Aim
Will any shrimp eat hair algae?
Moderator: Mustafa
Will any shrimp eat hair algae?
Hi! I'm new and came to this site looking for information on introducing some freshwater shrimp into a 10 gallon planted aquarium I am having hair algae problems in. Any suggestions? Thanks!
Aim
Aim
I'm bummed at the lack of interest in helping a newbie, I see 14 people have read this post and no replies. Sorry for the basic question, but everyone's got to start somewhere. The reason I came here is because it seems to be standard advice within the fish side of the hobby to "get some shrimp" to take care of hair algae, yet while reading through old posts on this site, I came across someone who was asking for advice on getting rid of the stuff in her (his) shrimp tank. So, I'm a bit confused. I'll just learn by trial and error, usually works out better that way anywho. Thanks,
Aim
Aim
I would not go so far as to say no one wants to help. Granted there are 14 views of you post but it is barely 12 hours old when you say no one want to help. You know the the 14 is not a real #, I can make it go sky high by opening and closing it, it's is how many times it has been viewd, not how many different poeple have viewed it. That said, could it be that those 14 are not familar with your questions. There are reasons the tank will grow algae, and while shrimp may eat the algaewhat is to prevent it from returning. Algal growth occurs because of something, it is better to identify the source and fix that then cover it up. I don't mean to chase you off but of you go to one of the planted tank sites and decribe your setup, most sites have a template for asking for help on verious items, and descripbe in detail the problem, many will be able to help fix the issue as opposed to covering it.
Then again with a nick like aimless and the slacker generation the pervades the internet you probably only want a fast fix and for someone to tell you how to do it step by step.
Then again with a nick like aimless and the slacker generation the pervades the internet you probably only want a fast fix and for someone to tell you how to do it step by step.
I agree with gnatster. Considering it's been barely 12 hours and also considering that most people were asleep during most of those 12 hours (here in the east coast anyway), it's just not good form to complain right away. Does not leave a good impression.
Having said that...I don't know of any shrimp that will eat hair algae. If you meant to say "Blue-Green" algae (=Cyanobacteria), then pretty much any algae eating shrimp will eat it....especially N. denticulata sinensis and C. japonica.
Real hair algae are eaten by some fish, but only if they can't find anything else to eat. I would follow the advice of gnatster and try to figure out why you get hair algae to begin with. If you have a densely planted tank the plants should be able to outcompete most algae. If not you need to identify the source of nutrients for the algae. Shrimp are not a one-size-fits-all type of solution to algae.
Mustafa
Having said that...I don't know of any shrimp that will eat hair algae. If you meant to say "Blue-Green" algae (=Cyanobacteria), then pretty much any algae eating shrimp will eat it....especially N. denticulata sinensis and C. japonica.
Real hair algae are eaten by some fish, but only if they can't find anything else to eat. I would follow the advice of gnatster and try to figure out why you get hair algae to begin with. If you have a densely planted tank the plants should be able to outcompete most algae. If not you need to identify the source of nutrients for the algae. Shrimp are not a one-size-fits-all type of solution to algae.
Mustafa
That's exactly why I came here to ask. Plant/fish sites suggest shrimp as an alternative to a bleaching solution which I don't care to try because I don't want to uproot my planted tank. The hair algae came in on some plants bought off an aqua auction site. I know the conditions under which this type of algae thrives, unfortunately they are the same conditions most plants also find desirable. I was just hoping some shrimp might be a nice chemical-free alternative to help me "get a leg up" on the algae while allowing other things to grow and eventually out-compete it.
No complaining intended, sorry.
As for the slacker generation, quick fix comment, I'm a 38 year old woman with 8 tanks I work very hard at maintaining. (Aimless is a childhood nickname given because I am not, I use it instead of Amy which is most often already taken.) I happen to be somewhat new to the type of plants I have (hence the hesitation to bleach), totally new to hair algae and clueless on shrimp. If I wanted a quick fix I would dump algae-B-gone or some other nonsense chemical I'm sure exists into my tank. Quite the contrary, I think adding and properly caring for an animal which would eat this type of algae and complete a little ecosystem would be a responsible, long-term approach to the problem. Now that you have told me no such shrimp exists, I will look for another alternative.
Again, please accept my apologies and I will help spread the word to the non-shrimping part of the aquarium trade that shrimp are not a solution for hair algae!!
Aim
PS I had never even thought of the possibility of someone revisiting my boring post 14 times! Point taken.
No complaining intended, sorry.
As for the slacker generation, quick fix comment, I'm a 38 year old woman with 8 tanks I work very hard at maintaining. (Aimless is a childhood nickname given because I am not, I use it instead of Amy which is most often already taken.) I happen to be somewhat new to the type of plants I have (hence the hesitation to bleach), totally new to hair algae and clueless on shrimp. If I wanted a quick fix I would dump algae-B-gone or some other nonsense chemical I'm sure exists into my tank. Quite the contrary, I think adding and properly caring for an animal which would eat this type of algae and complete a little ecosystem would be a responsible, long-term approach to the problem. Now that you have told me no such shrimp exists, I will look for another alternative.Again, please accept my apologies and I will help spread the word to the non-shrimping part of the aquarium trade that shrimp are not a solution for hair algae!!
Aim
PS I had never even thought of the possibility of someone revisiting my boring post 14 times! Point taken.
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Piscesgirl
- Tiny Shrimp
- Posts: 75
- Joined: Sun Jun 13, 2004 5:07 pm
I will have to say that my shrimp eat hair algae, thread algae, whatever algae they can get ahold of. I've pulled it from other tanks and put it in my shrimp tank, and they are on it instantly. The only algae they don't care for is the algae balls (moss balls), they leave that stuff alone like the plague. The thing is, you really need a lot of shrimp to make a dent on an algae problem -- not just a few shrimp. I'm talking a tank full.
As for Cyanobacteria/Blue Green Algae - I'm quite skeptical that they would eat that. It's not so much an algae as a bacteria and it is pretty nasty stuff. Still, I'm skeptical in that I haven't seen that or heard that, but I can very possibly be wrong on that.
By the way, I have both Crystal Red Bee Shrimp and Cherry Shrimp.
As for Cyanobacteria/Blue Green Algae - I'm quite skeptical that they would eat that. It's not so much an algae as a bacteria and it is pretty nasty stuff. Still, I'm skeptical in that I haven't seen that or heard that, but I can very possibly be wrong on that.
By the way, I have both Crystal Red Bee Shrimp and Cherry Shrimp.
@Aimless
Glad you did not take my comments the wrong way.
@Piscesgirl
Again, this is another point I am not just making up out of the blue...I really don't need to since I have about 12 different algae eating shrimp species/varities happily living and eating in my tanks. Why is it so hard to believe the observations I am making here?
I put *tons* of blue-green algae in my N. denticulata sinensis tanks and they devour that *nasty* stuff ovenight. They are all over it the moment I put it in. They've been doing that for over a year and a half every couple of days (I literally culture cyanobacteria for them) The Crystal Reds are not crazy about it and will just nab a little, but prefer other food sources when available. But they will eat it if nothing else is available. N. denticulata prefer to eat it, whereas Crystal Reds use it as emergency food.
Apparently, you also have not had any experience with some of the really tough hair algae, which are so tough that it's extremely hard to even rip it apart with your fingers! No shrimp will eat that. If you are talking about soft types of algae, that's a different matter.
So..Piscesgirl...what makes you doubt my comment about the Cyanobacteria? Do you think I am making these things up or just speculating? Maybe I don't have more than 12 species and thousands of shrimp here. Maybe I just made this website and all the information on it up, too.
As with the info about pre-washed and rockhard crushed coral not working *instantly* to raise or stabilize PH (on Frank's Yahoo Group, remember?), you can *trust* me that Cyanobacteria are eaten *with gusto* by shrimp (again..some like it more, some less). Why all this doubt about everything I am saying? What makes me so untrustworthy?LOL
Mustafa
PS: Again, as with the crushed coral, just because you have not seen or heard something does not mean it does not exist. There is a whole another level of knowledge in the aquarium hobby that most people (unfortunately) have no idea about. It is more scientific and more reality based than the "common knowledge" that's being spread out there. This "common knowledge" is so full of wife tales, "I heard"-stories and just plain lies and misinformation, that it's usually not a good idea to rely on it. That's why it's not unusual to hear things once in a while (in certain circles) that you have never heard before. It's all a learning experience.
Glad you did not take my comments the wrong way.
@Piscesgirl
Again, this is another point I am not just making up out of the blue...I really don't need to since I have about 12 different algae eating shrimp species/varities happily living and eating in my tanks. Why is it so hard to believe the observations I am making here?
I put *tons* of blue-green algae in my N. denticulata sinensis tanks and they devour that *nasty* stuff ovenight. They are all over it the moment I put it in. They've been doing that for over a year and a half every couple of days (I literally culture cyanobacteria for them) The Crystal Reds are not crazy about it and will just nab a little, but prefer other food sources when available. But they will eat it if nothing else is available. N. denticulata prefer to eat it, whereas Crystal Reds use it as emergency food.
Apparently, you also have not had any experience with some of the really tough hair algae, which are so tough that it's extremely hard to even rip it apart with your fingers! No shrimp will eat that. If you are talking about soft types of algae, that's a different matter.
So..Piscesgirl...what makes you doubt my comment about the Cyanobacteria? Do you think I am making these things up or just speculating? Maybe I don't have more than 12 species and thousands of shrimp here. Maybe I just made this website and all the information on it up, too.
As with the info about pre-washed and rockhard crushed coral not working *instantly* to raise or stabilize PH (on Frank's Yahoo Group, remember?), you can *trust* me that Cyanobacteria are eaten *with gusto* by shrimp (again..some like it more, some less). Why all this doubt about everything I am saying? What makes me so untrustworthy?LOL
Mustafa
PS: Again, as with the crushed coral, just because you have not seen or heard something does not mean it does not exist.
There is a whole another level of knowledge in the aquarium hobby that most people (unfortunately) have no idea about. It is more scientific and more reality based than the "common knowledge" that's being spread out there. This "common knowledge" is so full of wife tales, "I heard"-stories and just plain lies and misinformation, that it's usually not a good idea to rely on it. That's why it's not unusual to hear things once in a while (in certain circles) that you have never heard before. It's all a learning experience. -
Piscesgirl
- Tiny Shrimp
- Posts: 75
- Joined: Sun Jun 13, 2004 5:07 pm
Well, it's almost a year later...still have the hair algae, but it's not a problem anymore - I intentionally allowed it to take over a tank so I have it to feed my crystal red shrimp. They get a large variety of food, both prepared and fresh, but choose to ATTACK and DEVOUR hair algae. First hand personal experience here says if you have a hair algae problem, get some crystal red shrimp.
My cherry red shrimp will eat it, but don't seem as enthused about it.
Aim
My cherry red shrimp will eat it, but don't seem as enthused about it.
Aim
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chlorophyll
- Shrimp
- Posts: 218
- Joined: Wed Feb 16, 2005 1:22 am
- Location: Hawaii - USA
Crystals will really eat Hair algae??
It's also since been written on this board and site that Ghost shrimp will eat hair algae. Is this definite?
I have been trying to get something (non fish) to help control hair algae in my outdoor tanks. I don't mind algae in general, in fact welcome it, but HAIR algae is a bitch, strangling my plants....
What I would like to do is have tanks equipped with hair algae eaters even before hair algae shows itself, as a preventative.
It's also since been written on this board and site that Ghost shrimp will eat hair algae. Is this definite?
I have been trying to get something (non fish) to help control hair algae in my outdoor tanks. I don't mind algae in general, in fact welcome it, but HAIR algae is a bitch, strangling my plants....
What I would like to do is have tanks equipped with hair algae eaters even before hair algae shows itself, as a preventative.
Mustafa,
I would like to ask where can I find some Cyanobacteria (Blue-green algae)? There are many Cyanobacteria out there. Is there a specific type of organism you use to culture them and feed to RCS? And how do you culture them? I have seen my RCS feed on the biofilm layer (algae layer) off of my power filter - browish-orange color when I turn off the power filter. And in no time, it is all gone and clean.
I was looking through Carolina.com and they sell varieties of Cyanobacteria. But I do not know which one specific. So your help would really be greatly appreciated. Thank you. 
I would like to ask where can I find some Cyanobacteria (Blue-green algae)? There are many Cyanobacteria out there. Is there a specific type of organism you use to culture them and feed to RCS? And how do you culture them? I have seen my RCS feed on the biofilm layer (algae layer) off of my power filter - browish-orange color when I turn off the power filter. And in no time, it is all gone and clean.
I was looking through Carolina.com and they sell varieties of Cyanobacteria. But I do not know which one specific. So your help would really be greatly appreciated. Thank you. -
chlorophyll
- Shrimp
- Posts: 218
- Joined: Wed Feb 16, 2005 1:22 am
- Location: Hawaii - USA
You don't really need to order any cultures. Just fill little tank with water, let it cycle (you can do that without a fish if you buy pure ammonia) and just put fish food in there. Don't do water changes. After a while you should have more Cyanobacteria than you probably wanted.
Red Cherries like them...but not all algae shrimp will eat them. Also, you have to make sure that no cyanobacteria take over the shrimp tank itself, since shrimp are very sensitive to whatever chemicals a cyanobacteria filled tank gives off. Cyanobacteria can only live under certain conditions so there is no danger that the pieces you feed will take over the tank in a well established tank.
Red Cherries like them...but not all algae shrimp will eat them. Also, you have to make sure that no cyanobacteria take over the shrimp tank itself, since shrimp are very sensitive to whatever chemicals a cyanobacteria filled tank gives off. Cyanobacteria can only live under certain conditions so there is no danger that the pieces you feed will take over the tank in a well established tank.