Keeping fish is a science; not only can you enjoy the process, but you can also learn many fishkeeping techniques. Instead of relying on manual cleaning of the aquarium, using fish with cleaning abilities is a great choice. So, which fish have cleaning functions? Below is a ranking of the top ten aquarium cleaning fish, including Black Line Flying Fox, Black Molly, Otocinclus, Small Monkey Flying Fox, Dragon Bearded Tetra, Golden Whiskers, and Golden Algae Eater. Let's take a look!
1. Black-striped Flying Fox (King of Algae-eating Fish)
Which aquarium cleaning fish should you choose? For algae control, we highly recommend the Blackline Flying Fox! Its advantage lies in its excellent algae-eating ability. It can eat the most annoying black beard algae and other algae in the aquarium, and some fishkeepers have even discovered it can eat planarians. It's known as the "King of Algae-Eating Fish." However, it has one drawback: it's very voracious and will occasionally attack smaller fish. Furthermore, the Blackline Flying Fox is famous for jumping out of the tank, so a covered design is essential when keeping this type of fish to prevent them from escaping.
2. Black Mary (the king of fried dough sticks)
The list of aquarium-cleaning fish naturally cannot overlook the renowned "King of Oil Removal"—the Black Molly. This fish has a very diverse diet, scraping algae and aquatic plants off the tank walls, thus earning it the title of "cleaner" of the aquarium. The Black Molly excels at removing oil film and floating debris, keeping the water surface consistently clean. In its native habitat, the Black Molly primarily relies on various foods on the water surface for sustenance, such as floating insects or oil film. Moreover, compared to other fish, the Black Molly is very docile and will not intentionally attack other fish.
3. Otocinclus fish (suitable for mixed breeding/inexpensive)
Otocinclus catfish are another fish I highly recommend! They're small and unique aquarium fish, true cleaners for the tank, effectively removing various algae, especially brown and green algae, with excellent results! Furthermore, they can completely devour snail eggs, making them arguably the best cleaner for your aquarium. Moreover, these fish are very peaceful and won't eat other fish or shrimp, coexisting peacefully with most other gentle small fish. Most importantly, they're very inexpensive and provide excellent cleaning capabilities—it's fantastic!
4. Little Monkey Flying Fox (Black Hair Algae Killer)
The Little Flying Fox has a slender body covered with a net-like pattern similar to that of the White Jade Flying Fox. It has a prominent large black spot on its caudal peduncle. It prefers to live in environments with slightly fast-flowing streams and gravel. Although they will also eat artificial food from other fish in aquariums, they prefer to forage for algae. They are extremely adept at clearing algae from aquariums, earning them the nickname "black beard algae killer," and they are also quite skilled at dealing with brown algae.
5. Dragon Beard Tetra (requires oil removal/high water quality/not suitable for planted aquariums)
Most aquarium cleaners live in the lower layers of the tank, but the dragon tetra is a species that inhabits the upper layers. These fish prefer to swim near the surface, so they only eat food from the upper layers. Fish food contains a lot of oil, and uneaten food will make the water cloudy, with a large amount of oil film floating on the surface. Even aquarists with filters may not be able to completely remove this oil film. However, the dragon tetras at the top are oil film fanatics; they will frantically suck up the oil film, thus keeping the aquarium surface clean. However, dragon tetras are very sensitive to water quality; even slight negligence can lead to their death, so maintaining good water quality requires persistent effort.
6. Golden Beard (Gentle nature/Highly ornamental/Algae control)
The Golden Whiskers are also an easy-to-care-for cleaning fish. They play an excellent role in controlling algae in planted aquariums, preventing algae from affecting the growth of aquatic plants. Unlike loaches, Golden Whiskers do not disturb the substrate and do not have the bad habits of algae eaters. They are very suitable for planted aquariums. Their gentle nature allows them to coexist with other fish species without posing any harm or threat to other small ornamental fish in the aquarium, making them quite safe. Furthermore, Golden Whiskers excel at cleaning up food scraps and controlling algae, with excellent results.
7. Golden algae eater (removes algae/absorbs fish)
Among the top ten cleaner fish, the golden algae eater is indispensable. The golden algae eater is a yellowish variant of the common algae eater; aside from its golden body color, it is essentially the same. They primarily feed on sand and algae growing on the tank walls. Golden algae eaters are gentle and non-aggressive, and can be kept with most small fish. They are ideal for medium-sized aquariums and planted tanks without fine river sand. However, be aware that golden algae eaters can be mischievous and may suck up other small fish.
8. Earth-eating sea bream (for cleaning the bottom of the aquarium)
Earth-eating cichlids are not a single species; they are a collective term for various fish species primarily from South and Central America. They are collectively called "earth-eating cichlids" because of their habit of ingesting and regurgitating sand. Species like Sweeney, Santarun, and Moonfish belong to this group. These fish are known for their high ornamental value and unique feeding method: they swallow sand, filter it, and then regurgitate it. This special sand-digging method makes them reliable tools for cleaning aquarium substrate. However, it's important to note that during the breeding season, male earth-eating cichlids are highly territorial and may attack other cichlids.
9. Pleco (cheap/purifies water)
Among common aquarium cleaners, the pleco is an indispensable one! It's a primitive, common, and economical utility fish, named for its love of consuming uneaten food and debris in the aquarium, thus purifying the water. Plecos are loyal "cleaners" of the aquarium, feeding on algae, benthic animals, and debris. Their mouths act like vacuum cleaners, effectively cleaning the aquarium walls, leaving the areas they've cleaned remarkably spotless. Plecos are especially suitable for large aquariums and triplex tanks, but may not be ideal for planted aquariums!
10. Chocolate dolls (excluding snails and other shellfish)
Chocolate pufferfish are a common type of freshwater ornamental fish on the market. They are small and delicate, and are among the smallest species of freshwater pufferfish. These fish love to eat snails, making them a great help in solving snail problems in planted aquariums. Whether it's a small snail or an apple snail, as long as it's small, the chocolate pufferfish will eat it. However, if you want to keep them with other fish, please pay attention to the size of the aquarium, as chocolate pufferfish like to nibble on the tails and fins of other fish.
The ranking of the top ten aquarium cleaning fish is mainly based on the fish species' cleaning ability, feedback from fish enthusiasts, and a comprehensive reference to relevant internet rankings and lists. If you have any questions, please feel free to comment or offer criticism at the end.
