algae eaters

[t.pettet]

Can anyone recommend what type to buy? I have a 15 gal with quite a few plants and 7 guppies. Thanks.

[downloader]

some ottos are good for the size of your tank.

www.bluewhippet.net

[BMDLuver]

A red high fin plecko will clean the tank spotless.

[papillonmama]

I was going to say plecko too, they just mind their own business, I've always liked that about them.

[StaceyB]

There are several small varieties of pleckos. Any will be good. What other fish do you have in your tank?

[Sneaky]

A red hi fin pleco is a very large pleco.
These fish grow way to big for most tanks.
Max size for this pleco is about 24 inches.
For a 15g tank, there are few kinds of small
plecos, however most of these do not eat algae,
or are poor algae eaters.
A Bristlenose Pleco is a good algae eater, but many
people do not like the way they look. Rubbernose Plecos
are also a good choice for a small tank.
For a 15g tank, the best choice would be either:
Bristlenose Pleco
Rubbernose Pleco
Ottos (4 would be a good number)
An Apple Snail
Some Algae Eating shrimps, like cherrys, amanos,
ghost shrimp, etc.

All plecos produce huge amounts of poop, so keep that in
mind when considering them. They require extra maintenance
on a tank because of the sheer amount of waste produced
by them. For a smaller tank, there are better options
than plecos.

[t.pettet]

Thank you everyone for the info. I think ottos are what I'll buy. I have 2 apple snails but they're destroying my plants and have recently installed the fluorescent compact bulbs for the mondo grass and amazon swords. The snails are going back to the store they came from.

[Sneaky]

Hi there,
well, not all apple snails are created equal. There
are many many species of apple snail,
but only 1 eats plants, pomacaea bridgessi
You seem to have unluckily purchased this species.
Most pet store apple snails are not this species.
However, are you certain that the snails are eating your
plants?
Mondo grass, unfortunately, is a terrestrial plant. It will
only last a few months under water, and after that will
literally start to disintegrate, which is probably what
is happening.
Heres some info on it:
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/c...japonicus.html

You have to be very careful when purchasing aquarium plants,
as about 1/3 of the ones sold commonly, such as mondo grass, dracaena,
spathiphylum wallisi (called Bolivian Sword or Sword something, is not a sword plant at all, but is the terrestrial plant "peace lily")
Check out the following website for aquatic plants.
What I do is look at plants in the pet store, write down the names
and then I check to see if said plants are aquatic or terrestrial.
http://www.tropica.com

Tropica is the world leader in aquatic plants. Good info on their website.

Anyway, ottos are a great choice, however, I must advise you on proper procedure to acclimate them, as they are incredibly sensitive little guys.
Upon returning home with the ottos from fish store:
Open top of bag, Float in Aquarium (i usually tuck the top edge under the lid so it doesnt float down into the aquarium)
Float for 15 minutes
Open bag and add 3-5 ounces of water from your aquarium
Wait 15 minutes
Again add 3-5 ounces of water from aquarium
Wait 15 minutes
Remove 6-10 ounces of water from bag (Do not put in aquarium)
Add 6-10 ounces of water from aquarium
Wait 15 minutes
Now carefully net and release your ottos into the aquarium.
This way you will probably get a 70-80% survival rate, which
is very high for ottos.
Always buy 2 more ottos than what you plan for,
as pet store stocks rarely exceed a 70-80% survival rate.
Ensure you have a lot of soft green algae, its the only type ottos
eat. They do not eat black/blue beard/hair algae. They do not eat brown
algae (not algae actually but a diatomaceous life form),
and they do not eat staghorn algae.
If there is not enough algae present in your tank, supplement
with algae wafers, HBH 8 Veggie Flake, Zuchinni, and Shrimp Pellets,
Pellets for Bottom Feeders and Scavengers.
Ottos can easily starve to death if there is not enough algae.
You can tell if they are getting enough to eat, pet store ottos
will often be very small and skinny. If they get enough to eat,
they will quickly have very round happy bellies and start to grow
quickly to maturity.
Good luck!

[t.pettet]

Thanks again, you really know your aquarium info. Will act on all your suggestions.