Loaches Online Forum

Here is the newest addition to the clown tank. Originally there was a 14" pleco, then a 10" pleco, then a golden algae eater, then this little guy. Now out of all the algae eaters I have owned over 10 years the gae has done the best job. I could definitely tell the difference when I got rid of him a week ago. The gae was a vacuum and even when he was fed cucumber, still kept the tank spotless. This guy is a baby but he is a bit shy. HOwever, at night in the blue moon light he will come out. I got a few pics of him in the bml tonight. I added some drift wood to the tank. I was going to buy some sera catfish chips that have wood in them. But, the only location I could find it in the us for reasonable shipping was on ebay. And I placed my order, but the guy said he closed shop and didn't see this order and refunded the money to me. So basically, never got the algae chips. And all other stores had it for like 8$ shipping is ridiculous. It can't be 1/4lb weight.

Meet Willy The Clown Tiger Pleco.









I've read mixed reviews about this pleco. some good some bad. so far ive seen him eating the wood and sucking on the glass late at night. hoping he will follow in the gae's footsteps. but he is a cute little guy. im a sucker for plecos.

he swims away when i get too close. but he will just sit there and look at me. ive seen him upside down in the loach pvc pipe hanging with the clowns. he goes into the striatas small house and i see them playing all over him. i also saw him playing with the cherry barbs. did see a cory bump into him and the pleco nudged the cory back. it was entertaining.

Clowns are nice Plecos, but not great at algae. Yes, they help, but the Chinese Algae Eater, and Bristlenose Pleco are probably much better at it. The problem with the CAE (Regular or golden colored) is the aggression as they mature. I have heard of adult CAEs arguing it out with aggressive Cichlids.

Diana wrote:I have heard of adult CAEs arguing it out with aggressive Cichlids.

This is actually true unfortunately.

Yeah I had to get rid of the cae because he was getting to aggressive towards the loaches. He is in a 120 gallon pond now with 3 plecos twice his size and other large fish.

If thats the one I had as a youngster, it´s a good algae eater. the one I had developed a little red tip on the caudal or dorsal. The kind I had gets only a little over 2", but very cute... congratulations

I have 3 Clown Plecos in my tank. The majority of their diet is driftwood. They eat a little algae off the glass, but I wouldn't classify them as algae eaters per se. They do like Hikari algae wafers though. Nice little critters and they never get bigger than 3" TL. Definitely worth having for the cute factor alone.