Please Suggest Algae Eater in African Tank

[fisheb]

I had a pleco in a 150 gallon tank with various African cichlids. He was always getting picked on so I moved him to a new tank, but now the algae is getting out of control in that tank. I didn't realize what a good job he was doing on keeping the algae in check! Are there other fish that can be added to this tank that won't get attacked and will clean up the algae?

Thanks.

 

[mee-mee]

We have a bristlenose for our 80 and and one for our 29 and they do wonders......what kind of cichlids do you have...

 

[fisheb]

The tank currently houses a frontosa, some daffodil brichardi, a few peacocks, and an electric blue ahli. It is primarily the frontosa that gives the pleco such a hard time.

 

[jm1212]

if your cichlids have attacked plecos in the past, it would probably be best to scrape the algea yourself.

 

[dbcb314]

How long did this attacking go on?

When I put a pleco in a cichlid tank they bother it for a few days then give up and leave it alone

 

[Coler]

I don't think a bristlenose is necessarily going to do any better than the other plec but I would maybe add 2 or 3 of them so at least its likely to result in one fish getting harassed permanently.


If you want bottom dwellers you could add a group of synodontis catfish - well able to look after themselves. Not algae eaters though. Perhaps as JM says, you may just take over that job yourself.

 

[MbunaFishKeeper]

i asked the same question and people told me synodontis or you might get away with a royal pleco.

 

[Nolapete]

http://www.scotcat.com/factsheets/s_brichardi.htm

Synodontis brichardi supposedly leans toward a green diet more than any other synodontis cat.

Synodontis in general would be better suited for an african cichlid tank than plecos because they originate from the same area as the cichlids and share similar diet.

 

[newsom00]

mabey try snails to clean up your tank

 

[Lupin]

Please take note that the cichlids you are keeping thrive in hard alkaline waters whereas plecs do the opposite. IMO, plecs are not suitable tankmates. Best to scrape the algae yourself rather than rely on the fish heavily.