how big a tank for an overgrown algae eater? Anyone in Utah area want one?

A friend asked if I could help her clean up and restock her husband's tank while he is recovering from a surgery infection. He'll be away at least 6 weeks.

Big problem. His overgrown algae eater has been killing his tetras. He's fond of it, so I hope I can find a 20 or 30 gallon tank I can move it into and let him deal with it in the future. Then I can safely restock his 75 gal with the tetras and gouramis that he loves.

So, I saw this monster a month or two ago, it was about 6 inches long and thick bodied. Is it possible to keep it at least awhile in 20 or 30 gallons? It's uprooting everything so I figure a bare tank with a good bio-wheel or canister filter. Maybe some large driftwood it can move around and hide under.

Or is there anyone in the Utah, southern Idaho area who would actually like to adopt this fish, "Grinch"? With his permission of course. I'd even mail the thing if I knew how.

Stocking help:
this is a 75 gallon tank. There is (or was, the monster may have gotten most of them) a couple red minor tetras, some het raspboras, one or two danios and a dwarf gourami.

I know he loves the long finned red minor tetras, so they are a must have. Is a dwarf or other gourami going to be ok with them? He's had them together prior to this, but I know there is potential trouble there.

I figured I'd get a school of loaches or corys, maybe a pair of larger gouramis, like three spot or lace, and some hets and/or danios or a school of another kind of tetra, though I think a huge school of red minors would be spectacular. I'll probably stop at about 2/3 the capacity so he can choose what to top the tank up with when he feels better.

I'll go over this weekend and do water tests and a water change and do an inventory of the fish he's got left.

thanks
Ellen

Well, for one thing, it isn't a pleco, it is a chinese algae eater, a cyprinid. I guess I didn't make that clear in my post. I have read that if CAE survive their juvenile phase (when they usually starve in tanks because they don't actually eat algae) they grow up to be large destructive fish that feed off the slime of other fish. I haven't found any other sources to confirm, but it has grown into a very aggressive fish. The book basically said avoid buying this fish at all costs. Well, now he has it and I'm hoping to provide both it and the tetras with a better and safer home.

It has regularly been fed with sinking pellets. This fish grew from 2 inches to about six inches in two years. I saw it rise up and mouth one of the tetras. I had recently read that bit in the book when I saw the fish and it made an impression to see the book's description in the flesh.

It has totally rearranged the gravel in the tank, leaving up to half the ugf bare at times.

It is simply not compatable with a community tank and ugf.

He knows it is a problem and was looking for a tank for it, but became ill before he could deal with it.

Ellen