The short answer
The best algae eaters are peaceful, effective, and sized to your tank. Proven choices are:
- Otocinclus (tiny catfish, great on soft green algae; keep in groups)
- Bristlenose pleco (a manageable pleco, unlike the common pleco)
- Nerite snails (superb glass grazers that won’t overbreed)
- Amano shrimp and Siamese algae eaters (the latter tackles black beard algae)
Choose by tank size and algae type
No single cleaner eats every algae. Nerite snails are the best on glass; amano shrimp graze soft algae and leftovers; otocinclus love the fine green film on plants and wood; Siamese algae eaters are one of the few that touch stubborn black beard algae. Match the crew to your tank — in a nano, stick to shrimp and snails, and avoid the common pleco, which grows huge and produces enormous waste. So-called “Chinese algae eaters” are also best avoided as they turn aggressive with age.
Support your cleanup crew
Most algae eaters can’t survive on algae alone once it’s under control, so feed algae wafers, blanched vegetables or sinking foods to keep them healthy. Add them to a mature tank with some natural algae growth, and never rely on them to compensate for a dirty tank.
To tackle the real cause of algae, read how to get rid of aquarium algae and how to get algae off the glass. For feeding, see the fish food hub, and check how many fish you can keep before adding a crew. Shrimp also make excellent tankmates — see good tankmates for shrimp.