Help finding me a new Pleco

[LeeRoy]

I do not have any luck using the search button, so I am going to put out the question here.

I am looking to find a pleco to add to my fishroom?

I would like it to be a algae eater, not over 4.5" inches, and my water runs 7.4 to 7.8 ph range.

I like the striped or patterned fish over the spotted ones.

Any suggestions will be taken into consideration.

Thanks

LeeRoy

[Suckermouth]

Ancistrus cf_cirrhosus

. The bristlenose plec is common and cheap enough that you will probably be able to find it. Most other species of plecs are not very effective algae eaters.

[andywoolloo]

I agree the Bristlenose is the most versatile pl*co. But you do know they need to be fed a diet, not just tank algae?

BN are a great pl*co, not too big not too small, great little pl*co. Out and about alot.

But unfortunately they can be hard to come by if you can believe that. Most stores carry common pl*cos that get to be humoungous!!

A nice stripey small one is a L270 , actally there are alot of nice striped ones that stay small. but each oen has different dietary requirements and tank temp ph etc

what tank will he go in? Size tankmates etc? so you can tell which one would work, temp diet ph wise.

[LeeRoy]

Thanks for the replies.

I was going to add a little more info, but had to leave the house for awhile add did not want to lose my post that I had started. Sorry

I have a breeding pair of Albino Ancistrus that I keep. I have a number of these in my tanks.

I want to set up a 40gal. US 48"L x 14"W x16"H.
This tank is empty right now. So it will be set-up with the idea of maitaining the Pleco's as a breeding group. There will be no other Pleco's in this tank. There will be some other types of fish, but not Pleco's

I believe in only one species of breeders per tank, that way there is no chance of hybreds.

I hope this info helps.

Thanks

LeeRoy

[racoll]

If you want it to be an algae eating pleco, you are really restricting your choices LeeRoy.

By the sound of it, water is fairly hard in Las Vegas, but most plecos should be fine long-term, except the blackwater species (avoid these).

Whitewater plecos will not be a problem at all, but maybe for the clearwater species you should use RO water at first, and then gradually revert them to straight tapwater over a couple of months.

This will obviously depend on how your supplier is maintaining them, and how long they have had to adjust to local tapwater.