Plecos (best, small, eat, light)

[Coldjensens]

We need a couple of Plecos to help keep algae off the glass. Would love some suggestions. We had a blue eyed pleco once that got huge and then we traded him for $650 worth of fish at a fish store. They then offered him for ale for $3000. Anyway, I would like to get something cool looking, not too hard to find and very hardy. Also good at eating algae off of glass. Suggestions?

[Aredhel]

Most species of plecos don't really eat much algae, unfortunately. You're better off using freshwater snails for that (Malaysian Trumpet Snails are a good choice, as are Nerite snails) and an algae scrubber.

https://modestfish.com/best-freshwater-algae-eaters/ (Ignore their suggestion of a Chinese Algae Eater; the fish only eats algae when small. As it grows up, it tends to switch to eating the slime coat on other fish instead, which is obviously Not Good!)

[Fisherman99]

Plecos, Chinese Algae Eaters, and Snails are good for controlling algae. May be best to only have 1 Pleco when they get big though...can get territorial.

[thedwightguy]

What you want is L-144 Bristlenose plecos, which get max. five inches........in ten years. Buddy has a group of five that are over forty years old! (Members of our club have actually seen them when they were young). You story about the "blue-eyed" is interesting. But 650.? Might have been a "Royal" with a green, somewhat bulbous body? There ARE $3,000 dollar plecs. out there, but they're rare L numbers and usually imported directly from S. America as large. Two guys I know in Canada import them, and they all go to Chinese in Vancouver or Toronto, willing to pay the big bucks.

My L-144's, common, keep glass really clean, esp. if you have live plants and good lighting, you'll have algae on the glass.