# What Kind of Pleco Won't Destroy Live Plants?



## TheCheese909 (Aug 11, 2011)

I have a planted tank and it often gets green algae bloom and currently it's gone nuts! I have acouple snails in in but they aren't doing a good enough job. I would love to have some sort of plecostomus in my tank but I've heard that plecos can destroy live plants which is not what I want at all. Clearly, who would?

Does anyone have any input on what type (if any) that can live peacefully with plants?


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## Molinious (Jan 12, 2012)

Talking only from experience i have a gold bristle nose plec which is nearly full grown at around 5", not once has it destroyed ANY of my plants. From this i would suggest the smaller species of pleco. Also you could try Cherry red shrimp, there good to watch, easy to keep and i have 0 algae problems


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## funkman262 (Jan 12, 2013)

I've also kept a BN with no issues eating plants.


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## djembekah (Feb 13, 2012)

bn plecos aren't really good at eating algae though, especially when they get older. i'd do the cherries, or nerite snails, or otocinclus for algae control. you'd need to supplement all of tem too though.


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## funkman262 (Jan 12, 2013)

djembekah said:


> bn plecos aren't really good at eating algae though, especially when they get older. i'd do the cherries, or nerite snails, or otocinclus for algae control. you'd need to supplement all of tem too though.


I suppose that's true, but honestly I got the pleco just because I liked it and not for algae control. If algae is a problem though then ottos and SAEs would be a good route.


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## TheCheese909 (Aug 11, 2011)

I've had Ottos but they seem to be hard to keep alive. The ones that show up at my LFS seem to not be all that healthy, possibly from stress.

I have a few nerite snails, but they aren't doing a good enough job unfortunately. I've heard BN's are supposed to be good Plecos with live plants, I'll try one of them. That'll be awesome too since they don't grow so massive like the Common. I'm prepared to supplement too, so that's not an issue. 

I would love to have Cherries but I can't find any in any of my LFS unfortunately.


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## djembekah (Feb 13, 2012)

I really do love my bn pleco. The crazy whiskers on the males are my favorite. and yes,mine also seems to leave plants alone. i just thought those alternatives would bw better optioms for algae control.

Oh, how big is your tank?


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