Which pleco is best?

[Fishman87]

Which pleco should I get for my 20 gallon? It will be awhile but when im ready which would you choose? I'll have a nice rock formation that he/she can hide in I'm just looking for some opinions. Thanks guys!
P.S. I don't want one that will later outgrow the 20G so take that into consideration. Thank you guys!!

 

[CephalopodCove]

Well from my knowledge, Bristlenose are the smallest pleco and require about a 30gallon tank. I would go with Oto catfish or something like that.

 

[Fishman87]

So no 20 G pleco? lol do they need to be in groups or can they be single

 

[CephalopodCove]

If I remember correctly, plecos are loners. Some can be territorial and aggressive as they grow. They also produce a lot of waste which is generally why even small ones like bristlenose need bigger tanks.

 

[Fishman87]

No no the Otos sorry about that. Do they need to be in a group?

 

[CephalopodCove]

Oops! Umm I don't remember if its necessary. I have 2 and they're relatively small guys. The ones I have seem happy together though. They do separate for periods of time and do their own thing. From my experience, I would say do 2.

And actually, live aquaria is saying 30gallon minimum but I've heard 10gallon minimum. I could be wrong though. Maybe someone with a bit more experience will comment?

 

[aquandrew]

No no the Otos sorry about that. Do they need to be in a group?

they are a schooling fish and prefer to be in groups of 5+

 

[Cactuspixie]

they are a schooling fish and prefer to be in groups of 5+

Trouble is, in a 20g there won't be enough biofilm for them to survive on

 

[Fishman87]

What would happen if I just bought 1 or 2? I don't want to make them stress. In that case what else could I get?

 

[aquandrew]

What would happen if I just bought 1 or 2? I don't want to make them stress. In that case what else could I get?

are you looking for something that will keep algae at bay?

 

[Fishman87]

Yes, basically just a bottom feeder

 

[aquandrew]

Yes, basically just a bottom feeder

what about some corydoras catfish and a zebra nerite snail? most bottom feeders still need to be fed their own diet

 

[Sillyfishies]

I have 2 zebra nerites and they cleaned a whole tank over night. I highly recommend them

 

[Cactuspixie]

Yes, basically just a bottom feeder

None of the plecos I have are really 'bottom feeders'- they are pretty much everywhere except the bottom. Lol. My bottom feeders are loaches, corydoras, and trumpet snails.