The Puffer Forum

SAPs + Red Eyes + plecos. Good idea or bad idea? Will my plecos (3"-4") get harassed by the puffers?

I had SAP's with Pleco's with no problems at all.

I've had redeyes with plecos, no problem. I believe that Neale Monks keeps SAP's and irrubesco together, and it works for him -- however, I myself would never put those two together, but that's just me.

I've got SAPs and added a pleco to deal with some diatom algae (already had her, just switched tanks). The SAPs bothered her for a few days but after that they're getting along fine. No nipped fins since the original few days.

How big is the tank? Common plecos grow to 18".

Here's a cool looking pleco, they don't get that big. Their fins might be an invitation to be nipped though.

I usually don't like albinos but cool fish!!!

Longfin plecos are just ASKING for their fins to be picked at... People I know that keep and breed them locally by me keep them in species tanks or with juveniles/fry of other fish.

For a workhorse algae eater that don't get too big, get Ancistrus species.

There are a lot of new tank raised/line bred strains of ancistrus coming out. From Calico, to Red Marbled, to Chocolate Marbled, and standard black bristlenose and (my favorite and what I keep) Albino bristlenose.

Not my photo, but of an albino bristlenose:


These are links to photos of some of the other varieties of line bred Ancistrus becoming available:
http://www.davesfish.com/images/Ancistr ... Dragon.jpg
http://www.davesfish.com/images/Ancistr ... Marble.jpg
http://www.davesfish.com/images/Ancistr ... cistic.jpg

And your standard bristlenose pleco:




@Pufferpunk:
I agree, I don't like most albino fish. However, albino plecos and albino Protomelas steveni taiwan reef cichlids and albino Aulonocara jacobfreibergi "eureka albino" are nice:


And this is MY old male Protomelas steveni taiwan reef Albino. He was a beauty... He injured himself after getting stuck between jagged rocks and the tank glass and never recovered...constant reflaring up of infections no matter what anti-biotics I threw at it (probably a deficient immune system from being albino (actually I think this variety is more leucistic than true albino....just my opinion though)) and had to put him down.

I've got an albino bristlenose and it's growing quite slowly, which is good. I've had him since he was minute, but something about albino species I like, even if they are supposed to be an oddity in the genes.