How good are Amano Shrimp with hair algae?

[nacra99]

It finally happened... my shrimp tanks have finally been hit by green hair algae.
I'm absolutely convinced it came with the tap water because i did a WC on 5 of my tanks and those very same 5 tanks got infected.
I tried manual removal, but it just broke up into tiny pieces and spread all over the aquarium.
The last time it happened, I had to break down the tanks and bleach everything.

Funny that my "Algae" eating shrimp won't touch that stuff.
It's also not an issue with nutrient level, because even my 1 week old tank, which is also the most highly planted tank (with duckweed and hornwort) got hit also.

Does anyone know if Amano's will do the job? If they work, i'm thinking of putting some in all my shrimp tanks.

Cheers!
Marc

[eklikewhoa]

Re: How good are Amano Shrimp with hair algae?

Could have been phosphates in the water or even nitrates.....do you ever test your tap water for that stuff?

What temp do you have your tank at?
Lightng?

Many factors to algae but I know it just doesn't happen from a water change.....that usually helps get rid of it.

Amano shrimp work but you need a team of them to really impact the problem and then you have to worry about keeping them well fed after that. Also what shrimp do you have/keep? I have seen females go after other shrimp and there are other members that witnessed the same.

[Spot86t]

Re: How good are Amano Shrimp with hair algae?

I didnt think amanos went after hair algae.  Mine never touched the stuff.  Maybe cause other food was just too easy to wait for than work for the algae...

flagfish will eat it though - however, they will also eat fry (they seem to especially love guppy fry)

[HoustonFishFanatic]

Re: How good are Amano Shrimp with hair algae?

Try Some Ameca Splendens. They are good eating hair algea. I think i have seen them around town...........FG.

http://www.thekrib.com/Fish/ameca-splendens.html

And as Q said it would help you doing more water changes.

[supaflyz]

Re: How good are Amano Shrimp with hair algae?

Now that you have mention it I think tap water does have an affect on algae growing in aquariums.  I think you should filter your water out before you do water change.  Before I got this filter thing, my tank would have alot of algea on the glass and especially on the plants.  The one on the glass were just dots, while the one on the plants were definately hair algea.  I had to cut the stems to get rid of the algea.  I have started to filter my water out before I do water change.  It reduces algea growth and makes the fish much happier.  I dont think the amanos will consume those algea either.  Mine just ate the algea on the rocks.  Try cutting the infected leaves, and scrape the glass with a razor blade or the glass cleaner.

[Tiapan]

Re: How good are Amano Shrimp with hair algae?

i have ahd amanos go after hair algea just fine, but i dont eed that tank too heavily, and i dont feed when i throw anything in there with hair alge on it. but they clean it really well. flagfish will eat it but they are not the nicest, also aparently scuds are great for hair alge just most things eat them faster then they eat shrimp.but what i would do is get enough amano to clean one tank and just move them around in rotation.

[eklikewhoa]

Re: How good are Amano Shrimp with hair algae?

If you can figure out the root problem you can try to prevent it the next time.... but a quick fix is a quick fix.

[Mzungu]

Re: How good are Amano Shrimp with hair algae?

Sometimes hair algae just happens. Yuck.

Like Tiapan said, if you don't have too many fish in there, get some scuds!! I know for a fact they work...they are hair algae eating machines! I have some in their own tank, and also some living with some QT'd pygmy cories, who are small enough that they don't eat the scuds.

And like others said, flag fish work, and rosy barbs do, as well. Just be careful with rosy barbs, they're very greedy and won't eat the algae if you feed them too much. But when they're hungry...they take care of it!  :)

[thomas]

Re: How good are Amano Shrimp with hair algae?

If shrimp and pleco failed, I would try to use snail.