Smallest Pleco?

[Patrick Star]

What kind of pleco stays relatively small? I will be putting it into a 5 gallon hex fish tank and I don't think having a common 15 inch is a good idea...:help:

[fishcatch22]

what else will be in the tank? a pair of otocinclus will do well if it's a betta or some other lone fish. they are the worlds smallest pleco as far as I know, reaching only 1 1/2 inches in adult size. make sure you have plenty of algae to eat, and the tank is fairly well established, and always ask what the LFS feeds their otos before you buy them. make sure they have been fed either algae wafers, blanched veggies, or algae in the tank before you buy them to avoid buying malnourished individuals.

[Patrick Star]

I don't really plan on getting a betta fish. I think that I will be getting a school of small fish. Would a otocinclus sitll be ideal for this situation then?

[fishcatch22]

I don't really plan on getting a betta fish. I think that I will be getting a school of small fish. Would a otocinclus sitll be ideal for this situation then?I do not reccomend a school of mid dwelling fish as most tetras and small schooling cyprinids should be given the space a 10G provides. if you want a group of fish, I reccomend a trio of male guppies, but them you can't have otos.

[Mgamer20o0]

what else will be in the tank? a pair of otocinclus will do well if it's a betta or some other lone fish. they are the worlds smallest pleco as far as I know, reaching only 1 1/2 inches in adult size.

ottos not plecos. smallest pleco i can think of is a zebra then a bn but i wouldnt put them in a 5 gal tank.

[fishcatch22]

ottos not plecos. smallest pleco i can think of is a zebra then a bn but i wouldnt put them in a 5 gal tank.otos ARE plecos, technically. plecos refer to the catfish family loriicaridae, which otos are a member of. in this technical definition, otos are "plecos", or more accurately loriicarids.

[wataugachicken]

5g is still too small for most fish, esp. the hex because it has less surface area to volume and barely any side-to-side space for swimming. maybe 6 neons and nothing else.

[Shagmaster]

5g is still too small for most fish, esp. the hex because it has less surface area to volume and barely any side-to-side space for swimming. maybe 6 neons and nothing else.

I agree.

[Barbie]

There are bristlenose that stay 2" or so, namely Ancistrus claro. Honestly the tank is too small to do what you're talking about doing though. Those little 5 gallon torture chambers are far more trouble than they are worth, IMO. A 10 gallon tank is actually cheaper and gives you twice as much of a chance at having your fish survive from dillution alone, not to mention they only take up 4 more inches of desk space. You can also get a 15 gallon tall, which would then triple your chance of the fish living, while not increasing the footprint at all. Just something to think about.

Barbie

[TKOS]

A bulldog pleco is tiny, similar in size to an oto. But again I wouldn't recommend it.

Of course you don't actually need any algae eaters in such a small tank. Save the room and just do frequent water changes and get an algae brush to help clean the tank. Algae can be easily controlled through limiting the amount of food given and limiting lighting periods. Plants will also compete with algae and healthy plants do wonders.

I actually get more algae in my 29 gallon tank with oto cats than I do in my 5 gallon with a betta. More fish in the 29 gallon so more food for algae.

[monkey_toes]

A bulldog pleco is tiny, similar in size to an oto.

No. The various species sold as bulldog plecos (or rubbernose plecos) have adult sizes ranging from about 3.5" to 11".