Which snails eat hair algae

Crandall, M. Fatherree, M. Ken Feldman Jon E. Shimek, Ph. All times are GMT The time now is AM. TapaTalk Enabled. Use of this web site is subject to the terms and conditions described in the user agreement. User Name. Remember Me? Mark Forums Read. Page 1 of 2. Thread Tools. Find More Posts by basssnake. Find More Posts by D to the P. Find More Posts by Guygettnby. Find More Posts by Don-Coraleone. Find More Posts by dzabler. Quote: Originally posted by basssnake So, asteas are not worth buying then?

Find More Posts by bkvreef. Find More Posts by loof the doof. Remember that the gallon capacity and size of your aquarium plays a role in your choice. Some algae eaters will remain small where others will grow quite large.

I made sure to recommend both big and tiny species on this list. Before I move on to my top selections I need to make sure that you understand the nature of algae. Often times the nutrient imbalance occurs in new aquariums, which is when algal spores explode and take over. Research shows that in excessive amounts it can actually be harmful to aquatic life.

It has also been documented that microalgal blooms are not safe for your skin and us aquarists often put our hands in the aquarium water. In some cases, you end up with hair algae or Black beard algae. These are the toughest to remove, be it with the aid of algae-eating fish or not. There I go really deep and share some unpopular gems that might be worth checking before you proceed to choose an algae-grazing species.

This, in turn, will make the hair algae hard and unappetizing for fish. Some of these species are classified as omnivores so the occasional frozen worm should be thrown in, as well.

Do your research on your choice, before introducing an algae-focused eater to the aquarium. The presence an algae eater is considered a fundamental building block of a healthy ecosystem, be it in an aquarium or an outdoors body of water. Many categories of algae exist, which increases the chance of one of them adapting to your particular freshwater or saltwater fish tank and invading it. A true Siamese Algae Eater will reach around 6 inches in maximum size or just about 15 cm.

This implies the need for a medium-sized freshwater tank. This species is the epitome of the good guy in the aquarium. Not only will the Siamese algae eaters get you rid of algae, but they have a super peaceful and friendly temper as well.

Fish stores may sometimes falsely advertise one as the other so do your research on the appearance and care requirements of a true Siamese Algae Eater before purchasing one hint: The black line on the side of a true SAE ends at the back of its tail fin and not the beginning. Visit the link for more info on identification and care.

This algae-eating fish will relentlessly munch on even the most stubborn types of algae without wasting any time. Many consider the Siamese Algae Eater the best fish for winning the battle with freshwater algae. On that note, mind that it may be better to get female siamese algae eaters as the male ones may get extremely territorial among each other. Females are the ones that grow larger and do not appear as elongated as the males. Visit the link for more shark-like fish ideas.

When it comes to demolishing unwanted algal growth, these guys are my go-to algae-eating fish recommendation. For best results against the most stubborn of algae turn to a rubber-lipped pleco. This fish is one of the few small pleco species that will eat all the freshwater kinds of algae, including the nasty black algae and even brown diatoms. I wrote a full guide on how to care for this fish, what to watch out for when getting one, and other of its peculiarities, including tank mates.

Visit the care guide on Rubber Lipped Plecos here if you want to learn more. Anyway, A Rubber Lips pleco will clean a tank at spectacular rates. Because of their preferred temperature range the rubber-lipped plecos can work as algae eaters in a goldfish tank. As juveniles, these guys will restlessly clean your tank. Second, upon maturity, they will lose appetite for plants algae and will start looking to get some protein.

Unfortunately, not many people can be as diligent and one day they will forget to dose the so-desired meal. I am kind of baffled at the fact that whenever algae eaters are the topic of discussion these freshwater fish never come up as a suggestion.

The females, however, are not as aggressive while they can still be a good centerpiece fish in smaller aquarium setups. I would encourage anyone with a 10 to gallon tank to get at least 3 female flagfish, to keep freshwater algae at bay.

The American Flagfish demand a plant-based menu. Algae wafers are a good choice, along with the occasional cucumber or spinach piece. Mind that these algae-eating fish feel best in heavily planted tanks with plenty of hiding spaces such as caves and driftwood.

The flagfish may or may not munch on the freshwater plants in your aquarium. A Bristlenose plecostomus will spend its time as every other plecostomus: they will glue themselves on the glass, scavenge the aquarium for algae and happily hang out on driftwood.

Because of its size, care level, and ability to clean a tank up, this fish is super popular in the hobby. In fact, the whole family the Bristlenose Pleco comes from is so effective at consuming huge amounts of algae that releasing them in the wild is known to wreak havoc on local ecosystems. Anyway, the Bristlenose pleco has a rather stunning appearance — with age they will develop mustache-like tentacles, which gives them a unique look.

Bristlenose plecos are known to collaborate well with goldfish in an algae-infested aquarium. Along with the rubber-lipped pleco and the rosy barb, these are the only 3 species of fish that make sense as algae-eating tank mates for goldfish aquariums. And better still, this one is a voracious algae eater. Mollies are another species that has a pretty good reputation for eating hair algae.

They also come in a variety of forms: fancy mollies, black mollies, dalmation mollies, etc. The key to getting mollies to consistently eat algae in your aquarium is to underfeed them a bit. If you can get them to survive the initial transition into your tank, mollies are pretty easy to care for. If they survive more than a few weeks, they will breed in your aquarium.

Eventually, you will need to find another home for some of your babies. Most pet stores that sell fish will take them off your hands, though they may not provide store credit. The dwarf gourami is another fish that will eat hair algae. Dwarf gourami disease.

This disease makes getting any dwarf gourami species pretty risky, because you could keep them for 6 months only to have them suddenly start wasting away.

And there is nothing you can do. Platies are pretty easy to care for. Ramshorn snails are commonly regarded as a pest, but if you can overlook their tendency to reproduce based on how much food is available, you can put them to work eating the algae in your aqaurium. Guppies are another great species for your tank if you have a hair algae problem. But even better than that…. And while they are another species that will multiply like crazy if you keep females in your aquarium, the males look best and can be kept by themselves without any issue.

Keep guppies between F. They can survive an extremely wide range of hardness and PH conditions, but they prefer a PH around 7. Having different snails is recommended. They are peaceful towards each other and will often work together to clean all areas of your tank. Trochus Snails come from the Indo-Pacific region.

They are widely collected in the wild but are also being captive-bred. These snails are one of the best options for snails for many reasons. First, they are great algae eaters with large appetites. They will graze on green algae, slime algae, diatoms, filamentous algae, and cyanobacteria. This will allow them to live longer, saving you money. Also, Trochus Snails are hardy and live longer than other snails.

They can withstand hotter temperatures too, which is great for tanks in warmer areas. They work well with Cerith Snails; as Trochus Snails will stay above the sand line when cleaning glass, while Cerith Snails will clean the rest of what they missed. Turbo Snails are another hungry snails that can clean the glass and rock. As their name says, they come from the Gulf of California in Mexico. These snails are especially known for eating hair algae , but they will eat other kinds as well.

While these are great, hard-working snails, they have some downsides. They will clean all areas of the tank, including the rock structures. This means they may accidentally knock over unstable rocks or corals frags with their shell while mowing around. For some hobbyists, this is not a major issue, but others may not think it is worth it. The other, most annoying issue, is that they can not flip themselves over.

This would not be an issue if they did not fall as much as they do. When they all of the rock or glass and land on the back of their shell, they will die if they are not flipped over.

This severely decreases their life span. This defect also makes them easy targets for hermit crabs and wrasses. Turbo Snails are effective, but not efficient. Astrea Snails look very similar to Trochus Snails but are not the same. The main difference is that they are unable to flip themselves over. Just like the Turbo Snail, this may be a major nuisance. Astrea Snails are native to the Caribean.