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There are species which don't grow long at all, less than four inches in length. However, because of the high general waste output by plecos, keeping one in such a small tank is a risky proposition. A juvenile would be okay for a while, but I would remove it once it exceeded three inches. Other people have no problem keeping plecos in a ten gallon.

I would not try kuhlis. Though they are very skinny fish, they grow over four inches long and can be fairly active. They would fare better in a larger fish tank.

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And when he gets to Heaven, to Saint Peter he will tell: "One more Marine reporting, Sir! I've served my time in Hell."

so what is the best alage eater for a small tank [5-10 gal]the pleco i have puts out more waste than i imagined,and i only have a 5 and a half gal tank so i need to get rid of him soon.

Usually the best small algae eaters are Otocinclus catfish. The only major issues with them is that they should be kept in groups, and can be very intolerant of poor water conditions. Also, if they are not acclimated well they tend to die off within their first month in a new tank.

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And when he gets to Heaven, to Saint Peter he will tell: "One more Marine reporting, Sir! I've served my time in Hell."

Smaller loircaiirds such as L-260 and ancistrus claro are commonly bred in trios in such tank sizes. I am currently housing 2 L-316s and one c. aeneus orange stripe in a heavily planted ten gallon atm. No problems with water chemistry as of yet.

Ottos are great Algae eaters & stay small but need to stay in groups.



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If you can get your hands on the peppermint Pleco (L030,L031) thats should do the trick.

No need to keep them in groups, good Algae eaters and the size of them max is usually 9cm.. but have heard of them growing up to 7" in larger tanks. the more room, more water changes and more food will make them grow large.

I have 2 of them in my 4' and are doing wel cleaning the Algae

Last edited by sharkbait_whohaha at 08-Jan-2006 23:17

Parancistrus aren't great algae eaters and grow QUITE large; certainly more than a ten gallon can handle.

i think the smallest pleco is 3 inches. one is the Zebra pleco or the scientific name is Hypancistrus zebra they are cut and they only get 3 inches although u might want to reconsider because they are like 250.00 dollers very exspecive. i beliave that is the smalles then it goes to 4 inches and there are several of them.

There are hypops that only reach 1", if even that.

Is there a such a thing as a small pleco that could fit comfortably in a ten gallon tank? Or a khuli loach? The smallest pleco I have found was six inches, and I am pretty sure there are smaller species?

"Hello! Cup, my L30 Peppermint only eats algae, he is constantly eating it off of the driftwood but maybe mine is crazy..."

You sure it isn't a spectracanthicus of some sort? L30, according to who you talk to (and according to original desciption), is a spectracanthicus/oliganistrus, not a parancistrus. I've found them to be a bit more vegetation oriented, though both, at least in my experience, are not big on the algae eating front.

Last edited by Cup_of_Lifenoodles at 11-Jan-2006 19:16

I agree with gomer, ottos are extremely hard to care for.

Looking for something different, but which won't grow too large?

Why, oh why, is the fish I'm about to mention so often overlooked?

Parotocinclus maculicauda is lamentably rare where I live, and why this is so is a mystery to me, because it's a small Loricariid, a small step up from the Otocinclus but a bit smaller than a Bristlenose, and thus slots nicely between the two.

Here's a really good photo of one. Take a look at those bright red pectorals, the red edged dorsal and red marked tail, and tell me that you wouldn't enjoy having something like that grazing on your algae!

I know if they turned up where I live, I'd buy them like a shot. A fish that's been known to the hobby for ages, but for some bizarre reason ignored, while Common Plecos that are both drab by comparison and vastly unsuited to anything other than a colossal aquarium once they grow are sold by the truckload. This little fish only reaches 2½ inches, and it's a little gem, a modest sized algae eater that has lovely markings, a gentle disposition, a vast degree of compatibility with a wide range of other 'community' fishes, and is a reasonably efficient algal grazer to boot. Why this fish has languished as an aquarium wallflower puzzles me, especially when you consider that another bottom feeder with brightly coloured pectorals, namely Corydoras sterbai, sells like hot cakes and here in the UK fetches £12 each (call that $20 US). Yes, that's right, it's a $20 Cory - PER FISH - yet poor old Parotocinclus maculicauda, which deserves to be just as popular because it boasts redeeming features a-plenty, is something most dealers haven't even heard of.

Do yourself a BIG favour and track this fish down. You will not regret doing so. And if you breed it, even better.


Last edited by Calilasseia at 19-Jan-2006 16:15

Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

I do not have much experience with plecos, but I have just acquired a rubber lipped pleco, which will only grow to about 4 inches. He is very active for a pleco.

Fish CAN fly!

I have a clown plec (Panaque maccus). They only grow to 4" but are wood eaters rather than algae eaters.

If you're looking for an algae eater maybe a small group of ottos would be best, but be sure there is a good amount of algae already established in the tank.



Last edited by Theresa_M at 17-Jan-2006 08:27

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There is water at the bottom of the ocean

All Otos like to do is die. Well that is my opinion that is.

Good luck.

-- Gomer

i have a clown pleco. they grow to 3-5 inches long. i dont know the scientific name but my LFS had them labeled as clown plecos. they are pretty hardy and i have had fairly good luck with them.

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Yeah funny that.. my peppermint too.. we my be the only ones with crazy cats.

Hello! Cup, my L30 Peppermint only eats algae, he is constantly eating it off of the driftwood but maybe mine is crazy... The LDA08 Claro stays small and is a good algae eater.

Hey I like the idea of that parotocinclus fish, he's cute can you give me some more info on him? thanks, and possibly where to buy him from