Smaller Plecos?

[cee219]

I'm looking for a smaller Pleco, 6" maximum. I really love the huge Plecos, but I'm sharing the aquarium with my mom and she doesn't want a Pleco that big. Are there any smaller varieties?

 

[Frank_the_Tank]

rubbernose/rubberlip/bulldog pleco
bristlenose pleco
clown pleco (I don't think these eat algae though)

 

[FancyGuppyGuy]

Striped bulldog rubbernose pleco 4-5" loves to eat algae. Ive had one in my 29 gallon for 3 years never have seen algae and hes only about 3 1/2 " long

 

[cee219]

Thanks! I've just looked them all up breifly and they all seem like good options, I'll be sure to check them out at my LFS

 

[cee219]

op, one more question. Would I be able to keep a few of any of these Plecos or would they be aggressive towards their own kind?

 

[Meredith]

I am pretty sure when they are young you can keep them together, but some plecos get territorial when they are older. It might work though if you have a big enough tank with good hiding spots for them.

 

[black udder]

I had 3 common plecos in my 40g tank and they all got a long very well (7, 6 & 4"). They would even feed off the same piece of zuchinni at the same time.

 

[Wizzard~Of~Ozz]

Clown Plecos (Panaques maccus) are often found together, but they tolerate eachother since the source for food is common on the shoreline, they do not shoal and do not require company, they are loners (these are the ones I've read up on recently) they also eat wood, so unless the algae is on the wood, they won't eat it at all..(and can produce large quantities of waste wood in the tank)

Rubberlip are very good at eating algae, but others have offered more advice then I can on those ones

 

[Menagerie]

I keep two dwarf bristle noses and a clown in a 25 gal and no trouble so far (6 months). In the 50 gal, there is a 4" bristle nose and a rubber lip.

 

[FancyGuppyGuy]

lets talk cost $4-6 for a rubbernose bulldog pleco.

 

[mjkelly]

I have A Clown PLeco in my community tank..I read though that they don't really eat algae..and that they really like Drift wood..

 

[Frank_the_Tank]

lets talk cost $4-6 for a rubbernose bulldog pleco.

word. Got my rubbernose at petsmart (2nd best petsmart fish dept. I've seen) for 3.99

 

[mjkelly]

I have A Clown Pleco..they stay Small..Sorry I just realized i already replied to this...LOL

 

[ChileRelleno]

I had 3 common plecos in my 40g tank and they all got a long very well (7, 6 & 4"). They would even feed off the same piece of zuchinni at the same time.

Dang'it, everytime I've tried Commons together they were very quarrelsome and I gave up...
I love my current Snow King (12"+) and hope to have'im around for a long time. He's not much on algae, though he will munch wafers he prefers vegetables of all sorts.
Most plecs will eat some algae when younger, but the larger varieties of Plec's soon go for more substantial foods IME.

 

[DanW0007]

A small school of pitbull plecos are nice, they seem no bigger than a tetra really. I'm not sure, but I thought I might of read that they technically aren't plecos though (even though they look like your average common pleco)...