Algae eaters

No algae eater replaces maintenance, but the right one keeps glass, plants and wood tidier between water changes. This list gathers the animals that actually eat algae: bristlenose plecos and otocinclus, the Siamese algae eater for black beard algae, hillstream loaches, Amano shrimp and nerite snails. Each profile lists tank size, what a species grazes and how it behaves, since a few sold as algae eaters get large or territorial.

34 species

• 

  Amano Shrimp

  Caridina multidentata

  2 in (5 cm)8 gal (30 L)59–81°F (15–27°C)

• 

  Borneo hillstream loach

  Gastromyzon ctenocephalus

  1.6 in (4 cm)20 gal (75 L)68–75°F (20–24°C)

• 

  Bristlenose pleco

  Ancistrus sp.

  4.9 in (12.5 cm)20 gal (75 L)70–79°F (21–26°C)

• 

  Bulldog pleco

  Chaetostoma formosae

  4.3 in (11 cm)40 gal (150 L)68–77°F (20–25°C)

• 

  Butterfly Loach

  Beaufortia kweichowensis

  3 in (7.5 cm)25 gal (95 L)61–75°F (16–24°C)

• 

  Cambodian log sucker

  Garra cambodgiensis

  5.9 in (15 cm)32 gal (120 L)68–81°F (20–27°C)

• 

  Cherry Shrimp

  Neocaridina davidi

  1.6 in (4 cm)5 gal (20 L)59–84°F (15–29°C)

• 

  Chinese algae eater

  Gyrinocheilus aymonieri

  11 in (28 cm)46 gal (175 L)72–79°F (22–26°C)
• Chinese butterfly loach

  Pseudogastromyzon cheni

  2.4 in (6 cm)20 gal (75 L)64–75°F (18–24°C)

• 

  Common otocinclus

  Otocinclus vittatus

  2 in (5 cm)20 gal (75 L)72–79°F (22–26°C)

• 

  Doctor Fish

  Garra rufa

  4.7 in (12 cm)29 gal (110 L)57–68°F (14–20°C)

• 

  Dusky Nerite Snail

  Neritina pulligera

  1.6 in (4 cm)5 gal (20 L)72–82°F (22–28°C)

• 

  Flying fox

  Epalzeorhynchos kalopterus

  6.3 in (16 cm)37 gal (140 L)68–79°F (20–26°C)

• 

  Giant whiptail catfish

  Sturisomatichthys aureus

  7.9 in (20 cm)53 gal (200 L)73–81°F (23–27°C)

• 

  Golden dwarf sucker

  Otocinclus macrospilus

  1.4 in (3.5 cm)11 gal (40 L)70–79°F (21–26°C)

• 

  Horned nerite

  Clithon corona

  0.6 in (1.5 cm)5 gal (19 L)72–79°F (22–26°C)

• 

  Marbled Limpet Nerite

  Septaria porcellana

  1.2 in (3 cm)5 gal (20 L)73–82°F (23–28°C)

• 

  Olive nerite

  Vittina usnea

  0.8 in (2 cm)5 gal (20 L)72–82°F (22–28°C)

• 

  Panda Garra

  Garra flavatra

  3.5 in (9 cm)26 gal (100 L)72–81°F (22–27°C)

• 

  Red hillstream loach

  Beaufortia leveretti

  3.1 in (8 cm)24 gal (90 L)64–75°F (18–24°C)

• 

  Red lizard whiptail

  Rineloricaria lanceolata

  3.9 in (10 cm)24 gal (90 L)77–82°F (25–28°C)
• Royal whiptail catfish

  Sturisoma panamense

  7.9 in (20 cm)40 gal (150 L)72–82°F (22–28°C)

• 

  Siamese algae eater

  Crossocheilus oblongus

  6.3 in (16 cm)37 gal (140 L)68–79°F (20–26°C)

• 

  Silver flying fox

  Crossocheilus reticulatus

  6.3 in (16 cm)53 gal (200 L)64–77°F (18–25°C)
• Spotted algae eater

  Gyrinocheilus pennocki

  11 in (28 cm)53 gal (200 L)72–82°F (22–28°C)
• Spotted hillstream loach

  Gastromyzon punctulatus

  2.6 in (6.5 cm)20 gal (75 L)68–75°F (20–24°C)
• Starlight Bristlenose Pleco (L183)

  Ancistrus dolichopterus

  5.5 in (14 cm)30 gal (115 L)79–84°F (26–29°C)

• 

  Tiger hillstream loach

  Sewellia lineolata

  2.6 in (6.5 cm)25 gal (95 L)68–75°F (20–24°C)

• 

  Tiger nerite

  Vittina coromandeliana

  1 in (2.5 cm)5 gal (19 L)72–79°F (22–26°C)

• 

  Twig catfish

  Farlowella vittata

  5.9 in (15 cm)30 gal (115 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)

• 

  Virgin nerite

  Vitta virginea

  0.8 in (2 cm)5 gal (20 L)72–79°F (22–26°C)

• 

  Whiptail catfish

  Rineloricaria sp.

  4.3 in (11 cm)20 gal (75 L)75–84°F (24–29°C)

• 

  Zebra dwarf sucker

  Otocinclus cocama

  1.8 in (4.5 cm)11 gal (40 L)70–77°F (21–25°C)

• 

  Zebra Nerite

  Vittina natalensis

  1 in (2.5 cm)5 gal (20 L)66–84°F (19–29°C)