# Will ghost shrimp or cherry shrimp eat algae/tannins



## BlueHaven (Jul 17, 2010)

I'm guessing not, but wanted to know for sure. Thai's 5 gallon keeps growing brown stuff in it (I forgot what it's called, but it's from new tank syndrome)and I clean it, but it would be cool if they did eat that stuff?


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## carpenter547 (Sep 18, 2010)

no the brown stuff is not from new tank.

brown algae is a nussince algae due to too many organics and phosphate i believe phosphore one of them in the watter and too much light. *not a bad thing*

no ghost shrimps won't eat it other shrimps amanos i think will *i have heard*
ghost shrimps as stated in my other posts remove large amounts of wastes POOP too before it fouls up the water thus helping prevent algea from starting and keeping your substrate looking cleaner.

one option that works is to cut your feeding in half. if you have a light and aren't growing plants try cutting your light time in half or at least lessening it as much as convienient. 
another option is to grow a plant like apotengens *misspelled sorry* they go by the packaged name betta bulbs * they grow big and fast * they will out grow a 5 and fill up a ten fast trim as you need. they will suck up the nutirents that the algae is eating.

another option is to leave some brown stuff some where outa sight *inside filter housing etc.* then it will grow in that spot and help keep it off where you don't want it.

all of these work together too *except drasticaly cutting light time and trying to grow live plants*

hope it helps.


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## JorgeBurrito (Sep 2, 2010)

The brown algae could indeed be a true algae (in which carpenter gives good advice) or it might be a diatom bloom. A diatom bloom is due to an excess of Silicon, often found in new tanks. It goes away on its own eventually. 

Ghost shrimp are not big algae eaters. Red cherry shrimp definitely eat a variety of algae, including diatoms, especially if other sources of food are limited. Amano shrimp are probably the best algae eating shrimp. Shrimp are sensitive to ammonia though and they are not necessarily a great choice if your tank is so new that has not fully cycled yet.


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## Alex09 (Aug 9, 2010)

It sounds like you have a diatom bloom. Are there brown patches on the sides of the glass, the substrate, plants, and decoratons? if do you have a diatom bloom. I am going through the same thing. I heard that oto catfish LOVE eating diatoms but they are a bit more on the sensitive side, and my tank is already stocked with cories anyways


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## carpenter547 (Sep 18, 2010)

ok out of my practical knowledge here but this is what i have heard.

adding charcoal to your filteration will help keep the diatoms in check as it sponges up what causes them.

but then again this is what i have heard and comes from my addled brain.


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## BlueHaven (Jul 17, 2010)

Ah! I'm so sorry, I forgot to check on my own question. ~>_<~

Thank you for the help! 
It is diatoms.
I will look into using charcoal or getting one of those bulbs. I may eventually get an otto, they are cool! Though mine's only a 5 gallon.....
I will more likely stick to getting shrimp later since I was planning on getting them anyway.


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## BettaBoy84 (Jul 25, 2010)

Hey..I have a 75 gallon soroity with 14 females..and 1 *ghost shirmp..*

I have 3 ghos*t shrimp* but both 2 died die to unknown reasons, i did buy at a shady LPS that i will no longer use...Caugh..pet smart...caugh

This has been posted to let you know ghost shrimp are AWESOME, they eat a lot of the brown alge in the tank, mine does all the time (diatom bloom). And because of this he is taking on more of a darker shell with some organic colors...

Go for the shrimp, and if you get some live plants goin, you could also try some Mystery snails...I have 2 large golden mystery snails in my planted macrostoma tank. they clean and are cool lookin,,,fast too...

Good luck


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