Ideal algae eater

[Matty]

I need a few small algae eaters for a 90g predator tank, so they would need to be big enough so that they wouldn't be mistaken as food, but small enough so that there isn't a huge amount of waste from them as well. I was thinking maybe a few clown plecs, any suggestions?

 

[yhbae]

Probably a bristlenose pleco would work ok. What species do you have in that tank?

 

[Matty]

oscar, emperor shark, bala, tinfoil barbs

are you sure it wouldn't get too big? I'm inda stretching my filter and tank space as it is

 

[Teelie]

Emperor Sharks I'm pretty sure are schoolers (if they're as I suspect, also called Colombians, they're brackish to saltwater too), I know Balas are so you might consider more of those as opposed to an algae eater you don't really need. Common Plecs aren't even good algae eaters. They prefer more along the lines of wood and true plants as nourishment so you'd have to feed them wafers.

 

[yhbae]

oscar, emperor shark, bala, tinfoil barbs

are you sure it wouldn't get too big? I'm inda stretching my filter and tank space as it is

How many of each do you have? Also how large are they?

Bristlenose stops growing at around 5 inches or so (if not smaller) so size-wise they are ok. I've heard for some people, their large oscar ate a young bristlenose when the little one was introduced for the first time. If they are over 2 inches, I doubt any of your other species will eat her though...

Also, are you introducing a pleco because you like them or is it because you want to get rid of algae?

 

[Matty]

all the fish are pretty small now

there seems to be algae on the bogwood, but my tank is in the basement so it doesn't get any direct sunlight

i was thinking that when waste becomes a serious issue, it might be nice to have something that can help my filter cope. I also can't keep live plants because of the oscar, so i guess that an algae eater would help...

 

[yhbae]

all the fish are pretty small now

there seems to be algae on the bogwood, but my tank is in the basement so it doesn't get any direct sunlight

i was thinking that when waste becomes a serious issue, it might be nice to have something that can help my filter cope. I also can't keep live plants because of the oscar, so i guess that an algae eater would help...

All plecos produce quite a lot of poop. Although bristlenose produces less than common pleco, still it produces more waste than most other fishes of equivalent size. So if your main reason is for them to pick up waste, you will end up with another kind of waste of similar volume! (after all, what you eat must come out! ).

It is up to you. Bristlenose has traits that makes them very interesting to raise. They will eat algae (very well!) but there will be a price...

 

[cory]

From my own experiences, the only way a common plec becomes a worthy algae eater ... is to get two common plecs (a little competition from one of their own kind changes everything with these guys). I made a deal with my LFS back when I had commons to trade them in for smaller ones as mine became larger than I liked. Some people come to fish stores specifically looking for the bigger common plecs, so it was a win win situation. Ask around and see if any of your local fish stores are interested in such a deal.

 

[willywonka099]

Well I have a common just b/c I LOVE PLECOS !!!! I wanted to breed bnoses a while ago but I decided I didnt have the facilities. I have had my tank sat up coming up on for months in direct sunlite for the majority of the day .....Although I dont think my tank would have much alge any way my pleco seems to move from place to place to find the "green" But another thing about plecs is they are VERY HARDY. I have had 7 fish die in three months and who is still there ??? THE PLECO !!!!lol ask yhbae if you don't blv me. I have heard bnoses are the best for a clean tank