going shopping tomorrow!!

[Mystical Elvis]

So i'm going shopping tomorrow for another betta and then I believe a "sucker fish" .. they are the type of fish that stick to your tank by their mouth an feed off the algea in your tank.. however I am debating about this.. because these types of fish grow to the size your tank is.. and well ... mine is a 10 gallon.. and I dont think I want a 10 inch fish in my tank with my little baby.. so if anyone has any SUGGESTIONS.. about algea suggestions and what fish would be best to remove the algea and not grow to like 10 inches long, lol, it would be greatly appriciated.

[amanichen]

Mystical said:

So i'm going shopping tomorrow for another betta and then I believe a "sucker fish" .. they are the type of fish that stick to your tank by their mouth an feed off the algea in your tank.. however I am debating about this.. because these types of fish grow to the size your tank is.. and well ... mine is a 10 gallon.. and I dont think I want a 10 inch fish in my tank with my little baby.. so if anyone has any SUGGESTIONS.. about algea suggestions and what fish would be best to remove the algea and not grow to like 10 inches long, lol, it would be greatly appriciated.

Well, there are a few things to think about before you go buying a "cleaner fish."

The first thing to think about is that you don't NEED one. This is a common myth among neophytes that you need a fish to get rid of algae or do cleaning. Controlling algae is really about controlling its nutrient supply, and its light source. A few minutes at each water change with a sponge will help get rid of algae. I can give you a link to an article on my website about this.

The second thing is the food supply for the fish. If you had a larger tank with a steady supply of algae then this won't be a problem. If your tank gets cleaned out in a week or two then there are other things to think about (like getting spirulina wafers to feed it!) If your tank is constantly green, then you should examine your water chemistry and lighting to find out exactly what is causing all that growth.

You also need to think about how large the fish will get, what type of water chemistry it wants, and whether or not it's compatible with your existing fish.

Here are fish that people commonly buy:

1. plecostomus -- they are voracious eaters but will grow to over a foot long given enough time.

2. siamese algae eater -- unlike the chinese algae eater these guys actually eat algae instead of flake food. They'll stay medium sized (around 6 inches as an adult), but when mature may outgrow a ten gallon aquarium.

3. otocinclus -- they're constantly grazing on algae. They stay small (under 3") but are more sensitive to water quality then the above choices.

Again, you don't need one of these fish, and if someone tells you that you do, then they're just perpetuating a common myth. Make sure you have a good reason to get one