Ultimate Aquarium Algae-Eaters Guide: Top, Worst and Useless

First and foremost, the worst algae eaters are the Chinese Algae Eaters.

Why Are Chinese Algae Eaters a Bad Choice?

Chinese Algae Eaters, as their name implies, eat algae when they are between 1 and 3 inches in size.

After they surpass that size, they become aggressive, compete with other fish, and may even start to eat them.

It is easy to distinguish a Chinese Algae Eater in a pet store. Be careful, because they are sometimes sold as Siamese Algae Eaters or simply as “algae eaters.”

If you see a fish labeled “algae eater” and it is inexpensive, it is most likely a Chinese Algae Eater. The true Siamensis, or Siamese Algae Eater, is more expensive, so pet stores usually label it specifically.

You can easily distinguish Chinese Algae Eaters from the Siamensis by looking for a specific pattern.

The Chinese Algae Eater has a checkered or dot-dash pattern on its lateral line. A true Siamensis does not have this pattern.

If a fish is too small to see the lateral line clearly, it is best to stay away. A fish with that pattern is not a Siamensis and is not a good choice.

I recommend staying away from them, even if they cost a penny. That concludes my thoughts on bad algae eaters.

Which Algae Eaters Are Overrated?

In a way, nearly every fish is a good algae eater because they all compete with algae for nutrients in the water.

However, the abilities of a few species are often overstated.

While I call them “useless” for algae control, they are otherwise great fish for an aquarium.

Are Cherry Barbs Good Algae Eaters?

One species that gets a lot of press for algae control is the Cherry Barb. I am not sure why they are recommended for this purpose.

They are omnivorous and will nibble at algae, but they are not true algae eaters. Do not get me wrong, however; Cherry Barbs are a great addition to an aquarium.

I would easily place them in my top 20 list of easy-to-keep and affordable fish. The males have a bright cherry color, while the females are a brownish, cherry-pit color.

You can buy only males, though they are usually about three times the price.

I find it is fun to watch the interaction of males and females schooling together in a fish tank. They are useless as true algae eaters but are terrific aquarium fish overall.

Do Mollies Eat Algae?

Another fish you will find recommended all over the internet is the Black Molly, though I am not sure why.

All mollies are algae nibblers, but they are not capable of controlling an algae problem in a fish tank. For example, I have some Dalmatian Lyretail mollies.

One thing I like about Black Mollies is how their color contrasts nicely in a heavily planted green tank.

The Dalmatian Lyretails are pretty, part of the same species, and will not eat any less algae than the black variety.

Again, for the purpose of controlling algae, they are useless. They are, however, terrific fish for a tank.

They are livebearers, meaning they will have babies right in the aquarium. They are prolific, but they usually require a small amount of aquarium salt to thrive and reproduce.

Without it, you might notice their fins becoming a little clamped.

Can Fancy Shrimp Control Algae?

I have one more example of a species that is useless for algae control but is otherwise a very nice addition to any aquarium: the Neocaridina and Caridina fancy shrimp.

They are true vegetarians. They generally eat detritus from plant matter in an aquarium or in the wild.

The shrimp are so small that it is silly to think they could control algae in a traditional tank.

I will not go into further detail about Neocaridina and Caridina shrimp, as I have covered the topic of freshwater aquarium shrimp extensively elsewhere.

What Are the Best Algae Eaters for an Aquarium?

The remaining species I will discuss are useful for controlling algae in an aquarium.

However, do not rely solely on algae eaters, no matter how effective they may be, to control algae in your aquarium.

What you truly need are regular water changes, good water quality, and a balanced level of nutrients.

Primarily, avoid overfeeding your fish and do not place the tank in direct sunlight or leave the aquarium light on for too long.

What Are the Best Algae Eating Shrimp?

With that precaution mentioned, I will now introduce an effective algae-eating shrimp: the Amano shrimp, also called the Japonica shrimp. They are good algae eaters, particularly when they get larger.

In a store, you will typically find smaller ones, but they can grow to a considerable size. I have one that has reached its full adult size.

They are quite hardy and do a good job of controlling some of the fine hair algae that can develop.

The Amano shrimp is quite famous and is often referred to simply as the “algae-eating shrimp.”

Which Snails Are Most Effective for Algae Control?

Now, let us discuss snails. Trapdoor snails are effective for room temperature or cold-water aquariums, such as goldfish tanks.

While you can keep mollies and other fish in room-temperature tanks, Nerite snails do not fare as well in colder water. I want to mention the Japanese Trapdoor snail.

They are very pretty, with a slight green sheen, and can reach 2 inches in length when fully grown. The ones I have are juveniles.

Next is the king of algae-eating snails, in my opinion: the Nerite snail. I have two varieties, but they come in many different color patterns.

They are an excellent choice for a freshwater aquarium because they cannot reproduce in it.

Their breeding cycle requires brackish or saltwater. Therefore, in a freshwater aquarium, they will thrive, eat algae and detritus without harming your plants, and will not overpopulate the tank with babies.

The varieties I currently have are the zebra pattern and the tiger pattern.

Are Gobies Good for Algae?

Continuing with the theme of good algae eaters, I will move on to gobies. As a family, gobies are generally not terrific algae eaters.

However, one species in that family, the Pandagara, is an exception.

The Pandagara grows to about 4 inches in length, is very peaceful with other fish, and

loves to eat plant detritus and algae. Within the goby family, the Pandagara is the best choice for algae control.

What is the Best Loach for Eating Algae?

Moving to another family with few good algae controllers, the Loach family, there is one notable exception: the Hillstream Loach.

In the wild, Hillstream Loaches inhabit shallow, fast-flowing streams, where they feed on algae growing on rocks.

Their low-profile body shape prevents them from being washed away by the current.

This adaptation allows them to press themselves against rocks to graze on algae. In an aquarium, they will do the same thing along the glass, which is quite interesting to observe.

In my experience, they are the most difficult fish to catch. The Reticulated Hillstream Loach is perhaps the most desirable for its color pattern.

One of my varieties is the Polka-Dot Hillstream Loach, which has small black dots, but all types share the same distinctive body profile.

Which Plecos Are Recommended for Algae?

Now, let us turn to the Plecostomus family, a classification within catfish. There are approximately 4,000 types of catfish available in the aquarium trade, and about 200 of those are plecos.

I have selected the two most common types used for controlling algae and scavenging: the Bushynose (or Bristlenose) Pleco and the Rubber Lip Pleco.

They are desirable for two reasons: first, they are good scavengers that also eat some algae, and second, they do not grow larger than 4.5 inches.

The benefit of their smaller size is that they will not outgrow a standard aquarium or dig up plants.

They are good community fish, yet they are still large and tough enough to be kept even in a cichlid tank.

The Bushynose Plecos I have are small, only an inch in size.

It will take them a couple of years to reach their full 4-inch size, but they will be excellent scavengers throughout their lives.

One terrific thing about scavengers and catfish, in general, is that they eat detritus.

Detritus is decomposing organic matter, and its breakdown in an aquarium creates nutrients on which algae thrive.

Therefore, these plecos and other catfish compete for the same nutrients that would otherwise feed an algae bloom.

In the case of the two Plecostomus varieties I mentioned, they will also eat algae directly.

To reiterate, my recommendations are the Bristlenose (or Bushynose) Pleco and the Rubber Lip Pleco.

I also have a Rubber Lip Pleco, also known as a Rubber Nose. If it has a striped pattern, it is sometimes called a Pitbull Pleco. Rubber Lip Plecos have a large mouth adapted for skimming film algae.

They are good algae eaters, but they will not eliminate all the algae in a tank because they only eat until they are full.

Nevertheless, within the Plecostomus family, they are a very good and useful addition for algae control.

What is the Best Overall Algae Eater?

I want to move on to the two species that I believe are the best for controlling algae in an aquarium. The first one is wild-caught, as it has not been successfully bred in captivity up to this point.

If any hobbyists out there can figure out how to breed them, they certainly should. My first choice is the Otocinclus catfish.

Otocinclus are from South America. They are prolific in their native habitat and are not expensive. You can generally find them for under 5 dollars in a pet store.

They do a great job of controlling algae, primarily by scavenging for the same nutrients that algae consume, but they also eat film algae directly.

You might even see their little feeding tracks on the glass if you have an existing algae problem.

Once again, they will not eat more algae than they need to fill their bellies, so do not expect them to single-handedly solve a major algae problem.

What Makes the Siamese Algae Eater a Top Choice?

Last, and certainly very useful, is the Siamensis Algae Eater, or Siamese Algae Eater. It originates from Thailand, hence the name “Siam.”

Thailand is also home to a very similar cousin, the Flying Fox. Both are wild-caught, and they are often caught together in the same nets. Both species are effective algae eaters.

As I mentioned earlier, be sure to avoid the Chinese Algae Eater. You can identify the Flying Fox by a distinct black line on its dorsal fin.

It also tends to have more gold color along its lateral line than the Siamensis Algae Eater, but the two look very similar. At a small size, I find it is nearly impossible to tell them apart.

The famous Siamese Algae Eater grows to about 4 inches and continues to eat algae throughout its entire life.

A Viewer Question on Aquarium Plants

I want to answer a quick question from one of my subscribers, who goes by the name English time. I think he knows a bit more about aquatic plants than I do.

He made a very good point regarding my discussion of easy-to-care-for plants, specifically Java Fern and Anubias.

These plants have rhizomes, and he correctly pointed out that burying the rhizome can smother the plant and cause it to fail.

He mentioned that it is better to glue or otherwise attach them to driftwood or rock, which keeps the rhizome exposed and allows the plant to thrive and propagate in an aquarium. I believe that is a really good point.

It is a fine-tuning detail that is very helpful, so please keep the suggestions coming. I had to look it up, and he is correct. So, thank you to English time.