# Algae eaters



## peterman (Jan 27, 2009)

Hi I have a 46 gallon tank with 3 austrailian rainbowfish, 5 neon tetras, 2 pineapple swordtails, 1 CAE, 1 SAE, 3 rosy barbs, 1 kissing gourami, and 1 rainbow shark. I have seen algae starting to grow on the side of my tank and gravel more now. Im getting tired of scraping it off the sides and its almost impossible with the gravel. My SAE is tiny and cant do much but I see him cleaning away but it still doesnt affect the algae much. My CAE is lazy and doesnt do much besides sit in his little cave. What king of fish would be good to take care of some of that algae to help me out. Are there any small versions of plecos, Im open for any fish. Thanks


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## Nudist (Oct 19, 2008)

peterman said:


> Are there any small versions of plecos, Im open for any fish. Thanks


i have an albino bristlenose and i think they are neat, for their size they clean a bunch. there are also regular bristlenose also but they are a little bigger than the albino's but still small compared to a regular pleco.

Steve


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## Cody (Dec 22, 2007)

BN plecos are great algae eaters, and stay under 5".
Clown Plecos are the smallest IME, but the amount of algae they eat varies. I have heard some that wipe a tank clean, and some that wont touch it. Mine never did any "huge" work.
Ottos are cool little guys that love algae.


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## JohnnyD44 (Dec 5, 2008)

I was thinking of getting a BN Pleco for my 55G when I set it up!!! Can I keep more than one? or would you stray from doing more than one? i have no experience with them


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## 1077 (Apr 16, 2008)

A lady at work whose husband breeds guppies, angelfish,and long finned albino bristlenose, gave me two of the bristlenose. I had them in a 29 gal for a while while they were tiny. As they grew ,,one became territorial. It didn't search out the other,but if the other ventured too close to it's claimed turf,, then squabbles became the norm especially, if it involved food. I believe if one were fortunate enough to get a male and female ,that squabbles might be few. As it turned out, I placed one of them in a 29 gal guppy tank and the other in Discus tank at home. It is said that the females don't sprout near the bristles that the males do and I believe there is some validity to that. Perhaps If I had placed the pair in a larger tank they would have been less inclined to invade the others space. 
In any event,, they are busy little fish that love algae and are active through out the day.


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## peterman (Jan 27, 2009)

Well my LFS doesnt carry bristlenose plecos. They carry common plecos, albino chocolate plecos, rubber lip plecos, hi fin plecos, and otocinclus catfish. Which one of these should I get and how many.


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## ShawnMcc (Apr 16, 2007)

If you can order online go for the emperor pleco. I have 2 emperors right now. No algae at all. I have plants so you would think I would have some with the fertalizers. Nope no algae any were. So if you can find some one who will sell you the and have a incredable filter system. Then go for it emperor plecos. There are and expensive so just let me warn you. Starting price from what I have seen $50 US dollars.


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## 1077 (Apr 16, 2008)

In a 46 gal . I would go with the rubber lipped pleco.


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