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Shrimp-safe pleco?

Posted: Thu Sep 02, 2010 10:43 am
by Carlo
Hello all! Does anyone know what type of pleco can be a suitable tank mate for shrimp? I would like this pleco to help out with algae cleaning on the glass. Any other idea would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for the info.

Re: Shrimp-safe pleco?

Posted: Tue Sep 14, 2010 4:43 pm
by aidenofthetower
I am not an expert and fairly new at the hobby of fish keeping and shrimp keeping. However, I have done a fair amount of research.

-Plecos are usually safe for shrimp, but every now and again someone will say they think that their pleco ate their shrimp. That scares me.
-Most plecos are supposed to have a huge tank. We almost bought one at Petsmart. The tag said 20 gallon requirement and we have a 25 gallon. After a little research the three types Petsmart have require 60 gallons or more and get up to 2 feet!
-One exception is the bristlenose pleco who stays small (max size 5-6"). But they aren't always easy to find in local stores.

Another good option is a small group of Otos. They are vegetarian and really good algae eaters.

Re: Shrimp-safe pleco?

Posted: Wed Sep 15, 2010 5:32 am
by Carlo
aidenofthetower wrote:
Another good option is a small group of Otos. They are vegetarian and really good algae eaters.


Indeed, I got 2 Ottos, and they quickly solved my brown algae problem.

Cheers!