Plecos eat different forms of algae

[Golfnut]

I recently moved all my fish from my 25 gallon into my 45 gallon.

My 45 gallon seems to have a fair amount of algae. Looks like brush or beard... basically tuffs of the stuff.

My clown pleco didn't seem to touch the stuff and it lived in the 45 all it's life. As soon as I put my "common" pleco into the 45.

BOOM!

Almost no more algae! The common pleco is chomping on all the algae like a its the last supper! It's poop reflects how much it is eating too. Amazing.

I never would've guessed such similar looking fish would have such different appetites.

... just thought I would share this story with you guys...

[Vallisneria]

I have found that clown plecos aren't really algae eaters. They would prefer to chew on their driftwood. Not all plecos eat the same thing. There are the algae eating plecos, wood eating plecos(clown pleco) and carnivorous plecos.

If you want the best algae eating pleco get a bristlenose. They stay small and i've never seen anything eat as much algae as my BN plecos. Commons are also pretty good algae eaters(as you have seen) but as they get older they eat less and less algae. They also get quite large, so they aren't suitable for most tanks

You said your common ate your BBA. Are you talking about the tuffs of the black fuzz? I haven't found anything that will eat mine

[shawntraviss]

As was said clowns do not eat algea, they eat wood and the bacteria that lives in it, common plecos seem to do the trick for algea or so ive found, seeing thats mostly what i have, when your pleco runs out of algea be sure to feed him algea pellets and green veggies, and if you dont have drift wood get some for your clown or he might not make it to old age.