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I'd like a good algae eating pleco for my Discus tank, but I'd like to pick something fairly attractive as well. I'd just throw a Bristlenose in there, but it almost seems wrong to put something that "odd" looking in a tank with my beautiful Discus.

What would you guys suggest as a good combination of beauty and algae control? It's also important that it be something somewhat small when full grown (7" or less) since this tank is just 46 gallons. The tank is also a planted tank, so it would have to be a Pleco that won't rip up my plants. There, that shouldn't be hard for you people: Must be attractive, eat lots of algae, be less than 7" and not eat plants!

Does anyone know if the Peppermint Bristlenose Pleco (a.k.a. "Starlight Bristlenose", L183 Ancistrus Dolichopterus/Hoplogenys) does as good of a job cleaning algae as a regular Bristlenose Pleco? If it is a decent algae eater, does anyone know of anyone who sells them on line? I've been looking around but coming up empty.

Thanks for your help!

Chris

Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, their looks and character are what people get attached to, but the "pretty" ancistrus would do what you want, check for A.claro as well as they are sometimes available and stay rather small
See what you can find at your local fish club if there is one nearby.

Birger

Green Pleco (L200) or Gold nugget (L081 or L18) are very nice and do good in algea cleaning I think.
Good luck
Chouin

If you want beauty, think about hypancistrus... but that isn't a good algea cleaner...

Jeff B. wrote:If you want beauty, think about hypancistrus... but that isn't a good algea cleaner...

Yeah, I have a couple zebras on order...awesome fish. But that doesn't solve my algae problem.

what about some whiptails or maybe otocinclus??

Jeff B. wrote:what about some whiptails or maybe otocinclus??

One of my LFS always has Bristlenose Plecs, and they usually have Otos. I was thinking that perhaps I'll swing by there and pick something up. Maybe one common Bristlenose and a team of Otos. That should do the trick.

Common BN does not like 28°C or higher,and discus do...so this is bad combination...

Jeff B. wrote:Common BN does not like 28°C or higher,and discus do...so this is bad combination...

Hmmmm...that's a good point that I hadn't considered. I presently have my Discus tank at about 28-29 degrees C. Thanks for pointing that out.

I have to agree with otos and bristlenose, but try to find albino bristlenose - they're very distinctive and a good addition IMO. I would also recommend at least several otos in a 46 gal but make sure they have enough to eat after they mow down every shred of algae . . .

Good luck !!

Jeff B. wrote:If you want beauty, think about hypancistrus... but that isn't a good algea cleaner...

Hypancistrus is a fast-water fish that lives in rapids; discus won't last in water that's as fast as Hypancistrus needs to be happy.

With Hypancistrus and Discus in the same tank, one of 'em is going to be in conditions not to its liking.

I have some Hypancistrus, but they're in a species tank.

Discus do best in relatively still, very warm water. Loricariids, being riverine, do best with a current in the tank and fairly cool conditions.

Admission: I cannot imagine a time when I would ever set up a discus tank. While beautiful, discus are almost sedentary fish and they are exceptionally delicate. I lean toward large, belligerent, hardy cichlids like Dempseys and red devils.

If I did have a discus tank, I'd use a couple of large temperature-tolerant algae-eating snails for algae control and a Betta for snail control. I do this in tanks that contain neither algae-eating nor Betta-eating fish. It works very well, and the Bettas add a little extra beauty to the aquarium.

Not all loricariids are riverine. Otos, Hypoptopoma, many loricariinae, Rinelepsis, Glyptopterichthys, and others are found in nearly stagnant water at times. You should be ok with your original choice, the starlight, or just about any other Ancistrus with a black body and white dots. Just remember that they will quickly eat all available algae and then will require their own feeding and care.
-Shane

In case anyone is curious, I had settled on a team of Otos and a couple of Whiptails. One of the Otos decided he prefered Discus slime to Algae and was removed and taken to another tank, but there are still 5 of them in there plus the two Whiptails. They are doing a good job. I haven't had to clean my glass since I put them in there, and the whiptails really seem to like the driftwood and are keeping it clean.

Otos and Whiptails aren't the most beautiful, but they are serving their purpose. And with the Discus in the tank, how much more beauty do I need, anyway, right?