I have been planning on buying a Gold Nugget to put into my new 55 gal. I recently planted this tank and have a bad algae outbreak. I have heard that the bristle nose is one of the better plecos for eating algae and not distroying plants, but I had my sights set on a gold nugget. So is the gold nugget up to the task for helping with algae or should I go with another type of pleco? I want something that will stay fairly small. I don't want any 24 inch plecos.
Thanks
Is the Gold Nugget a good algae eater?
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Barbie
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In a 55 gallon tank, you could easily support a gold nugget, and one or two bristlenose, or even otocinclus. If the gold nugget you're asking about is the L177, they tend to eat some algae, but aren't nearly the work horses at cleaning things up that you'll find the bristlenose to be, IME. There isn't any reason that you couldn't have both though, as log as the fish load isn't already too heavy in the tank.
What color is the algae outbreak in your new tank? Brown algae is usually a stage that tanks go through as they finish cycling. Diatoms utilize the silicates in the water, then they just die out, never to be heard from again. Otocinclus will eat them, and bristlenose will at least leave pretty lip prints in it, hehe, but it really will taper off on its own. How long are you leaving your lights on?
Barbie
What color is the algae outbreak in your new tank? Brown algae is usually a stage that tanks go through as they finish cycling. Diatoms utilize the silicates in the water, then they just die out, never to be heard from again. Otocinclus will eat them, and bristlenose will at least leave pretty lip prints in it, hehe, but it really will taper off on its own. How long are you leaving your lights on?
Barbie
Barbie thanks for the quick reply.
The algae is brown, I have heard from many people that it will go away in a few weeks but the tank is in my living room and is becoming a real eye sore. My fish load isnt too heavy right now. So I may go with the bristle and the gold nug. The lights are on for 12 hours. Its planted so I figured the plants need that much light.
The algae is brown, I have heard from many people that it will go away in a few weeks but the tank is in my living room and is becoming a real eye sore. My fish load isnt too heavy right now. So I may go with the bristle and the gold nug. The lights are on for 12 hours. Its planted so I figured the plants need that much light.
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Barbie
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Plants can't utilize light for that long of a photoperiod. 8-10 hours is usually quite sufficient. Anything more just lends itself to nuisance algae, which you're experiencing now. I would lower the photoperiod to 6 hours for the next week or two (cheap light timers are a MUST have on my list for planted tank necessities). You can wipe off that brown algae, but an otocinclus or two would definitely make a big dent in it also. If you don't intend to have large fish in the tank later, otos are wonderful little additions to planted tanks. Their mouths can reach into nooks and crannies that bristlenose can't keep clean. I have 8 in my planted tank. I love to watch them hopping around. Hope that helps 
Barbie
Barbie
brown algae
Hi.
I too have had brown algae problems and used to light my 4' tank for 12 hours a day.
Not anymore since i use a timer for the lighting to go off for 1hr 30 mins in the afternoon.
What with the afternoon siesta and my 3 L18's the algae gradually faded(still a bit but nowhere near as bad as it was)with no ill effect on the fauna either.
How's the water for phosphate
Lisa
I too have had brown algae problems and used to light my 4' tank for 12 hours a day.
Not anymore since i use a timer for the lighting to go off for 1hr 30 mins in the afternoon.
What with the afternoon siesta and my 3 L18's the algae gradually faded(still a bit but nowhere near as bad as it was)with no ill effect on the fauna either.
How's the water for phosphate
Lisa