Feebs & The Kidd

Hi ya'll! First, I'm new...as you can tell! So hello! Secondly, I'm looking at what fish to put into my tank and I REALLY want a pleco or algae eater or something like it, but i only have a 20g tank and I kind of think pleco's get too big...right? So, what kind of algae-eater/pleco/bottom feeding fish like that can I get that won't outgrow my tank? Right now I am the proud parent of 3 glowfish and I am building my tank (SLOWLY).

Also, we really really wanted some bala sharks...but, alas...they grow too big. Are there any alternatives that stay smaller or aren't schooling but still have that awesome appearance?

Our original "wishlist" of fish includes:
Ghost Cats
Pleco (which now seems unlikely)
Bala (also now seems unlikely)
MAYBE some glass fish (UNDYED!!) or x-ray fish
and an african feather finned cat (maybe too agressive?)

so you can kind of see what we like...but I want this tank to actually be HEALTHY so any suggestions would be great. The two major ones we wanted were the pleco and the bala...I just don't know of any dwarf or smaller species that have the same look?? Thanks for your help!


-also, I could always get a bigger tank later...I will probably want a bigger tank within a year or two anyway...so how long do the plecos and bala's take to outgrow a tank? If they take over a year or so, It's no problem.


-Feebs

Jonah

If you like Plecos you could have a BN pleco (Ancistrus) in a 20 gal.

other really good bottom feeders are Cory cats a 3 Pandas at 2" each would be good

3 or 5 otos would also go

Redvelvetsword

Welcome to Fishlore!!!!

First I would make sure that you complete the cycle process before adding any fish. There are links on the home page that can help you with that. Doing that will give you time to figure out what fishes you can put together and how many. This site is awesome!!!! The Plecos will be too big for a 20g. They need at least 55g. I would probably get a Cory cat as a scavenger as they do not get too big like a Pleco. Since you are new I would really do my research first. It makes the experience worth while when it's done right.

Good Luck!!!!

Feebs & The Kidd

-Okay, so I've continued to do research and I've found that a Clown Pleco might be a good fish for me. What do ya'll think? Also, there are a few stores in my hometown that have tropical fish, but if I can't find the ones I want, is ordering offline bad? I mean I don't like the way it sounds...but I really don't know anything about it, so I wanted ya'lls opinion. Thanks again!

Feebs & The Kidd

I looked at the Ancistrus...I think they're cute

I think the cory cats are pretty, too. Will it matter what color I get?
I like otos, but I like the way the catfish and pleco's look better.

Another thing (sorry ya'll, its just once you start looking at this stuff there is so much I don't know!!) ...I have two real plants in my tank already, and I love them. Obviously Pleco's eat them...will cory cats? Thanks!

Feebs & The Kidd

--know anything about a false julii cory cat? do all cory cats eat algae? will two them eat enough to help keep it in check? obviously i'll feed wafers and stuff, too.

Jonah

Corys eat little to no algae, With your tank you are advised to stay with the smaller varieties, Panda, Albino etc 3 is really the minimum number as they like the company of their own kind

Otos eat the most common types of algae and diatoms again 3 is a minimum but they are hard to keep alive when 1st bought if they get through the 1st week or two then they will generally be fine.

Yes common Plecs need at least a 55gal and more but a BN wil be fine in a 20gal and is a good algae eater.

I would go with 1 BN and 3 small corys my self but I happen to like both fish so that is a personal preference as well as a suggested clean up crew.

The BN's (ancistrus) in my tanks never eat the plants, the scavange the leaves for algae etc but the leaves never get harmed.

But if you do want the BN please try to make sure you have a small piece of driftwood in the tank that it will eat. if you go that way there is a preparation process for the driftwood but we can go into that later.

And how rude of me Hi and welcome

agabr123

do you have a 20 long or a 20 tall? if you have a 20 long then the BN pleco and three corycats won't be a problem, but if it's a 20 tall it doesn't have too much of a footprint so i'd just choose one or the other.

welcome to fishlore

Feebs & The Kidd

We have a 20 tall... and thanks so much for your help!! How common are BN plecos? I have been to petsmart and another petstore, but haven't found one. I am going to visit two specialty aquarium stores this weekend, so hopefully I will have better luck there!

Right now, our tank has 4 glowfish, and so far this is what we plan on getting. Let me know what you think:

3 cory cats... (I'd rather have just 2, but if 3 is necessary, that's fine, too.)
3 ghost catfish (mid-swimmers, not bottom so it should be ok)
some guppies (maybe just two...they should school with the glowfish, right?)
and MAYBE some glassfish or gouramis.

I hope to get a BN if we end up with room, because I just LOVE pleco's...they are so cute! I also hope to get a 55 gallon within a year so we can start having some bigger fish, too. Who knows, maybe even a 70 g! FIsh are just so much fun and so pretty!!

agabr123

BN plecos are fairly common, but you'll probably want to look at several pictures of them and bring some with you to make sure that you dont get a common pleco.

the guppies probably won't school with the glofish, i know my guppies really do their own thing, they stay with each other sometimes but not in any particular fashion, they'd be just as happy alone i think. also, i'd probably skip the glasscats for this particular tank, they really need to be in a school of at least five or so and they get deceptively large.

since you have 4 glofish right now, for your particular tank i'd stock

6 glofish (for a full school)
5 corycats OR a bristlenose pleco
3 male guppies (you'll want all male, if you have males and females they will breed faster than rabbits, and most females are already pregnant when you get them)

lol, MTS (multiple tank syndrome) strikes again! i started fishkeeping this past november and now have nine tanks running and at least four or five sitting empty waiting for various things.

cg49me

The most important thing right now is getting your tank through the nitrogen cycle. I have a feeling you've already read about it, since you've been doing your fish research, but I just wanted to make sure.

Okay, beyond that... I've got a couple BN plecos in my 29gal. They're awesome, and they don't eat plants, just the algae growing on them. I think one of the ways to tell them apart from common plecos is the white (or light, at least) tips on their tail and top fins. They go by a few different names, too, depending on who you ask: bottlenose, bushynose, bristlenose...