# What pleco is not that messy?



## Richbinduga

Hello, I want to add a pleco to my new angelfish tank i am setting up. i had one before but i had to get rid of it because it just pooped way too much. i was constantly cleaning the tank. it enjoyed the wood a lot. it ate that primarily. ive had plecos before and they werent that messy but they all died. (i think they need to eat wood) so what are your thoughts on this guys? please and thankyou!


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## coralbandit

Bushy nose plecos are among the smaller(dwarf) plecos.For their size they are probly still messy fish but most bushy nose stay under/around 6".
What size is your tank?


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## Richbinduga

55 gallons. i dont mind the size, ive got friends with bigger tanks who could always take a large one away i just cant handle the mess. id have to gravel vac everyday so it looks ok


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## Nave

BN are great pleco's they will keep your tank very clean of algae and as bandit said they stay small and are no where near as dirty as a large pleco.


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## Richbinduga

well the last pleco i had wasnt big either and he made such a mess. he was only like 3 inches tops


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## chrisb01

Richbinduga said:


> What pleco is not that messy?


I don't think there is one that is not messy.

The good thing about the BNs is that they are the best at cleaning algae, and are not as shy. There are other Plecos that stay relatively small, but don't help with cleaning algae, and you hardly ever see them. I used to have Zebra Plecos and King Tiger Plecos, but I hardly ever saw them. 

You don't have to go overboard cleaning the tank with one or two BNs, just the regular aquarium maintenance routine will do.


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## snowghost45

I would like to find a BN pleco, the other ones just outgrow my tank and they didn't have any wood to eat! LOL Right now I don't have any problem with algae thank goodness.


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## gbsfan

I have 2 BNs in my 29 gallon. I'd say they are about 4 and 5 inches. The larger one hangs out in one particular corner of the tank, and when I vacuum the gravel in that corner it is FULL of poop. He is a male, and the smaller one is a female. She doesn't have one particular spot she hangs out in, but moves around the tank more. They do a great job of keeping the algae off the anubius plants. I bought them because they are cool, and don't get huge like other plecos, and I really enjoy them, despite the mess!


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## susankat

As with most plecos small or large they do need wood in their tank. It aids in digestion and then some plecos will eat only wood.


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## gbsfan

Susan, I have heard them called bristlenose catfish and bushynose plecos. Are both terms correct? Are they catfish or plecos?


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## Mossybottom

gbsfan said:


> Susan, I have heard them called bristlenose catfish and bushynose plecos. Are both terms correct? Are they catfish or plecos?


Both terms are correct. They ARE Plecos, which ARE from the catfish family.
Here's a link to more info than I can give.


Bristlenose Catfish, Ancistrus cirrhosus, Bristlenose Pleco, Bushynose

Excellent info on ANY Pleco...

Cat-eLog • PlanetCatfish.com


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## 1mjm1

Richbinduga said:


> Hello, I want to add a pleco to my new angelfish tank i am setting up. i had one before but i had to get rid of it because it just pooped way too much. i was constantly cleaning the tank. it enjoyed the wood a lot. it ate that primarily. ive had plecos before and they werent that messy but they all died. (i think they need to eat wood) so what are your thoughts on this guys? please and thankyou!


Ever consider snails? I had bad luck with plecos dying.. and bought a few snails on a whim. Man.. those things are like sheep! Fun to watch the mouth parts chomp away too. We have light blue snails and they are actually fun to watch. My daughter likes it when they float to the top.. drift.. and sink to a new spot. Surprisingly active little guys.


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## snowghost45

I never fed my plecos wood, and never had any problem with them outgrowing my tanks. I can feel your pain about the mess. I just "donated" my last two large ones to the LFS. I have notices that my tank is much cleaner. I'm going to try an otto cat, otocinclus catfish. I tried a Chinese algae eater but my large angel must of ate him. oops. That's what I get for listening to the girl at the pet store. After researching them I found out they get large and stop eating algae as well.


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