I agree with
Ianab, some of the more ornate bristlenose varieties are great for smaller tanks, but the 'common' varieties will get too big for anything smaller than a 55G tank. The cool fish are supposed to live upwards of 10+ years! I have a 13" common now that I am currently moving to a pleco/goldfish tank-He has 2 other buddies going with him, because between the 3 they shred all my plants! Go figure, they are great algae eaters, but they REALLY enjoy other fruits and veggies(sliced zucchini) and aquarium plants are a great stand in!
My 13" Pleco is a little agressive to other Plec's and other algae eaters, like a Dragon Goby I had for a bit-they would block each other from getting algae wafers, but unless the fish your housing your pleco with is very aggressive it'll be fine.
Oh and I can vouch for this fishes defenses... I moved this guy in a freezer bag the last time I changed tanks (10" at the time). he poked 2 holes on each side with his fins and the bag streamed water from both sides! He didn't really even move in the bag, he just flexed! Can't wait to move him again! haha
If you have a smallish tank, don't go with the commons, it will live for a while, but growth is stunted and the fish will die prematurely...The fish stops growing, but it's organs don't...
