Let’s talk about tank health! The mission is easy if you’re looking to get rid of brown algae for good.
Read this article to find out the best shrimps for brown algae.
Best Shrimp For Removing Brown Algae
Getting rid of brown algae with shrimp is not new. This maintenance method gives a new life to your tank or aquarium, helping to keep it algae-free.
Algae come as a result of a nutrient imbalance. Although every fish keeper hates them, they are delicious to shrimp.
Shrimps naturally consume biofilm from plants and rocks. However, some shrimp do not specialize in algae consumption, like the Ghost shrimp.
Using shrimp for cleaning brown algae is not always a definite solution. You may need to do some scrubbing for an excellent result. But we can’t deny that they help reduce brown algae concentration.
Below are the best shrimp for removing brown algae in your tank;
Amano Shrimp
Amano shrimp is among shrimps that do a great job of removing brown algae. The shrimp is so effective that it is given a famous name as “algae eating shrimp.”
Amano algae gain popularity for its unwavering love for algae, although it takes cyanobacteria and black beard algae as an exception.
In tanks of about 20 gallons, having 5 Amano shrimps will work to keep brown algae under control. If you have a larger tank, you should consider higher than that.
However, these species cannot solely survive on brown algae. They usually need a food complement to stay longer.
Adding fish flakes, shrimp pellets, or blanched peas will make a great supplement to brown algae for shrimps.
Cardinal Shrimp
Also known as Cardinal dennerli, Cardinal Shrimp will happily take care of brown algae for you.
It comes in our list of best shrimps for brown algae because they are great algae eaters. Meanwhile, we must acknowledge the shrimps’ dissatisfaction with some water values, making them quite hard to keep.
Regardless, Cardinal Shrimp will consume a large portion of brown algae, provided the water condition is okay.
We bring this shrimp on the list because of its love for a wide range of algae, including the growing hair algae, micro algae, and biofilm.
Cherry Shrimp
Cherry Shrimp is one of the best algae cleaning crews in the aquarium ecosystem.
They rapidly consume algae, giving a red coloration. Consider putting a crew of 5 Cherry Shrimps in a tank of about 20 gallons, and you will be able to reduce the number of brown algae remarkably. You can expect them to consume any algae efficiently, so you only need a little scrubbing effort for a brown algae-free aquarium.
Interestingly, the more algae Cherry shrimps consume, the larger the army becomes. So, if you have an army of five algae-eating Cherry shrimp in a ten-gallon tank, you can expect a rapid and efficient eradication of brown algae in your aquarium.
Will Cherry Shrimp Eat Brown Algae?
Yes. Cherry Shrimp will consume brown algae with utmost efficiency. This species feeds on algae and can multiply when they consume enough.
However, it’s essential to complement the food with other consumables. Like Amano Shrimp, they can not feed on brown algae alone and will perform the algae-cleansing mission better by having other foods as a supplement.
Meanwhile, the army may rapidly increase if you have a larger tank and therefore need more than 10 Cherry Shrimp.
If you find them reproducing excessively, you may give or sell out a substantial portion to another hobbyist.
Is Brown Algae Good For Shrimp?
Yes. Brown algae make up a part of biofilm, the primary food for shrimp.
Brown algae may not be the sole food for shrimp, but it can help grow shrimp as they multiply when they consume a lot of algae.
What Else Eats Brown Algae?
Several other species eat brown algae as well. If you find brown algae too much in your tank, you can deploy Otocinclus catfish and merits snails for rapid brown algae consumption.
What Fish Eats Brown Algae?
There are some algae-eating fish that will eat brown algae rapidly. Some of them are;
Bristlenose plecos
Bristlenose Plecos are among the top fishes that consume brown algae in an aquarium. This fish can grow as long as 4 inches and will consume algae comfortably in medium-sized tanks or aquariums.
Siamese
Siamese is an efficient algae eater with the ability to eat a wide range of algae. The fish maintains a peaceful nature and voluminously consumes even the least appetizing category of algae.
They carry out a broad scope of aquarium cleansing and will consume even leftover detritus. You will not have to worry about the fish damaging plants, another benefit of their calm nature.
Otocinclus Catfish
Otocinclus Catfish works well in cleansing the tank of brown algae. They do excellent work, despite their small size – 1.5 inches. Like the Suckerfish, they are calm and will not cause any damage to plants.
A group of them will work well in cleansing even a large community tank. You can trust them to effectively eliminate brown algae and give zero chance to other algae trying to gain ground in your tank.
Conclusion
The efforts to keep your tank or pond algae-free can come from different angles. Look at your lighting; keeping the lights on for too long can increase brown algae concentration.
Plants can also help to tackle this issue, especially fast-growing plants. Plants can outshine algae in competition for nutrients, causing brown algae to gain ground.
There is more; too much nitrate and phosphate concentration can cause brown algae to increase sporadically. You should check the water values to keep this problem at bay.
Lastly, you should know that most brown algae-eating species will not function effectively without other food supplements.
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