What Pond Animals Eat Algae (List Of Algae Eaters)

It is inevitable that you will get algae of some kind in your pond at least once. This can be troublesome and have a negative effect on the pond and wildlife. Therefore, having animals and fish in or around your pond to eat away at the algae can be beneficial.

This article will explore the top 9 pond fish and animals that will help you to keep your pond clear of algae. It will also explain the temperatures you should keep these fish at and if they are suitable to be with other fish.

List of Algae Eaters

There are many pond animals and fish that you can keep in your pond which will eat algae.

Here is a list of the 9 animals that will eat your pond algae.

• Common Pleco
• Mosquitofish
• Siamese Algae Eater
• Grass Carp
• Pond Loach
• Koi or Goldfish
• Mollies or Guppies
• Otocinclus Catfish
• Chinese High-Fin Banded Shark

Common Pleco

Common pleco is the first animal that we recommend for you to keep in your pond to eat away at the algae. The scientific name for the common pleco is Hypostomus Plecostomus but can also be known as the suckermouth catfish. These can live in your pond.

The common pleco is an omnivore that can feed on the algae and plant matter found in your pond. Although, it is recommended that you only keep one of these fish in your pond as they can become aggressive as adults. But they do tend to get along with other fish you may have in your pond. It is best to only have 1 per 1,000 gallons of water though.

A common pleco can grow up to 2 feet and therefore can eat a lot of the algae that you may find in your pond. Different species of pleco vary in size, although the common pleco is among one of the biggest. The number of algae that they can eat will be dependent on the other food sources available to them.

Common pleco are from tropical South America, so in the winter months you will have to bring them inside for warmth. They cannot survive in water below 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

Mosquitofish

Another animal that can be used to eat the algae from your pond is a mosquitofish. The mosquitofish has a scientific name of Gambusia affinis which is a common freshwater fish, and it is usually quite small.

The main source of food for a mosquitofish is eating mosquito larvae, however many of these fish like to also eat algae. So, having some of these fish in your pond can help you to keep your pond algae to a minimum.

Mosquitofish prefer to live with fish their own size but are compatible with most pond fish. You do have to be careful if you have a lot of bigger fish in your pond though as they tend to eat the smaller mosquitofish.

In order for mosquitofish to be able to survive living with larger fish, ensure you provide them with plenty of hiding places. This can come from rocks or other vegetation you may have in your pond.

Siamese Algae Eater

A further animal that you can put in your pond to remove the algae is a Siamese algae eater. This animal has the scientific name of Gyrinocheilus Aymonieri. You can usually find this fish in Asia and belongs to the freshwater carp family.

The Siamese algae eater can grow up to 11 inches long. This fish eats the algae by using its sucker like mouth to get rid of the algae from your pond liner, rocks, and plants. This is a very effective fish to have in your pond to remove the algae.

No matter what types of algae you have in your pond, a Siamese algae eater will eat it, they are not fussy. Although these fish can often be territorial so you will need to check their compatibility against other fish you may already have in your pond.

Siamese algae eaters have specific conditions in which they thrive. They are required to be kept in freshwater that ranges from 70-79 degrees Fahrenheit. So, they will need to be moved indoors during the winter months to ensure they survive.

Grass Carp

Grass carp are another great fish for you to have in your pond to help you keep your algae at bay. Grass carp is also known by the scientific name Ctenopharyngodon Idella. The grass carp originally comes from Asia, but you can now locate it in America as well.

These fish are great at eating the algae in your pond as these carps can eat 40-300% of their body weight in plants and algae each day. So, having these fish in your pond can quickly reduce the build-up of algae.

Many people now have a very specific type of grass carp. It is now advised that you have triploid grass carp as these fish cannot breed as they are sterile. Common grass carp can breed at exceptional rates and if left to their own devices they can cause havoc in your pond. So, it is recommended that you seek triploid grass carp to eat away at your pond algae.

Grass carp can eat a range of different algae and plant matter that is unwanted in your pond. They are not fussy on the type of algae they eat. From string algae to filamentous algae.

Pond Loach

Another animal that you should have in your pond to eat at the algae is a pond loach. The pond loach has the scientific name of Misgurnus anguillicaudatus but can also be known as the dojo loach or weather loach.

With many other fish and algae-eaters you have to transfer them inside for the winter months, however this is not the case with your pond loach. These are hardy fish which can live in water temperatures ranging from 40-77 degrees Fahrenheit. Therefore, if you do not want the fuss of having to transfer your fish inside then this fish may be more suited to you.

Pond loaches are more suited for beginning ponds and can grow up to a foot in length. These fish prefer to live in small groups and can live with other species of fish as long as they are docile.

Although pond loaches do not consume as much algae as some of the other fish in your pond, these pond loaches are still recommended for your pond. Especially if you live in a colder area. Pond loaches actually prefer cooler water unlike other fish so they can basically live in your pond all year round.

However, if you do get a really harsh winter, it is better to bring them indoors, or install a pond heater.

Koi or Goldfish

Having koi or goldfish in your pond can help to remove the algae from your pond. Both of these fish are very common fish to be kept in a pond and they are omnivores. This means that both koi and goldfish will feed on the algae in your pond to some extent.

Koi and goldfish do prefer other food sources like pond insects and their regular fish food but during the winter months they will feed more heavily on algae. This is because there are less food options for them to eat.

Koi and goldfish are common fish that you would find in your pond and will eat small amounts of algae. However, if you have a significant amount of algae growth then you may need to consider other ways to remove algae from your pond.

Goldfish and koi can live with most other fish and algae-eaters, but you should be careful with your goldfish as bigger fish (especially plecos) can latch onto your goldfish and damage their scales. If you are worried about this, you are probably best to focus on specific algae-eaters such as the Siamese Algae Eater.

Mollies and Guppies

Mollies and guppies are other animals that you can have in your pond to help eat away at the algae. If you have a small pond and algae is not a massive issue, then these fish are perfect. They are similar to fish like koi and goldfish as algae is not their main source of food but will eat algae.

Both mollies and guppies are very low maintenance and are easy to take care of. These fish can also reproduce fairly quickly so you can grow the number of fish in your pond at a quick rate. As a result, this should start reducing the amount of algae in your pond.

However, these fish will need to be bought inside during winter and colder months. Mollies prefer water above 77 degrees Fahrenheit and guppies prefer water over 55 degrees Fahrenheit.

Mollies and guppies would be unlikely to survive for long in larger garden ponds as other larger fish would start to eat them. They would also not be able to keep up with the growth of the algae in larger ponds.

Otocinclus Catfish

Otocinclus catfish are another great fish to have in your pond to keep your algae at bay. This fish is known by the scientific name otocinclus arnoldi. This catfish is one of the best algae-eaters around, so is highly recommended for your ponds with a high amount of algae.

The otocinclus catfish is a very small fish at only 1-2 inches long but they have a massive appetite. They will eat all sorts of algae, from brown and slimy algae to eating fresh algae as soon as it appears.

Otocinclus catfish are known to be calm in nature, so this makes them perfect to be with other fish. As they are small, they will not damage other fish when they are feedings. These fish are also known for being gentle feeders so they will not cause damage to your pond either.

The smallness of these fish also allows them to get into small and hard to reach places of your pond.

Chinese High-Fin Banded Shark

Chinese high-fin banded sharks are another great algae-eating fish to have in your pond. They are known scientifically as myxocyprinus asiaticus. Although you should know that these fish are not sharks at all, and the name is deceptive. They are referred to as a shark because of their prominent dorsal fin.

This fish is on the larger side can has the ability to grow up to 4 feet. Despite this, Chinese high-fin banded sharks are very calm and peaceful, meaning that they can live in harmony with many other species of fish. This fish likes to live in a small group of 3 or more of their own kind.

These are very hardy and resilient fish and actually prefer cooler water. They like water between 55-75 degrees Fahrenheit.

As these fish can grow very large, they are only suitable if you have a large and deep pond.

The Chinese high-fin banded shark is specifically an algae-eater so if you find you have a lot of algae backing up in your pond (especially if it very large) then this is the fish that you need. They mainly survive off eating algae and can survive in very cold temperatures so you will not need to bring these fish inside during the winter.

Conclusion

To conclude, having algae in your pond can be a tiresome task. Spending hours raking out the algae and debris is time consuming, so having fish in your pond which can get rid of the algae for you sounds like an ideal solution.

Picking any one of the 9 fish above or perhaps a combination can be a perfectly natural way to keep your pond algae under control.