Algae eater for Malawi tank?

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
Seedy J

Seedy J

Plecostomus
MFK Member
Aug 20, 2018
161
141
51
Colorado, USA
My albino bristlenose pleco passed away a couple days ago. Didn't see any signs of illness, maybe he was just old (he was fully grown when I got him from another aquarist last year).

What else would work as an algae eater in a Malawi tank? It's a 55g, all male peacocks and haps. I might upgrade to a 75g, and I have bigger (75g, 135g) tanks I could move it to, but would prefer something that could spend its whole life in a 55g.
 
They don't.

Why not another bristlenose plecostomus?
 
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I routinely see my cats on the leaves of my anubias plants that have algae coating them. While I can’t confirm they are eating the algae the amount of visible algae was greatly reduced after I added the cats. In my main tank I have either 4 or 5 cats and have zero visible algae growth on any of my rocks. I do also have 15 nerite snails or so but I have a tough time believeing they keep all of the surface area of my rocks clean. But I am fairly new to syndos so if you say they don’t clean algae I will defer to those with knowledge. In the past I have always kept BNP and always have had algae. Now I don’t. Sorry if I disseminated bad info.
 
Syn’s just keep the bottom stirred up......the are not algae eaters. You could try nerrite snails but it’s hit or miss if your cichlids will eat them or not. A bn can at least try to run away from your cichlids if getting nipped at......
 
I have a L200A Green Phantom pleco ( my local store recommended ) in my tank for about 1year+ , it stays small and doesnt seem to eat anything beside sucking glass and rocks but theres no algae ever since its around ( there was before even on minimal lighting )
other fishes dont bother it and it doesnt bother them
 
I've kept L200 with some of the milder Malawi cichlids. pH too high can shorten their lifespan, if it was me I'd limit pH to @ the mid-7s for them, which haps/peacocks are fine with ime.
 
Veloci said:
I have a L200A Green Phantom pleco ( my local store recommended ) in my tank for about 1year+ , it stays small and doesnt seem to eat anything beside sucking glass and rocks but theres no algae ever since its around ( there was before even on minimal lighting )
other fishes dont bother it and it doesnt bother them
Click to expand...
My green phantom totally cleaned my 250 gallon. They are great algae eaters.
 
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