what plecos for african tanks?

[valerie]

I'm looking for a pleco for my 90gal peacock tank, so i thought i would check to see what other people keep with their plecos.

Do you have a pleco or other algae eater in with your africans?

Anyone like to suggest a few i can check out for my tank. Ph 7.8 gh8 kh7 tank 90gals

[chaynes]

My favorite pleco in an African tank is a snail. Shrimp with ones that are under 1.5" and crayfish for those over 1.5". Alternate plecos are the algae brush. If I had to have a pleco in there I would go with a cheap one.

[ChilDawg]

According to Mark Phillip Smith in Lake Tanganyikan Cichlids, these genera of Loricariids are compatible with Cichlids from that rift lake: Acanthicus, Scobinancistrus, Pseudacanthicus, Glyptopterichthys, Megalancistrus, Panaque. Hopefully this helps...it may have to be narrowed down for your more aggressive fish, but, since I had the reference, I figured that I would help narrow this down a little for you.

[valerie]

thanks i will check out those names. I don't only want a pleco for algae control,I love plecos. Its just that i would prefer one that could keep my rocks(i have lots of rocks) clean since its hard to get in there are scrub them.

[scholar]

any pleco at 5 in ch max length would do. If bigger you need to feed it. Pracocks are not that aggressive. Rubbernose pleco max out at 5 i ches and cab be bought for $6 from Petsmart.

[valerie]

yeah i could get another dwarf pleco but i already have clowns,bristlenose, and rubber noses in different tanks. I was thinking that now i have a 90gal i would try something a bit bigger, 8-10" maybe

[VoodooChild]

I don't think that I'd do a Panaque. They're, in my opinion, much more preferable to soft, acidic water, which I'm assuming you don't have. I've had good luck with ancistrus, the bushies.

[ogopogo]

I have a 6" long common pleco in my African cichlid tank and he is doing just fine.

[tracyj027]

hi
I have an African tank(electric yellows,peacocks,socoloffs,and livingstoni) I have a clown pleco in there. They don't bother it and I put snails in there but my fish were picking at the fleshy parts of the snails,so I took them out.

[ERRN7]

I have two African tanks a 90gal and a 150gal I have three in the 150 and 2 in the 90. I have a royal and common in the 90gal with a pair of fontosa's and brichardi I have a gold nugget a grey lepoard canathus (sp), and another one. All get along great the 150 is full of peacocks as well as other like minded fish....

[Reiner]

Why would you want a Pleco bigger then 5-6 inches? All they do is Poop more and don't clean algea better either then a 5 inch bristlenose pleco. Big plecos make way to much waste and get lazier the bigger they get.

[valerie]

I want a bigger pleco because i find them to be real cool fish and now that i have a bigger tank i can finally fit one.

I already have a BN, clown, rubbernose, and otos. So i thought i would try soemthing a bit different.

Maybe a rhino/chocolate pelco? Anyone have one?

Its hard to believe nobody has anyhting different then BN and commons in with their cichlids?

[Reiner]

The reason why so many people have BN's is that they do the best job. and the common is available in any chain store you go 2 even though they perform poor in cleaning algea once they get bigger. You can also check out www.planetcatfish.com for tons of different Plecos.

[valerie]

I have checked out planetcatfish and did many many web searches but i can't find any reliable info. One website says this then another says that.

that is why i wanted to find out what has worked for other people, what plecos they keep(besides the BN)

[OCSupertones]

I have a "Headspotted albinus" in my 135 gallon...and all he does is eat algae off the rocks, i want him to eat it off the glass...so i would recommend him for rock cleaning.

he looks similar to this here...i've found them listed as L148

http://www.planetcatfish.com/cotm/2002-02.htm

[valerie]

well i already own a rubbernose,its actually in the african tank right now. But he is going back into one of my other tanks.They also don't get as big as i would like.

[Transcriptus]

I've had success with Sailfin Pleco - Glyptoperichthys gibbiceps.

Check out planetcatfish.com

Transcriptus

[Tiger15]

IME, common Pleco and Sailfin Pleco do the best job in cleaning algae off the glass and they are very hardy as I have yet lost a single one. But they grow too fast and when they reach 6+ inch, they will start to attack fish and I ended up trading them away when they exceed the safe size. Bristle Nose don't grow as large and are very docile. They do a decent job but not as thorough as Salifin or Common Plecos in cleaning algae. Clown pleco is a poor algae eater. I tried other plecos in African tanks but either they don't make it or did a lousy job in cleaning algae.

[valerie]

Some people on teh planetcatifhs.com forum said to try the rusty pleco(L077/137) I have yet to see any around here but if i do this is the pleco i want.nice violet color and good size,plus they eat algae.

Anyone own a rusty?