Pleco vs Catfish Question

Would i have to get plecos if i got albino catfish? I had a pleco in my moms tank a long time ago when we had a 20 gallon tank and it grew to be like 18 inches and ate all the fish....i dont want that to happen in my 55 gallon tank...any suggestions as to bottom feeding algea eaters for that large of a tank?

 

Also..where can i buy albino plecos like this?

 

If you mean an albino channel cat, don't get it. They get 4 feet long and really aren't suited for most aquariums.

If you want an albino pleco, you can try asking if your LFS will order one for you.

-Chelle

 

i saw small albino catfish at petsmart, im not sure if it was a channel cat or not, but it was so cute!!


is there any special care for albino fish in general?

 

whats LFS?

 

ah i found the catfish i was talkin about its a cory cat

 

LFS = Local Fish Store

Oh! I forgot about those little guys. They're albino cories (albino versions of bronze cories). They only get about 3" at the most and prefer to be in groups of at least 3 or 4. They're very peaceful and do a great job of cleaning up uneaten food, but won't really do much for algae.

-Chelle

 

So i could get 3 of the albino cory cats....How many plecos do u recommend for a 55 callon tank? What other fish are pretty but go well with cory cats and plecos?

 

I'm not a big pleco fan... but there are some nice small types out there like clown plecos and bristlenoses that will stay at about 6" and are very peaceful so you won't have to worry about a repeat of your mom's tank.

There are also other types of algae eaters like Otocinclus, Chinese Algae Eaters (some say these are aggressive, I have six and have never seen any aggression), and Siamese Algae Eaters.

Basically, what you should do is figure out the other fish first and then pick an algae eater to go with the other fish. You woudn't want to keep a nice school of cories in with a tank full of African cichlids, they have totally different requirements and temperments.

Isn't planning a tank fun :mrgreen:

 

wow yeah it is a lot of work....so many things to look at..water temperatures and everything. I dont like plecos either..but i figured if i got one i'd like it to be albino because its cool looking, its not ugly like the normal ones and it doesnt get that big.

Im here to learn

 

Plecos do a good job of cleanin, if you dont like to see them make alot of caves with ur ganna need to do anyways they will proly hide all day and come out at night atleast thats what mine does