(07-22-2012, 11:52 AM)mora2000 Wrote: About a month ago I bought an otosinclus algae eater for my tank because my tank was starting to grow algae. Hes been in there with my other fish but the algae doesn't seem to be decreasing.
Do you mean Otocinclus Catfish?
That is their name.
Otocinclus Catfish requires to be in a group of minimal 5~6. They are a school fish. Any less will make them under high stress and hide all the time, thus they won't be doing a good job eating algae.
What kind of algae are you having in your tank? Otocinclus catfish will only eat algae grow on the surface areas. They will also not touch hair algae, since their mouth is not built for it.
To get rid of algae, you must not relay on any algae eaters. They can only eat so much. You must go for the root problem. Excessive light, nitrate, phosphate, can cause algae boom. Limit the light exposure to no more than 8~10 hours a day, and decrease feeding, plus weekly partial water change of 30~50% will keep algae in check but not completely eliminated.
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