Is there...

Mirepoix

Is there any catfish/ algae eater that doesn't need to be in a group? i have a small betta who is about as docile as a betta can get it, in a 5 gallon tank, and i would like to get a algae eater in the tank with him, but all the ones i have read about have to be in groups...

aunt kymmie

I can think of a number of catfish/algae eaters that do fine solo but none of these would work in a 5gl as it's much too small. If it were me (and it's not!) and if this 5gl was an established tank with live plants you could do a trio of otos. I keep a betta in a 6gl w/ a trio of otos but my 6gl has been set up for nearly two years and is very heavily planted. You could also look into dwarf (pygmy) cories but they also need an established tank with spot on water parameters. I'm not a snail person but I believe there are some algae eating snails can live happily with bettas, provided it's a very docile betta that won't attack their eye stalks.

Mirepoix

My tank has been established about a year, year and a half. I would like to get some, but if there isn't anything, i wouldn't be selfish enough to add a fish that wouldn't be happy. My tank is about half covered with plants, but they are fake... (nothing sharp, no worries)

I might have to change a few things... im kinda just tossing ideas around and attempting to get some more ideas and opinoins. so keep them coming and thanks for the feed back :)


Emm

herbwin

I agree the otos would be good, or a snail. Also, you could try one of the small varieties of plecos (not the commons or bristlenose), worst case you would have to find him a new home in a few years.
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aunt kymmie

I can't think of any plecos that are much smaller than an ABN pleco and an ABN would never work in a 5 gl. A rubberlip or a clown pleco are some of the smaller species of plecos and they also are too large to live comfortably in a 5gl.

eileen

I have bushynosed plecos in all my tanks even my small 6 gal. It's a baby less then 1". I have a friend that breeds them so I can get the tiny babies. She might be ok as long as it's a baby one. They seem to grow very slowly and I even had one in a 3 gal. to keep the algae clean off of that tank. They are very good at keeping the algae and food off of the bottom of your tanks. I have not had to much luck with the Oto cats. I figure if they grow to large they are easy to rehome on craigslist my biggest baby is in my 55 gal. and it is only about 2" the other BN pleco in with that one is about 1". I also have a 1" BN pleco in my 10 gal. tank.Good fish stores will carry baby BN plecos. My friend has so many that she can't keep up with all the babies being born. She sells them at The San Diego Tropical Fish Society that we both belong to.

Snails will be a big problem with a betta because they are so slow moving over a active BN pleco. Bettas can be really mean so you have to watch what you put in with them.

You can alway just use one of those algae scrapers or magnets to keep the algae clean and not have you lights on for a long time to control the algae.I have all my lights on a timer for all my tanks 9 hrs but I have live plants in all my tanks so I need them on for that long.

iamntbatman

A combination of a nerite snail and an amano shrimp would eat a lot of different types of algae and you could easily house both in a 5g with a betta, provided the betta isn't the type to nip at the shrimp or snail.

Mirepoix

I kinda just want an algae eater b/c i like them, not only b/c of them keeping the algae away.