Pl*cos that dont like all algea???

OscarCichlid · Dec 8, 2003

I had algea on the glass and on my gravel and decorations of my 55 gallon tank. I bought two small common pl*cos. They did a great job of eating algea off of the gravel and the decorations but there is still alot of algea on the glass. I dont understand it. They wont go near the stuff. I dont want to get ottots because they are to small and will be eaten by my over aggressive gouramis or by my huge channel cats. I was thinking of snails but for that wouldnt i have to drain some water from my tank? Any suggestions would be great, the algea makes the tank look really bad.

Tempestuousfury · Dec 8, 2003

If you don't get help (you no doubt will) there's always the algae scrubber.

MAM · Dec 8, 2003

how about a bristlenose? i hear theyre great at cleaning every last bit of algae off? or, as tempestuous said, you could also just use good old fashioned elbow grease and scrub it

OscarCichlid · Dec 8, 2003

I actually have tried an algea scraper and i got in the tank with a towel, this stuff refuses to come off of the glass.

gadazobe · Dec 8, 2003

I think that a lot of plecs and bristlenoses learn very quickly that there's better food than algae (algae wafers and plants) and most of them give up their cleaning job quite quickly. I can't remember the last time my plec actually cleaned the glass and as for the bristlenoses, only occasionally do they run up and down the sides of their home.

It seems that your only option left is a magnet or something else to scrape the tank with

Losi · Dec 9, 2003

If you cant clean the algea of the glass with an algae scraper then maybe the plecs cant get it off either??? :blink:

mrV · Dec 9, 2003

Nothing to do with your message, only with your topic

Pl*cos that dont like all algea???

Yep, there is plecos that don't eat algae at all.. Many of them are carnivores ...

Cheese Specialist · Dec 10, 2003

OscarCichlid said:
two small common pl*cos

I just can't believe that you have got 2 common plecos?! Don't they make your tank realy dirty?! LOL

Common pl*cos scare me. They get way too big for me. I am happy with my L134.

I think that plecs are always more likely to eat the algae from your ornaments because that's more where they like to be. My plec doesn't eat any algae, just sits there and looks pretty!

You should just get an algae scraper. I have one of those pad things on a longbit of plastic. Although, I don't use it so much as my Hillstream loaches like the algae.

yhbae · Dec 10, 2003

Even the young bristlenose pl*cos don't clean the tank that well. Better than otos, but as someone mentioned already, they don't eat algaes on the glass. I have actually witnessed them eat the dreaded hair algae, so they are clearly capable of eating them. They are always sucking on something, so I'm assuming they are eating some algae, but certainly not even close to eating all visible algae. I have 4 of them in 25g so there should be enough of them to cover the tank.

On the other hand, I do feed them algae wafers and some fresh vegetables such as cucumers and zukinis, so that might be part of the problem...