Good thread algae eater for 15 gallon tank with live plants

[Michael]

I just set up my tank 1 week ago and put in 3 kinds of plants that my friend
gave me. Unfortunately they had some thread algae on them (he has it pretty
bad) and now it's growing in my tank. Some of the leaves are already dying
so I'd like to get something that can eat the algae. Most of the plants
have small leaves, nothing broad like the Amazon Sword. So I'm not sure
what type of fish to get to eat thread algae on small leave plants. Also I
have a 15 gallon so I don't have a lot of room. I did quite a bit of
reading but it's still not clear. I read Ottos are good but can they eat
algae off small leaves?? I've read SAE work well but they're too big for a
15 gallon. I've read Amano Shrimp will eat it, but I don't think my LSF has
those (never saw them before). What about Ghost Shrimp? Finally I read
people have good results with Apple Snails (Pomacea bridgesii) but I'm
pretty sure my leaves are too small and flimsy to support their weight.

I was hoping to go 1 month before adding fish but I don't think I can wait
that long without losing my plants. I've had my filter running in my
friend's tank for 1 week and I will put it in my tank today, so hopefully
the filter will be full of bacteria. Will that allow me to add an algae
eater right away?

Thanks,
Michael

[Michael]

Oops, just realized that I said thread algae when in fact I have fuzz algae!

"Michael" > wrote in message
...
> I just set up my tank 1 week ago and put in 3 kinds of plants that my
friend
> gave me. Unfortunately they had some thread algae on them (he has it
pretty
> bad) and now it's growing in my tank. Some of the leaves are already
dying
> so I'd like to get something that can eat the algae. Most of the plants
> have small leaves, nothing broad like the Amazon Sword. So I'm not sure
> what type of fish to get to eat thread algae on small leave plants. Also
I
> have a 15 gallon so I don't have a lot of room. I did quite a bit of
> reading but it's still not clear. I read Ottos are good but can they eat
> algae off small leaves?? I've read SAE work well but they're too big for
a
> 15 gallon. I've read Amano Shrimp will eat it, but I don't think my LSF
has
> those (never saw them before). What about Ghost Shrimp? Finally I read
> people have good results with Apple Snails (Pomacea bridgesii) but I'm
> pretty sure my leaves are too small and flimsy to support their weight.
>
> I was hoping to go 1 month before adding fish but I don't think I can wait
> that long without losing my plants. I've had my filter running in my
> friend's tank for 1 week and I will put it in my tank today, so hopefully
> the filter will be full of bacteria. Will that allow me to add an algae
> eater right away?
>
> Thanks,
> Michael
>
>

[LeighMo]

>
>that long without losing my plants. I've had my filter running in my
>friend's tank for 1 week and I will put it in my tank today, so hopefully
>the filter will be full of bacteria. Will that allow me to add an algae
>eater right away?
>

It should. In fact, you should put something in the tank, or the bacteria in
the filter will starve to death.

Otos can eat algae off small leaves. Might be worth keeping a few of them.

Snails are also a good choice. P. bridgesii can clean algae off the most
delicate leaves. They can float, filling their lungs with air. They will also
pull plants down to eat algae off them, like a person might pull a tree branch
down in order to pick fruit off of it. They don't damage even the most
delicate of plants, IME.

However, are you sure you have enough light for the plants you have? How much
light do you have, and what kind of plants are you trying to keep?


Leigh

http://www.fortunecity.com/lavender/halloween/881/

[Michael]

> It should. In fact, you should put something in the tank, or the bacteria
in
> the filter will starve to death.

It's weird because on the net the general consensus is to add fish right
away but in France the golden rule is to wait 1 month. Three different LSF
have told me that. This isn't the only thing they do differently in France.
;) Anyway I asked the my favorite LSF what to do and he suggested two
shrimps. I didn't even know what they were, but it was all he had so I took
them. He claimed they were great for algae. Well I just looked up the
common name from the receipt and I was pleasantly suprised to find that I
bought Caridina japonica - Amano Shrimp! I guess I got lucky on that one.

> However, are you sure you have enough light for the plants you have? How
much
> light do you have, and what kind of plants are you trying to keep?

This is a big potential problem. I have a 15 watt Grolux. I know I should
have 30 watts but the aquarium was given to me and it only has a place for
one bulb. I've asked the LSF and they said just to pick plants that do well
in low light. I read that in a book as well. The plants I have were given
to me as well and I don't think they're exactly low light but they were free
(his trimmings) so I figured I'd try. I also thought about adding CO2 to
see if that helps the plants.

Thanks for the confirmation on the snail and the Ottos. I'll add those next
if it continues.

Michael

[Pierre-Normand Houle]

"Michael" > wrote in message
...
> Oops, just realized that I said thread algae when in fact I have fuzz algae!

Fuzz algae (also sometimes called pelt algae or fur algae) is oedogonium. It is among
the most difficult algae to control: it spreads very fast; it is attached very firmly
to plant leaves and so can not be removed mechanically; and it withstands light or
nutrient deprivation very well.

Otos and SAEs will both help in reducing its spread by eating the shorter strands on
newly infested leaves. You should yourself remove the most infested leaves right
away. If your LFS has small SAEs, maybe you can ask if you can buy two of them and
bring them back in a year or so. Beware of the false SAEs.

Good plant growth and no excess nitrates (keeping it in the 3-5ppm range) will also
help control the infestation but might not be sufficient for the eradication of
oedogonium.

Since oedogonium is such a calamity and you don't yet have fish or a live filter in
your tank, maybe you'd like to use the peroxide treatment. You can use the common 3%
oxygen peroxide solution commonly found in drugstores. Something like 2 ounce per 10
gallon every day for just a few days might lead to the total eradication of
oedogonium with little damage to the plants. The fine hair will turn white and slowly
melt away. The stuff breaks down pretty fast in aquaria so you can add the filter 24
hours after the last dosing and some fish shortly thereafter. Don't add otos right
away for they will starve to death without algae and they are very picky on food.
SAEs will eat anything you give them.

[Pierre-Normand Houle]

"Michael" > wrote in message
...

> It's weird because on the net the general consensus is to add fish right
> away but in France the golden rule is to wait 1 month. Three different LSF
> have told me that. This isn't the only thing they do differently in France.
> ;) Anyway I asked the my favorite LSF what to do and he suggested two
> shrimps. I didn't even know what they were, but it was all he had so I took
> them. He claimed they were great for algae. Well I just looked up the
> common name from the receipt and I was pleasantly suprised to find that I
> bought Caridina japonica - Amano Shrimp! I guess I got lucky on that one.

My amano shrimps do little with oedogonium (fuzz algae) but I only have two of them.
They seem to keep the stuff clean and not eat it much.

[LeighMo]

>It's weird because on the net the general consensus is to add fish right
>away but in France the golden rule is to wait 1 month.

It's okay to wait if you aren't seeding the tank with live bacteria. But if
you hope to keep the bacteria on the filter material from your friend's tank
alive, you can't wait a month. The bacteria will die within days, if not
hours, without ammonia and nitrite to eat (provided by fish, shrimp, or snails
in the tank).

>Anyway I asked the my favorite LSF what to do and he suggested two
>shrimps. I didn't even know what they were, but it was all he had so I took
>them. He claimed they were great for algae. Well I just looked up the
>common name from the receipt and I was pleasantly suprised to find that I
>bought Caridina japonica - Amano Shrimp! I guess I got lucky on that one.

Amano shrimp are great. However, be very careful about adding anything else to
the tank right now. Shrimp are not a good choice for cycling a tank. They are
very sensitive to ammonia and especially nitrite. It should be okay, since
you've got filter material from an established tank, but be very careful not to
overload the tank yet.

>This is a big potential problem. I have a 15 watt Grolux. I know I should
>have 30 watts but the aquarium was given to me and it only has a place for
>one bulb. I've asked the LSF and they said just to pick plants that do well
>in low light.

That's a good idea. Your Amano shrimp will be very happy if you add some java
moss to the tank. It will be fine with your lighting level. Also try Anubias,
java fern, or Bolbitis.


Leigh

http://www.fortunecity.com/lavender/halloween/881/

[Robert H]

marc <sales a@t Charter dot net> wrote in message >...
> Ghost shrimp are not good algae eaters
> Would go with the ottos if the tank is cycled
>

Ghost shrimp no, but Amano shrimp, (Cardina japonica) loves hair
algae, as does Red cherry shrimp. The American Flag Fish just sucks
down hair algae. It eats it incredibly fast. Ottos eat green algae,
not hair algae.

I have all of the above for sale, and a few more.

Robert Hudson
www.aquabotanic.com

[Jennifer Brooks]

Ameca Splendens also love hair algae, you can find some on AquaBid.com
Jen