Cleaner fish

peterman

I have a 55 gallon tank with 10 1-inch african cichlids and im starting to accumalate algae on the sides of the tank and on the decor. What fish would be a good solution to solve this problem without annoying the cichlids later on. I also needed something that would clean up some of their food left behind.

lorax84

Get a couple or medium size Bristlenosed Plecos. My roommate used to breed Peacock Cichlids in a 75g and he always kept a Clown Pleco and a couple of bristlenosed to keep things clean.

beachcire

I have a bristlenose in with my cichlids but you should look into why you are getting the algae and try fixing that problem first. I would still get a bristlenose though cause they are great little fish.

amberjade

Look into a featherfin cat - they are a bit more agressive than bristlenoses, so can hold their own with Africans. That are a syno.
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1077

Most african cichlids will eat a fair amount of algae as portion of their diet.For Algae on the glass, that's your job to remove with alage magnet or paper towel folded into fourths.
Synodontis Petricola would help with scavenger duties but any fish added to the tank also increases the waste created by same.
I might reduce the lighting period by a couple hours and see if that does not also reduce algae growth.

peterman

thanks everyone

aunt kymmie

I agree with 1077. The Homosapien Elbow Fish does the best job at removing algae from the sides of tanks.

luckysarah

Ameca Splendens are excellent algae eaters, they can also hold their own with most larger fish, and they are live bearers that don't eat their young so make excellent feeders......... but incredibly hard to find. (a shame really)

I have shrimp to clean my tanks, they do a great job and are really fun to watch, but easily eaten by larger fish.

You could also try some Duckweed or Hornwort (it will compete with the algae for nutrients.... and usually wins lol)

peterman

well i tried plecos and that didnt work because they keep dieing for no reason when my water readings are perfect will CAEs work?

ElectricBlueJackDempsey

I have different types of plecos in all my tanks but what really helps with the algae on the glass are any type of Nerite Snails.