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SAE when older/bigger no longer eating algae. You can try black out, or maybe put the betta at temporary tank while shrimps eating the hair algae.
Hi peeps!
As the title states... I have a hair algea problem in my Betta Macrostoma tank. Its about a 15 gallon tank heavily planted. Can't add any shrimps - theyll just eventually become a meal for one or both macs :P. Thinking on the lines of 1 Siamese Algea Eater... but if I buy a large one ( that wont be eaten my by macs...) will it get attacked? I also heard that large SAE's are not as efficient at eathing algea. Any other suggestions? Thanks again.
ZANE.
SAE when older/bigger no longer eating algae. You can try black out, or maybe put the betta at temporary tank while shrimps eating the hair algae.
Buy the cheapest but very effective shrimps, say malayan shrimps at $5 for 50 pieces, dump them all in, continue to feed you B. macrostoma regularly and hope for the best! If your tank is really heavily planted, who knows you might be able to provide sufficient hiding spaces for the shrimps such that the shrimps can eat up all the algae before your bettas eat up all the shrimps.
Oh, you might want to consider adding some other algae eating fishes like say platies also?
Hey Illum!
Longtime ... again! I appreciate the input but...1) Don't like the idea of purposely feeding/ killing shrimps on purpose 2) Macs are not so cheap and shrimps and other inverts are known to carry aquatic diseases under their caprices so I wouldn't want to risks exposing my macs by dumping a few dozen cheap shrimps. Hmmm plattys eat hair algea?? Well I would have to buy are really really big platty then lol. Ive noticed my macs can expand their mouths really really wide.... and what ever fits is fair game I've been told. I guess thats why in nature they're pretty much the only fish found in their system.
If anyone has had personal success with any of the suggestions on this thread for this type of situation please, by all means share. Thanks again!
Originally Posted by illumbomb
Buy the cheapest but very effective shrimps, say malayan shrimps at $5 for 50 pieces, dump them all in, continue to feed you B. macrostoma regularly and hope for the best! If your tank is really heavily planted, who knows you might be able to provide sufficient hiding spaces for the shrimps such that the shrimps can eat up all the algae before your bettas eat up all the shrimps.
Oh, you might want to consider adding some other algae eating fishes like say platies also?
You can try American flag fish. They are very effective hair/thread algae eater.
Platies would do nicely I think, and they can grow pretty large, platies and flag fish doesn't like living in acidic water however, and I hear that macrostoma lives in very acidic enviroment.
Siamese algae eater would eat hair algae as well, I never have hair algae problems with a Siamese algae eater in my tank, even a big one.
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