If you are troubled with the recurring appearance of algae at the bottom and glass area of your fish tank, you should consider taking care of algae eating fish.
This would be a great investment because this could help you get rid of the quick emergence of algae in your aquarium.
Species of fish that eat algae usually scavenge for food at the bottom of aquariums and eat algae accumulating on its glass sides.
By having them in your aquarium, you would need less time for cleaning your tank, changing its waters and siphoning out the slime accumulating on it.
However, these species have different kinds of temperaments and needs, so you should be very careful when choosing an algae-eating creature.
Here are some of the important pieces of information regarding the most popular algae eating fish offered on the market.
Once you have learned more about them, it would be easier for you to look for an algae eater that best suits your needs, preferences and budget.
The Armor Plated Catfish The armor plated catfish, also known as the Plecostomus, is one of the widely recognized algae eaters on the market.
They are usually two-feet long, and they would stop scavenging for algae once they reach at least nine to ten inches.
They are not recommended for people who keep small aquariums, so you should only decide to buy this particular species if you have a fairly large aquarium.
You would also need extra budget for supplementing their diet, so they are not advisable for you if you want a low-maintenance algae eater.
The Otocinclus Catfish If you have a small fish tank with many plants, you should go for the Otocinclus catfish.
Fishes belonging to these particular species only grow up to one inch.
Since these algae eating fish are small and lightweight, they have no capability to destroy the beautiful plants or even the additional aquarium supplies inside your tank.
This would be perfect for you if you want to keep a heavily planted aquarium.
If you have many plants inside your tank, the accumulating algae inside it would be enough to suffice their needs for nutrients and food.
However, they could not be kept with larger fishes.
They are only best kept in aquariums with small and peaceful fishes.
The Siamese Algae Eater Siamese algae eaters are also perfect for well-planted fish tanks.
They only grow up to three to four inches, and they can eat the algae off the plants in fish aquariums without destroying the plants.
However, you should be very cautious when keeping them with delicate plants because they could cause minor damages to thin aquarium plants.
Like the Oticinclus catfish, the Siamese algae eating fish could also survive in typical algae supplies.
They could also scavenge for some leftover pellets and food left at the bottom of your aquarium.
You could also provide them with food supplements if you want to keep them healthier and stronger.
These three are only some of the best kinds of algae eaters that you should consider keeping inside your aquarium.
Be careful when choosing one because this could affect your satisfaction with how it could clean your tank.
Once you find the best algae eating fish that you could keep with your precious fish, you would feel more contented with how clean and well-maintained your home aquarium would be.