Hi everyone,

I"m trying to find a pleco that will stay small maybe less than 4 in. adult and that will not eat live plant. I know plecos are omnivores, but I'm trying to find a pleco that will eat mostly algae from the glass.

I have mostly java fern in my tank and from what I read, most pleco will not eat java fern. Is this true?

Thanks for your inputs.

There are a lot of small plecos out there. Many, like the zebra and queen pleco, are supposed to be more meat-eating and not eat as much algae but my queen pleco eats some algae. There are a lot of expensive small plecos but many may not be great algae eaters. A bristlenose pleco may be your best bet - small, eat algae, easy to find, not too expensive. Or, maybe a clown pleco. None of the plecos I've mentioned so far normally bother live plants. The larger plecos (common plecos and some fancier ones) are more apt to eat plants. My 15" pleco did eat java fern. Java fern is supposed to taste bad, and few fish are supposed to eat it. If you want small fish that are good algae eaters, you might also consider otocinclus species.

Thanks Robyn. I will look into otocinclus species and the other plecos you have recommended.

bristle nose plecos are great cos they say small about 3.5 inches and are supposed to be the easiest to sex and breed . I have three a pair in one tank and a lone male in another.