im looking for info on these guys. first off are they good algea eaters. if they are then how big do they get, what special needs do they need, can they be kept alone( the only plec in the tank) and would this stocking be ok: 1 angel, 5 corries, 1 candy stripped plec, 9 neons, and 9 glo lites. oh and will they harm plants......the tank is heavily planted with driftwood and some rocks.

Hi, been to Planet Catfish and had a look. I like reading about Plecos! The Candy Striped Pleco gets to 4" It needs rocks and wood in the tank, but does not need plants. It is an omnivore but tends to a more meaty diet and will only eat plants if it is hungry. It is not a good algae eater. Each one needs 12 square inches of aquarium space broken up with decorations. Hope that is of interest. If you go to Planet Catfish you can read more.

The big question would be how big is your tank?

oooooops sorry its 29 gal........i rushed in typing it as i had to leave the class in about a min or 2. since its not a good algea eater what plecs that are small(around 5 inches or less) are good algea eaters besides bristle nose and are fairly easy to find.

If you want a good small algae eating fish, i'd advise you get otto's- they need to be in groups of 3-6+ as they are sociable fish, but thankfully only grow to 2inchs long and aern't difficult to find. They do need to be acclimatised very carefully as they can be very sensitive fish, but once fully established in a tank are relatively sturdy fish- make sure your tank is fully stable and you get fat otto's at your lfs and not skinny ones.
Alternatively you can just find the root cause of your algae, like if the lights are being left on too much or the tank plants aern't growing well or you have too many nitrates etc ..

This post has been edited by Tokis-Phoenix: Feb 9 2006, 10:13 AM

i like the ottos but i was looking to get a plec instead. the algea prob right now is due to an imbalance. its not alot just a little algea. the tank is new and is heavily planted i dose with ferts every few days and finnaly got my diy co2 to start working. my original stocking was going to include 3 ottos and i did have them at one point but i have lots all 3 now. i will be leaving the tank as is for a while to blanace out and allow plenty of bacteria to build up and grow. i was just looking for ideas on possible stocking for the tank......oh and i do know that if i dont have enough algea i will need to supplement thier diet.