hi - i was just wondering how long should i wait till i get a algae eater for my 29 tank and yes im new at this? i have four danois for like about 2 weeks for cycling but hoping to get cichlids when everything is ready.
how long untill algae eater?
- Thread starter nate da fishman
- Start date
get one now!, but, not the fish, get the "aquarium sponge" an algae cleaner like the mag float, or any other algae cleaner type thing your LFS may have.
No fish should be bought becuase it "eats algae" or cleans the tank. That is your job. Not the fish's. If, however you want an algae eater as a pet, wait until the cycle finishes. And, whenever buying any fish make sure you do lots of research, DO NOT walk into the local fish store and ask the person there to get you an "algae eater".
No fish should be bought becuase it "eats algae" or cleans the tank. That is your job. Not the fish's. If, however you want an algae eater as a pet, wait until the cycle finishes. And, whenever buying any fish make sure you do lots of research, DO NOT walk into the local fish store and ask the person there to get you an "algae eater".
With a proper maintenance schedule, proper stocking of the tank and feeding, and a good light schedule you should not have significant algae problems.
i agree with dorkfish. never get any fish for the sole purpose of cleaning your tank, because it never works out the way you think it will. just take some extra time and clean the tank yourself. i have some otos, but i love them because they're just so cute and silly, not because i expect them to eat all the algae.
wait until you have an algea problem, then get a bristlenose pleco to supplement your own cleaning.
Get a gravel vaccum. It's a hose that you use to siphon the water out of the tank and it sucks all that stuff up out of the gravel.
nate da fishman said:
NOTHING will eat "crap". Algae eaters eat algae, but will probably need more than algae for food. To take care of the excess food you could try corydoras, but they still need to be fed more than excess food IMHO.
Or, you could hit three birds with one stone and use a gravel vac to change your water, wich you have to do anyway unless you like the idea of fish waste rotting in the bottom of your tank.