# Betta's, Frogs, Algae eaters



## ThePearlFish (Mar 31, 2009)

I don't know if this has been posted somewhere already, but I was wondering if there was some some type of algae eater fish or something that eats primarily algae I could put in my 20g long to help control the algae population. It has a Betta, 3 Jumbo Tetras and 3 Corys. I was hoping for something that might also get along with ADF's (I have them in a separate 10g tank-just thinking for future reference).

Thanks!

~TPF


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## Cerulean02 (Jul 12, 2009)

Otos are great algae eaters. They, like corys, need to be kept together. You can also go for a bristlenose pleco. They're both peaceful and will keep your algae problem under control.


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## Angelmonster (May 27, 2009)

Careful, both otos and plecos can get too big for a 20 gallon tank. Go out and buy some Algae killer chemicals instead, most are totally healthy for fish and plants. If you really wasnt something natural to do it then buy a snail


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## ThePearlFish (Mar 31, 2009)

Maybe I will get a snail if the algae eater fishes don't work for my tank. my corys love skimming/licking every surface of my tank and decorations, but they don't see that they are just not algae fish even if they do try to help. LOL.

~TPF


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## AngelicScars (May 5, 2009)

Otos work great. They don't get big like plecos, so they are good in smaller tanks. I wouldn't get any less then 3. They are cute and interesting little characters!


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## neenjar (Jun 19, 2009)

Angelmonster said:


> Careful, both otos and plecos can get too big for a 20 gallon tank. Go out and buy some Algae killer chemicals instead, most are totally healthy for fish and plants. If you really wasnt something natural to do it then buy a snail


I've never seen an otto get larger than 3cm, and bristle nose pleco's get 5-6 inches, both are perfectly suitable for a 20 long, it would be pushing stocking limits though, but if you stay in top of water changes should be fine.


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## ThePearlFish (Mar 31, 2009)

I just would like 1-2 not too many. I have plenty of room in my tank, but yea I'd LIKE to give my fish extra swimming space. I'll look 'em up 

~TPF


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## Cerulean02 (Jul 12, 2009)

Yeah otos never get bigger than 2 inches and if you got an albino bristle they get about 3 inches...so they would be fine, they're just high waste where otos are not.


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## Cerulean02 (Jul 12, 2009)

Also, sorry for double post, be very careful with snails you might start with one but end up with hundreds, most can breed asexually. There is one kind that breeds in brakish water only, but can live in fresh water but I can't remember which one.


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## ThePearlFish (Mar 31, 2009)

I heard mystery snails are not asexual, but I know some of them can get big, like the apple snail (like golf ball sized), which they can get confused with. I dunno whether I'd want a bigger snail, but I think a lot of people would find it neat when they look in a tank and see a big snail. A bristlenose would be a different interesting fish too, although I admit to me their face is one that isn't the most attractive, lol.


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## Lupin (Aug 2, 2006)

ThePearlFish said:


> I heard mystery snails are not asexual, but I know some of them can get big, like the apple snail (like golf ball sized), which they can get confused with. I dunno whether I'd want a bigger snail, but I think a lot of people would find it neat when they look in a tank and see a big snail. A bristlenose would be a different interesting fish too, although I admit to me their face is one that isn't the most attractive, lol.


 Actually the mystery snail (_Pomacea diffusa_) are still apple snails (_Ampullaridae_). All apple snails are sexual. You need both a male and a female to be able to produce viable egg clutches which in diffusas, they are laid above the water line. Diffusas grow to golfball size. Another species commonly available is the _Pomacea canaliculata_. This one grows to baseball size. The largest is the _Pomacea insularum_ at softball size but these are not suitable as the canaliculata complex are mildly aggressive especially when hungry. If you were hoping these species would eat algae, no, they will not. These snails prefer anything else and will not effectively eat the algae at all. Besides that, these are incompatible with bettas. They need hard alkaline water with high calcium level. This condition can increase the bettas' susceptibility to finrot and other bacterial infections. You can't keep the snails otherwise where the shells will erode severely. If you want snails, look into ramshorns (_Planorbidae_) or nerite snails (which require constant supply of algae as they will ignore anything else).


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## Lupin (Aug 2, 2006)

Cerulean02 said:


> There is one kind that breeds in brakish water only, but can live in fresh water but I can't remember which one.


You were referring to the nerite snails. Not all nerites will breed in BW only. The ones that can breed in FW are _Theodoxus fluviatilis_ and _Neritina reclivata_.


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