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I'm having a hard time going through all of the plecos to find the best for me, because when searching by size, everything comes up.

So I'd like to know, from your experience, what's the best algae-eating pleco suited for a 30 gallon tank?
Of course, being readily available is a good thing. Like, you know. Not super-rare or anything.
But something atleast moderately available in the fish trade.

My uncle is having a serious algae problem in his planted tank, but obviously a common pleco won't work.

Any help or suggestions? Thanks!

Standard bristlenoses are superb at algae removal. So are a small group of otocinclus - both of which should be no problem to find.

"best" is obviously a question of how you define things, but is probably high on the list of "top algae eaters".

It is readily available in most places.
It doesn't grow very large.
It eats algae quite well.

--
Mats

Without knowing the kind of algae it is difficult to say, but generally I find that algae eating fishes are best at maintaining an already fairly clean and relatively low algae tank.

In a tank with a "serious algae problem", they are less successful. The problem is best dealt with by treating the root cause of the algae, which is often due to too much light and/or overfeeding, as well insufficient conditions for plants.

A photo of the tank/algae will help a lot in recommending a course of action.

Other than catfishes, I find that siamese algae eaters (Crossocheilus spp.) and rainbow/panda sharks (Garra flavatra) are very good too.

Hi there'
If the algae is on the plants then a group if octocinclus may do the job.
If it is on the glass planes then young bristlenoses may do the job but they do not like strong lighting.
My grown up bristlenoses (2 years old) seem to take fish food rather than algae.
I have learnt that a UV light will help to kill algae too.

Like many have said already. You would need to look into the type of algae and the causes of this algae to solve the problem. Throwing in more fish wont solve a serious algae issue.

Plus, plecos can only deal with certain types of algae, and there are other fish that eliminate other types (again emphasising the importance of know what you are fighting).

Put to answer your question, most members of the ancistrus genus would work on the normal green algae most aquariums see on the side of the tank/leaf/decor etc.

Common Ancistrus cirrhosus are probably the best all around algae eater and if the tank is not kept lighted so long that the algae is not controlled then deal with the root causes. It only takes i adult BN to to keep up to a 125 gal clean.

One species I can't recommend because they are expensive and delicate but are absolutely amazing algae eaters are
.
These little sucker mouths are barely one inch long but it only took 4 of them to polish an algae over grown 10 gal tank in 10 days and then no more algae stood a chance of becoming established.
Now I have a group of 17 or so and placed them in a 20 long which I deliberately allowed the algae to grow in anticipation of their arrival. It is a good thing they seem to do well on Spirulina Sticks since it would be difficult to supply them with enough algae.

I think Chaetostoma are good algae eaters , They are slow growing and quite bold
Not quite as nocturnal as others.Very robust even in hard alkaline water.
Also Zebra ottocinclus is nice .
I agree that ancistrus can become a bit Lazy (or clever) with age.

Chaetostoma are usually better for cooler temps and Zebra Otocinclus are as delicate and distinctive as the little P. epplyei I like but cannot recommend.

Hi Apistomaster, There is no mention of temperature or aftercare ?
Just what is a good algae eater ..
I suppose that all otto types are delicate if there isnt enough food provided or incorrect husbandry.
Chaetostoma are I find pretty tuff ,
If you want to split hairs I am sure there will be a reason for excluding any species .
You will find that ancistrus cirhossus is a coolwater ancistrus .
It is from Argentina .
It occurs in cooler water than most of the Chaetostomas .
Cheers

Neil, I appreciate your input here, and your suggestions are good, but I'm not quite sure if you realized that we are talking of the commonly tank-bred form of is well-known to survive lots of different conditions with little difference to it's efficiency or survival/breedding between a cool-water tank [I found that they get a bit sluggish when the temperature drops much below 20'C], warm-water tank, hard or soft water, beeing in a tank with Rift Lake Cichlids seem to work just as well as keeping them in a Amazon biotope tank. They are so successful in breeding that I can't even give them away to the LFS's around me - they already have too many... Some of mine are in RO water, others in "hard as rock" tap-water. Some are around 24'C, others at 28+'C.

I'm not saying that the wild-caught A. cirrhosus would be as tolerant - they haven't been bred in captivity for the last 20 or more years, for one thing.

I think the only other Loricariidae that can stand up to it's tolerance to variable conditions would be the common pleco. It, as stated earlier, grows too large for a 30g tank.

--
Mats

Hi Mats ,Yep there is a little confusion over the id of Ancistrus cirrhosus I buy in wild are from cool water in Argentina .
I suppose if cf cirrhosus covers nearly every ancistrus from S.A that has that pattern ..
Thats another topic and one can of worms I wouldnt like to open.
I see the Catalogue has it listed as the fish that used to be dolicopterus which is now what was hoplogenys....and so on...
So buy dont buy a cirrhosus from me
Buy an ancistrus that lives in Tropical water not temperate
Forgive my confusion over this species .

Just what is a good algae eater ..

There is no algae eater suitable for every tank, but I guess the common bristlenose comes closest as far as adaptability, small size and algae eating efficiency.

Hi Neil,

I see Mat beat me to it. The incredibly adaptability of the common A. cf cirrhosus just can't be fairly compared to wild caught fish from Argentina. In the wider world, the average aquarist will never see a wild A. cf cirrhosus. So in the view of what is most widely distributed, adaptable, algae eating and smallish Plecos, the common Bushy Nose is the best choice from what is commonly available.

Otocinclus cocama are usually in terrible condition as sold in the USA. One can anticipate very heavy losses when buying this species over here. I have lost every group I have bought. Unless sold in prime condition, I can't recommend them to most aquarist. I like them but I will not keep buying them unless I happen to find some in good shape.

Ok , No probs ,But I dont get bad losses on Zebra ottos here ???
The damage will have been done before you got them ..
Ancistrus are the best if you get the right ones

Why do you think that they arrive so bad and you are a lot closer ?
Sorry to change the thread .

Hi Neil,
I often wonder why they aren't taken much better care of by the importers and distributors myself since they are so much more expensive than common Otocinclus. My guess is that they somehow don't make any distinction between how they care(or don't care) for the common Otos costing them little and the O. cocama which cost a lot. The loss rates among common Otocinclus as they are distributed are really quite high in the USA.
I believe the little Parotocinclus cf epplyei that I currently am devoting much interest in came from a caring supplier but would otherwise die like flies if they weren't pampered as O. cocama should be. I think the P. epplyei are arguably an intrinsically more delicate species than O. cocama.