catersun

Ok... not that it's really a problem, but I've got a good bit of algae growth occuring on the caves in the mbuna tank. Wondering if there are any algae eaters that could hold their own in a cichlid tank.

Chief_waterchanger

The bristlenose would do a decent job, as long as they're given plenty of hiding places. They won't do as good as say, otos, for algae removal but they will work better than nothing.

Kevin

maybe a siamese algae eater?

catersun

do these guys stand up for themselves? I've got two albino zebras that can be rather rotten! If I were a fish in the same tank, I'd have bytch slapped them repeatedly. Everyone else keeps them in their place. (they are the smallest in the tank) I just want to makesure I'm not giving them an easy target to prey on.

Allie

I would try the bristle nose pleco...not any fancy species....they don't do well with africans at all. Or a common even tho they do get large...they can hold their own it seems. FME

catersun

Tried a common pleco, and well.. it didn't work out. the little wild ones kept picking at him, so I moved him to the 12gal until better arrangements for him can be made. At least there he won't be getting picked at.

He did do a nice job of cleaning up some of the algae. perhaps a tank divider and just rotate what he vs. the wildchildern have access to.

Tom

From what I have heard from local people, SAE do great with mbunas.
Tom

Trpimp147

just get a pleco 2 times the size of your cichlids. thats what i did and i have alot of hiding places 5 places per fish. if not more the better.