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Blue-Collar Pets: 4 Tank Cleaning Fish That Do Your Work for You
What are the best tank cleaning fish to use in your aquarium if you want help removing harmful algae from the environment? Find out now.
Believe it or not, keeping fish can improve your health. For example, it can decrease blood pressure and cholesterol.
As if that wasn’t great enough, studies have shown that it can also help those with Alzheimer’s.
Given all that, it’s not surprising to know that fishkeeping is as popular as it is! As with all pets, however, there’s some degree of maintenance involved. For one thing, you’ll have to clean the tank regularly.
One way to make this easier is by keeping up with tank cleaning fish. Want to know what some of them are? If so, be sure to read the rest of the post!
Dealing With Algae in Your Aquarium
Algae growth is one of the biggest problems that many aquarium owners face. Not only is it unsightly, but certain types can be hazardous to fish and plants.
For example, some may produce toxins, which can harm your tank’s inhabitants.
Fortunately, there are fish that you can get that will eat these photosynthetic organisms. Take filefish, for instance—they’re a type of saltwater fish that feed on algae and crustaceans!
4 Tank Cleaning Fish That Will Keep Your Tank Clean
Here are a few algae eaters that you might want to add to your freshwater tank. Before you do, though, make sure that you know their needs!
For more tips and guidance on fish aquarium care, check this page.
1. Otocinclus Catfish
These fish are one of the smallest species of algae eaters. A couple of inches in length, they’re a good choice for smaller aquariums.
To keep them happy and healthy, you’ll want to keep them in small groups (minimum of six). Just make sure that they’re compatible with your other fish. For one thing, you wouldn’t want to include them with others that are big enough to eat them!
2. Bristlenose Plecos
Bristlenose plecos can be kept with most fish in a community tank. Due to their size, however, they require a larger tank (minimum of 30 gallons).
While they’ll eat the algae in your tank, it’s a good idea to supplement their diet with algae wafers. They also like rasping on driftwood as it helps with their digestion.
3. Siamese Flying Fox
These fish will eat algae from the glass, plants, and decorations. They also enjoy flake food, live food, and vegetables.
Active and social creatures, you can keep them alone or in large groups. Great for beginners, they are easy to take care of and do well with most other fish.
4. Twig Catfish
These fish are known for their pointed snouts, which resemble twigs. Brown in color, they will eat most types of algae. However, you might want to supplement their diet with wafers or pellets from time to time.
You can keep them with docile fish such as Rasboras, Tetras, Cichlids, and Hatchets.
Keeping Your Tank Clean
And there we have it—four types of tank cleaning fish. As you can see, they all have different needs. So make sure to do your research beforehand!
Looking for more pet-related posts? Feel free to check out the rest of our blog!
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