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I have a 46 gallon tank and am looking to get a pleco. I have read that the bristlenose is one of the better ones go go with. My question is, what about the gibepect pleco or the stingray pleco? are they just as good?

Thanks

I'm assuming that by "gibepect", you mean "Gibbiceps". They are decent algae eaters, but they grow too large to be kept in a 46 gallon tank.

I'm not quite sure what you mean by "Stingray Pleco" either. Are you talking about the Hillstream Loaches (Pseudogastromyzon spp.)? Those guys, form what I've read, don't actually feed on algae but rather the microorganisms that live on the algae. Also, they are coolwater fish and cannot survive more than a few months at tropical temperatures.

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I'm not your neighbor, you Bakersfield trash.

If you are wanting a pleco that eats algae, then I'd suggest the Bristlenose. They do hide most of the time but eat algae off the glass at night. If you want something that eats algae, but comes out more often, go for a group of otocinclus catfish. They stay around 2 inches and are great at eating green and brown algae. They like groups so I'd start with 6 in your tank. You may lose a couple, but with enough algae to eat, along with some algae wafers, they should do well. You should add them to a cycled tank.

*Kristin*

I concur with the above. The fish I once knew as Pteygoplichthys gibbiceps, and which is now classified as Glypopterichthys gibbiceps, is a juggernaut of a fish. I've seen 12 inch specimens in my time, and this Planet Catfish page informs me that they can reach almost 18 inches when fully grown. That fish is a candidate for a 150 gallon as a baseline setup for long term maintenance. You could theoretically keep a juvenile in a 46 for a short while, but once it starts piling on the body mass, you would be looking at a fairly hasty relocation to larger quarters, as they can grow at quite a rate.

The only fish I can find that bears the name 'Stingray Plec' is the fish illustrated in this PlecoFanatics Forum page, and it is NOT a Catfish at all, but a Hillstream Loach belonging to the Family Balitoridae. Most of the Balitorines require cooler water temperatures (preferably around the 18 degrees Celsius mark) and will die if kept at temperatures over 24 degrees Celsius for any length of time. They're specialised fishes that should be given a species aquarium, with a VERY high turnover filter system, VERY strong currents, superb levels of oxygenation and furnishings that provide them with the equivalent of Aufwuchs mats to graze upon. These fishes actually feed preferentally on the invertebrate fauna in these mats rather than the algae, so a good idea for keeping these fishes is to cultivate freshwater amphipods for them - creatures such as Gammarus and Crnagonyx pseudogracilis spring to mind here.

Otocinclus and carefully chosen Ancistrus species are better choices for your setup. I say carefully chosen with respect to Bristlenoses because some can grow to a surprising size - research each species individually and try to select one that remains a modest size. Note that a fish such as this one, namely Ancistrus tamboensis, which is a popular choice, is one that should be supplied not only with a large crop of algae to eat, and given primarily herbivorous foods in its diet, but should also be given bogwood to munch on. It isn't a dedicated wood-chewing species as far as I can gather, unlike some of the Plecs with spoon shaped teeth such as the Cochliodon group, but wood is definitely beneficial in its diet.

For a more modest sized setup, Otocinclus are the fishes of choice.


Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

Ancistrus tamboensis is actually quite rare in the hobby; LDA72 and "a. domesticus"--or something that's looking very similar from southern peru make up the bulk of ancistrus imports.

Also, if you really want an algae eating machine, get a scrubber. There is no plec that will continuously eat algae (happily). Ancistrus, especially, need fresh vegetable matter on a regular basis.