View Full Version : Albino Pleco with plants
cbsmith
04-26-2005, 2:57 PM
I went to the LFS to buy a bristle-nosed pleco but they will not be getting any in, anytime soon. The owner told me that the Albino would be an ok substitute even though it may get bigger, around 10" (as opposed to a BN which only gets to be about 5-6"). He said it was an Albinio (made up name I'm sure) to get me to buy it. I have a desperate problem with algae in a 25g planted tank. Did I just make a huge mistake? Will it destroy my plants along with the algae? It is only a small little guy maybe an 1 1/2".
TwoTankAmin
04-26-2005, 4:42 PM
I have both regular and albino long fin bristlenose (ancistrus variety) both get the same size. However, there are a bunch of different plecos called bristlenose and some do get big. Mine max at about 5 inches.
cbsmith
04-26-2005, 5:07 PM
Thanks for the reply but the Albino I have is not a bristlenose unfortunately. I just want to know if someone has had luck with them in a planted tank without loosing the plants.
congealedmeat
04-27-2005, 5:04 PM
http://members.shaw.ca/mikemonai/fish/pleco2.JPG
http://members.shaw.ca/mikemonai/fish/pleco.JPG
Does it look like this? If so then I have the same fish. I've had mine since I got my first 10 gallon tank and it's done great with plants the whole time that I've had it. It is about 7" long now and still doesn't eat my plants unless I don't feed for a few days. Mostly I feed it algae pellets and it loves driftwood(ie it eats it all day).
Get some driftwood if you don't have it already and plant away. I could see the plants being a problem with a larger fish, but I find they don't get knocked loose if I put a few rocks around the bases. This also keeps your roots from getting wrecked because of uprootings.
OrionGirl
04-27-2005, 6:01 PM
If that's the fish, plan on getting it a much bigger tank--10 inches is not even close. Mine is about 13 inches right now, and I fully expect him to get bulkier. Not a problem with plants, other than needing lots of room to go around them. He'll also want a meatier diet as he matures--mine eats just about anything i put in the tank, including blood worms and veggies.