Algae eaters for tank...

[GoldfishNewbie]

So I know that plecos have to be in 60 gallon tanks at minimum. I just bought one thats tiny because my pet store didn't have any other kinds. I'm thinking once he starts growing a bit hopefully the store will have others, and I can trade him since he'll be bigger...
What kind of fish should I get for my 20 gallon community tank (not made yet, planning on that sometime in the future) and for my 50 gallon tank?
I don't really want snails, I used to have one that was pretty big, and I loved him but when he died it was just gross and smelly and I just don't want to have snails again lol so what are good fish algae eaters, and how many can I get? I was thinking of panda corys... but do they actually clean up much or they're just kind of cute to watch?
lol any other ideas are good

 

[ejaramillo01]

I don't think that panda corys are algae eaters, they are bottom feeders, and will eat any food that remains on the gravel, but they don't eat algae or pops.

If you want a fish, my recommendation is the Siamese algae eater, I have two, they can live in a community tank, and they are good for cleaning algae from the tank, just be aware that many stores confuse them with other fish, be sure that you get a True Siamese Algae Eaters

 

[GoldfishNewbie]

Thanks, and sorry, thats kind of what I meant I guess... I mean like my name says, i'm a fish newbie so I dont know the terms or whatever yet... but basically just something to help clean up a bit (the tanks are all double filtered) haha but thanks for the suggestion do you think my pleco will do fine in the 50 gallon while I wait for him to grow? (I feel terrible just doing this so I can get others, I really am starting to love my alfonso, but I know he shouldnt be in this tank once he grows)... my filter is for 120 gal and I do a lot of water changes, should he be fine for a while?

 

[ejaramillo01]

No need to apologize, we all are learning here.

Corys in general are good bottom cleaners, they are active and fun to watch as you mentioned, and they are available in different types and colors, bronze, panda, julii, etc. But they do better in groups, for your 55G tank a group of at least 6 will do great.

About the pletco, I think that they can overgrowth the 55G tank, but it will take sometime.

Good luck !!!

 

[GoldfishNewbie]

I know he'll overgrow it eventually but he will be safe until he starts growing? and how many cory's or other fish could I put in the 20 gallon?

 

[mfdrookie516]

What kind of pleco is it? If it's a common, yea, it'll get too big (like 24"). There are, however, tons of smaller plecos that are suitable for tanks 20 gallons and bigger.

 

[GoldfishNewbie]

the one I have is a common, he's about 2.5 inches now, and I plan on getting a smaller type one once he grows a bit but my pet store doesnt have any right now What kind of pleco's would fit in that tank? :O

 

[James_in_MN]

Ottos are good algae eaters and would work for a 20g; they get no bigger than 2 inches and are best kept in groups of 3 or more.

Another that would work for your tank is either a bristlenose pleco or rubberlip pleco. Like mfdrookie516 suggested, those are two plecos that won't grow to be over a foot long. You should check to see which one yours might be.

One other option would be amano shrimp. That will depend on what other fish you have in the tank, and whether one of them might try to make a snack of the shrimp.

 

[GoldfishNewbie]

I'm 90% certain he's a common pleco, just a baby for now, I definately was thinking of a bristlenose, and I think rubber lip pleco's are pretty cute too... are they very expensive? my lfs is SO overpriced for everything, german blue rams were sold for around $50, and even goldfish are 7 bucks, which I think is cheap until I hear people sell them for 50 cents at walmart. and its a pet store, not one dedicated just to fish... so anyways, would it be worth ordering my fish online? I hear shipping is expensive... or would petco's or other cheaper stores ship them? sorry for all the questions, I just dont have tons of money and already spent $250 for a USED 50 gallon tank. and then I came on here and realize how over charged I am :S

 

[Morgie]

petco does ship fish, but I've never ordered any from them and I'm not too sure how the process works, but it's something you could look into.

 

[GoldfishNewbie]

thanks I'll see what's best for my wallet lol

 

[siva]

I have a hillstream loach in my 29..he's awesome and a great algea eater. They only get to about 2.5" so would be great for a 20. In my area they are always sold as a butterfly pleco. I also keep 4 julii cories in there. They are really cute and fun bottom feeders. You could keep 4 of these in a 20 if you wanted. They stay a bit smaller than albino or emerald cories, reaching only about 1.5". For my 20 gal that's cycling, once it's well established because you aren't supposed to add them right away, I want to get 3 oto cats..I hear they are good for algae. I do love my nerite snails, I have about a dozen different kinds, lots with horns, they are really cool looking. But yeah if a bigger one doesn't move for a while and I even suspect it dead I pull it out and investigate because left too long they get soooo gross. Getting fish shipped can be reasonable and can be a nightmare. Most of the websites require overnight shipping..this is what gets outrageously expensive. When you order direct from someone on ebay or aquabid it is typically USPS Priority which is much more reasonable. Especially if you can find multiple things you want from the same seller and get a combined shipping discount. I've had to order almost all of my inverts because they have a really poor selection locally.

 

[McLumpy]

I have a Common Pleco in my 55 gallon, (that was my "oops" for impulse buying at the LFS lol). IIRC, mine was around 2" long when I first introduced him to my tank. Now, 9 months +/- later, he's around 9-10" long. You can figure that your Pleco will average between 3/4"-1" of growth per month. Of course this depends on his diet, along w/ many other factors. So you do have some time w/ your Pleco before you need to rehome him and get one more suitable for your tank.

 

[GoldfishNewbie]

thanks everyone I found a great looking site for ordering fish online, I think ill shop there from now on