If you don’t have a lot of algae, it’s best to supplement catfishes with vegetable-based fish food.īlack mollies, Siamese algae eaters and peckoltia prevent excessive growth of fuzz algae. Otocinclus or otos are 2” long catfish species that make a good algae-busting tandem with algae-eating shrimps. Take note, however, that large plecos tend to eat the leaves off aquarium plants along with the algae. Plecostomus or plecos catfish is a good choice if you have a large aquarium. Cory catfish does a good job of eating not only algae but also bits of fish food that have settled on the gravel. For algae that can’t be removed mechanically, apply the appropriate algae-control solution.Ĭatfishes are commonly used to control algal growth. Soak the gravel and sand in algae-control products and wash them thoroughly.
The one we use can be found for a few dollars on Amazon. If your aquarium is relatively big, you can buy algae cleaners with a two-way magnet so you can clean the algae from the outside of the aquarium. You may use a toothbrush to get into tricky corners, an abrasive sponge or a special algae scraper. Scrub the glass walls, aquarium equipment and decorations. Test your water to check if the phosphate, ammonia and nitrate levels are too high. Make sure to also clean your aquarium filter as often as you clean your aquarium tank.įeed your fishes only three times a day so disintegrated food won’t contribute to excess phosphate and ammonia levels. Ideally, an aquarium with plants should receive 10 hours of light daily and those without plants should only be exposed to light for 6 to 8 hours.Ĭlean the aquarium water periodically, depending on how many litres of water the tank holds. Sunlight, in particular, accelerates algae growth but decreases brown algae. Depending on the type of algae indicated above, you can either limit or increase light exposure. Most kinds of algae proliferate due to light. You cannot completely eliminate algae, but you can control their growth.