 to 6.8) Will a jump back to 7 right now harm them?


----------



## Aus (Feb 3, 2012)

Shrimp. I keep them in all my (heavily planted) betta tanks, and top up the population as they get picked off. Two of my bettas are incredibly aggressive and territorial hunters (my plakat killed one fishy tank mate already, and freaked out over a large snail sharing his space, almost turned himself inside out with rage, the big mook) .. but even so they have a hard time catching all the shrimp. 

The shrimp keep most algae varieties down without having a big bioload, and my fish are all super healthy and fat (not pot bellied, I mean good body weight) and are never bored, from hunting and snacking on them. 

Oh, just read the algae types.. brown and green spot. Do you mean diatoms, with the brown stuff? Like dust, all over? Shrimps will eat that - and baby ramshorns are cleaning up a little diatom staining on plants in my new NPT right now. Diatoms are often caused by too much silicate material in the water and also tend to appear during a cycle.. water changes can reduce that, until it goes away.

Snails are great at getting gunk off glass, anyhow.


----------



## prodrumernate (Jun 22, 2012)

i just went and got 1 oto..all i could afford but i need them.i checked my tank this morning,algae everywhere.so i know ive got plenty of food.plus i have algae wafers as well  i just now put him in.along with my male betta and 4 rosy red minnows.the girl at the store said they are schooling fish and asked if i had more.ill eventually add another or so later.i have my lights very very low to help rid of the algae as well..


----------



## prodrumernate (Jun 22, 2012)

if u do a water change it should bring the ph back backup.i didnt know about the ph level they need until i did a little more reearch and decided to check the type of water needed.i was kinda sad.i know they populate a lot and fast.but i could always give some away and or just destroy the eggs.

i think they can handle lower ph but not too much.i think they need like 8.1...something like that.


----------



## prodrumernate (Jun 22, 2012)

i feared my fish would eat shrimp.i dont ave it heavily planted.i evened it out for my minnows and betta.and will use my other plants for my second aquarium for my other female who is just in a 1 gallon hospital tank..

i may try adding 1 ghost shrimp as well.to have something different in the tank and to help with algae.the green dot algae is mostly on my live plants.some on 1 of the decor i plan to use to help cycle my other tank.and ye i have diatom.i looked it up this morning as well because it just got bad over night.its everywhere.

i read how to get rid of the brown algae.diatom...i also lowered my light.right when i put 2 florescent bulbs in my 10 gallon to replace a regular broken bulb.the alagae built up.or atleast i could really see it then..but my plants are growing great bcuz of the light.unlike before.

ill change the water a little more often to help aid in riding of the diatom.green algae not much i can do for now


----------



## ukandy (Jul 29, 2012)

prodrumernate said:


> if u do a water change it should bring the ph back backup.i didnt know about the ph level they need until i did a little more reearch and decided to check the type of water needed.i was kinda sad.i know they populate a lot and fast.but i could always give some away and or just destroy the eggs.
> 
> i think they can handle lower ph but not too much.i think they need like 8.1...something like that.


Thanks the ph is back to 7ish I'll check again in the morning. The nerite snails' eggs wont hatch in freshwater only brackish so being over run by them isnt going to happen Its the eggs that look a state stuck all over the dark decor that do my head in. Thay are a pain to remove. It says that a PH below 7 isnt for them at all so i panicked. I'm going to re home them I think...


----------



## MSG (May 8, 2012)

Most of the times I've wanted to get the otos the ones they had in the store didn't look too healthy so even for $1, I passed. 

I should probably check the PH requirements for my snails. Some of the larger ones have been dying, but don't know why.

ProD... Make sure still feed a thin slice of veggie to your oto, just in case he doesn't like the algae in your tank. You want to try to fatten up any new otos. I heard they don't get enough food during shipping and a lot of them die quick in tanks due to hunger.


----------



## KukaaKatchou (Sep 19, 2010)

Mine seemed to really like a slice of zuchini.


----------



## prodrumernate (Jun 22, 2012)

ukandy said:


> Thanks the ph is back to 7ish I'll check again in the morning. The nerite snails' eggs wont hatch in freshwater only brackish so being over run by them isnt going to happen Its the eggs that look a state stuck all over the dark decor that do my head in. Thay are a pain to remove. It says that a PH below 7 isnt for them at all so i panicked. I'm going to re home them I think...


no problem 

i knew some snails werent too bad on the eggs.i think its mostly mystery snails that lay outrages amount of eggs and spawn so quickly.but i wasnt sure what other types did and didnt..

what other fish do u have in the tank?u may not have to rehome them.just up the ph a little..though some finish may go in a panic.but doing it over time should be fine.kinda like having an ammonia spike.the fih would stress and die.but if its over time they will be fine.


----------



## prodrumernate (Jun 22, 2012)

MSG said:


> Most of the times I've wanted to get the otos the ones they had in the store didn't look too healthy so even for $1, I passed.
> 
> I should probably check the PH requirements for my snails. Some of the larger ones have been dying, but don't know why.
> 
> ProD... Make sure still feed a thin slice of veggie to your oto, just in case he doesn't like the algae in your tank. You want to try to fatten up any new otos. I heard they don't get enough food during shipping and a lot of them die quick in tanks due to hunger.


mine is pretty small.i just have 1 for now.im told they need to be with others.but now really sure.i have very low light in my tank rite now to help control the algae and allow the fish to adjust.but not sure if i should up the light again tomorrow or leave it low to help kill off algae..

i just so happen to do last minute research on snails and then i seen the ph and was like never mind.my other fish can handle it.i just dont wana have to worry bout keeping it at 8 or so though my water is 7.6ph out the faucet.so im very close..

im glad u told me about fattening him up.i unfortunately dont have any zucchini and not sure when i can get any.my tep mom is filipina o she uses a lot of vegie to cook.not sure what ele to feed my oto.i do have algae wafers.but read they normally ignore it.though i have tons of algae.i keep checking on him about every 30 minutes..

any alternatives to what i can feed him?i surly dont want him to die.he was 2 dollars at my LPS.even then no matter the price i still dont want any of my fish to die.


----------



## prodrumernate (Jun 22, 2012)

KukaaKatchou said:


> Mine seemed to really like a slice of zuchini.


i read thats the number 1 thing to feed them.to boil it for like 4 minutes and then let it cool down.correct me on the boiling time if im wrong.i didnt pay much attention to the time as i wasnt that interested in the zucchini at first.

as i told MSG..i surly dont want him to die.so ill keep watch.anything else they will eat other than zucchini and algae?other vegie i could give until i can get some zucchini?


----------



## MSG (May 8, 2012)

Any veggies will do, take a picture of the veggies that you have in the fridge or the stuff you mom cooks with. I can tell you once I see the photos. I'm familiar with most of those veggies.

I don't boil them that long. I slice them paper thin, quickly dip them in boiling water. I don't leave them in hot water for more than 10 seconds because you kill the nutrients the longer you boil it 

That's why I slice them paper thin. I just use a basic kitchen knife.

When I'm eating, the last thing I'm thinking of is preparing a portion for the fish. But that was before and I lost a lot of algae fish like that.


----------



## prodrumernate (Jun 22, 2012)

i acutally went to the tore and got a zucchini.my dad wanted me to run up there and get something for u to drink.while i was at it.i grabbed a zucchini..

all i need to do is slice them thin.dip them in boiling water for about 10 seconds and im fine am i correct?

and i agree with the not leaving in too long.that would get out most of the nutrient.that i dont want to do.

any pictures of what a healthy belly looks like so i know when to not over feed it zucchini?


----------



## prodrumernate (Jun 22, 2012)

a little info i fount online,its about mystery snails but im sure it applies to other snails as well.may not be much of a difference...

http://www.squidoo.com/Mystery_Snails

some info is if the ph is higher than 7 ur fine.mines at about 7.6...maybe a little higher since my scale doesnt go above 7.6...

i also read that to up ur ph
"If you are having trouble keeping your PH high enough, you can add 1tsp of baking soda per 10 gallons with every water change. Just be sure the fish in your tank will tolerate the higher PH before you try this."

theres a lot more info on the link i posted.good info.im going to bookmark it myself.id like a snail


----------



## KukaaKatchou (Sep 19, 2010)

I didn't even boil the zucchini  I also tried spinach but it made a bit of a mess. I don't think they will over eat ... I can try to get a shot of my Oto's little rounded bellies, but with all the plants in the tank now it will be difficult


----------



## prodrumernate (Jun 22, 2012)

oh that will be easier then.i can just cut thin slices,drop it down in my tank.and let him nibble on it a couple days.i just checked my oto.he is stuck to the glass wall.cant really tell if he is eating or not.but seems to be fine..i may have to clean off some of the algae by hand.as there is a lot.

i think ill try dropping a slice of zucchini in there and see if he goes for it


----------



## ukandy (Jul 29, 2012)

prodrumernate said:


> no problem
> 
> i knew some snails werent too bad on the eggs.i think its mostly mystery snails that lay outrages amount of eggs and spawn so quickly.but i wasnt sure what other types did and didnt..
> 
> what other fish do u have in the tank?u may not have to rehome them.just up the ph a little..though some finish may go in a panic.but doing it over time should be fine.kinda like having an ammonia spike.the fih would stress and die.but if its over time they will be fine.


At the moment i only have 2 Bettas 3 nerite snails and a lonely leopard cory because Jackie one of the Bettas decided to become a mass murderer overnight a few months back.:-( I know he shouldnt be alone but I cant find any more right now. My old Betta took a shine to eating my neons! As for the PH its back at 7 due to a water change. The alomond leaf i use lowers it slightly so diluting it with water with none in sorted it.


----------



## prodrumernate (Jun 22, 2012)

u can actually up the ph and not have to remove the snails.i did a little research on the cory.he can handle about 6-8ph.though i read on other sites 7.2 and even 7.5...1 site had it listed 6-8.

the snails would even do fine in 7-8..really as long as its above 7 they are fine.if u can get the ph to around 7.5...that will be fine for them.i listed it on here though several replies back..

"If you are having trouble keeping your PH high enough, you can add 1tsp of baking soda per 10 gallons with every water change. Just be sure the fish in your tank will tolerate the higher PH before you try this."

that will help adjust to a higher ph and at anytime it drops u can always do that and not worry about adding new water.my ph is at 7.6 all the time.so i could have a nail and it be fine.as long as i check it every so often to make ure no holes in the shells.


----------



## ukandy (Jul 29, 2012)

prodrumernate said:


> u can actually up the ph and not have to remove the snails.i did a little research on the cory.he can handle about 6-8ph.though i read on other sites 7.2 and even 7.5...1 site had it listed 6-8.
> 
> the snails would even do fine in 7-8..really as long as its above 7 they are fine.if u can get the ph to around 7.5...that will be fine for them.i listed it on here though several replies back..
> 
> ...


I dont mess with my water except using IAL from time to time. The water around here is around PH7.1 so a water change will raise it around that when i stop using the IAL. The snails are going because of the eggs everywhere and me being lazy. The cory is a tough little fishy and is fine except for being alone. I rescued him along with my red Betta. Hes great for keeping the sand clean and turned over.


----------



## prodrumernate (Jun 22, 2012)

oh got ya.either way the snails are going  i do want to get some but im hesitant.7.1 is a good ph for the fish.i know they can handle more but is great at that level..

how hard is it to take care of sand?i have a 20 gallon hex i wanna setup for 1 of my females.i was going to buy play sand or pool sand.which ever i can find and is cheap.went to a local store.and couldnt find pool sand but fount the play sand..

but i wasnt too sure if its really hard to take care of or wouldnt be a problem.my dad and i like the more natural look.so we want a tank with sand as well.i already have a 2 gallon with rainbow rocks for 1 female betta.

a 10 gallon with white gravel for my male betta and rosy red minnows and my new oto..

but want sand now for my 20 gallon.read it was hard to take care of.but wasnt really sure if its worth getting..


----------



## KukaaKatchou (Sep 19, 2010)

My zucchini floated so I used a plastic clip and a suction cup to put it near the bottom of the tank.


----------



## MSG (May 8, 2012)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zucchini 

Don't use cucumbers, eggplants, or bitter melon, winter melon, watermelon, etc... 

I buy Zucs when they're like $.50/lb or less, yellows or green would work. I would only leave the thin slices in the tank for 12 hours MAX before I remove them. You may want to scrub the outside of the zucchini with kosher salt to remove any of the waxy pesticides. Or use a peeler, but keep in mind, the skin is where most of the nutrients are. 

Other people cook them MUCH longer like minutes instead of seconds, but like I said, you kill the nutrients the longer you cook them. You just want to soften them up a little & the otos aren't toothless babies. Make them work on the slice a little. 

If you want to feed them spinach, julienne a thin slice for them. Giving them a whole leaf will probably create a larger mess. 

They're TINY fish, so don't give them a portion that would require 10 otos to finish. That's why I would feed them a mini portion till I know they're eating the extra supplemented food. 

If they finish, then I'll give them the more.

Oh yeah, those clothespins are good to use to hold the little pieces of veggies. Attach a string/fishing line to it for easier retrieval.


----------



## NapoleonUWS (Apr 23, 2012)

I give my snails a slice of a Kirby cucumber (smaller, less seeds) once a week and they devour it.

I drop the cucumber slice in on the evening and pull out whatever is left in the morning (usually very little).


----------



## prodrumernate (Jun 22, 2012)

i took a slice of zucchini and put it in a cup of water then tuck it in the microwave until it would sink...cooled down.then put it in my tank...i noticed my oto wont touch it..he sticks on the wall.but not where there is a lot of algae at...im kinda curious if he is even eating enough


----------



## ukandy (Jul 29, 2012)

prodrumernate said:


> oh got ya.either way the snails are going  i do want to get some but im hesitant.7.1 is a good ph for the fish.i know they can handle more but is great at that level..
> 
> how hard is it to take care of sand?i have a 20 gallon hex i wanna setup for 1 of my females.i was going to buy play sand or pool sand.which ever i can find and is cheap.went to a local store.and couldnt find pool sand but fount the play sand..
> 
> ...


I wouldnt go back to gravel now but its personal choice. Its really easy to look after just give it a stir with a wooden spoon once a week let it settle then I just gravel vac above to suck the dirt out. The corys help keep it turned and clean as well. Ithink my larger tank is 20 gals ish and i changed that from gravel it was a real pain but well worth it. Every tank i have has sand now.


----------



## prodrumernate (Jun 22, 2012)

i just went out and bought 100 pounds of sand.that was tiring carrying up the stairs.especially i weigh about 120 pounds.in kilos its 45 the weight of the sand and i weigh about 54 kilos.i didnt even know i could carry that.

ill use it in my 20 gallon hex..i watched a video online on youtube of a guy explaining the same way u said to clean it several hours ago.to stir it up.and let the gravel vacuum hover about a half inch above the sand to suck up the dirt.

originally it was just going to be my female betta in the 20 gal..but i thought of getn a couple cory cats to put in as well and maybe a couple neon tetras as well.


----------



## ukandy (Jul 29, 2012)

All my neons ended up as food but thats down to the individual fish i suppose. Im sure youll love the corys. how did you get on with the sand?


----------



## prodrumernate (Jun 22, 2012)

my male isnt aggressive so i know he will do well with just about any other fish.if needed i can put him in with neons if i choose to get them.my female can join the community he is in rite now since my rosy red minnows are tearing up his fins.though he doesnt seem to care and chases them out of his territory.

what do u mean how did i get on with the sand?sorry, im not sure if i understand


----------



## ukandy (Jul 29, 2012)

you said you got sand have youused it yet? what type and colour did you get?


----------



## prodrumernate (Jun 22, 2012)

oh yes.i just put it in my tank yesterday..just added water to it about an hour ago...its grayish..the pictures i posted below this is the bag and about what the color looks like.i wanted white or black sand.but its too expensive.though i plan on getting some black sand when i come back from the philippines.ill just bring it from there.i already have a little from when my dad went there to meet his wife..but ill get some when i go meet mine..

once my tank settles down a little.i can take some pix of it and upload it.


----------



## kfryman (Nov 7, 2011)

Brown algae, or diatoms, may eventually go away and you are stuck with the algae eaters and must provide dried algae like waffers. Green spot algae is way too hard for anything to really eat it, it is usually caused by a lack of nutrients I believe, forgot lol... But usually you need a coarse sponge or a razor to get it off, that is when you need to scrape off.

Amano shrimp or nerites snails probably work best, amanos can be fragile though since usually they are wild caught.


----------



## prodrumernate (Jun 22, 2012)

the green algae is on the leaves of my plants.though it seems to kinda faded and has been replaced with diatoms.but i do have tons of that everywhere.i actually scrapped some off my glass so i could see in certain spots and not mistake it for anything else.my oto is getting a pretty belly.so i know he is eating.see him lounging on leaves at times just resting.

i do have some algae wafers here.i had a pleco but it died several months ago.so i kept the wafers for future algae eaters.

i may need to get a couple more otos though.the diatom eems to be growing faster than what they eat.


----------

