# Cleaner fish for tank???



## tew555 (Dec 30, 2015)

Is there any fish that will survive and clean in my tank (55 gallon cichlid tank). I have two firemouth cichlids one large, one small, and two silver dollars, that's all. I have tried several pleco and recently some smaller cleaners, but none of them last. Any ideas, please let me know. Thanks.


----------



## Granamyr (Dec 16, 2015)

Which types of plecos have you tried? do you feed them additional things besides just letting them eat the algae in the tank? How long do they last? Are they getting attacked or just dying without a reason you can tell?

What are your water parameters?

Just need to know more information before being able to suggest a pleco. Also are you wanting a pleco/sucker fish because you like them or just because you don't want to clean algae?


----------



## tew555 (Dec 30, 2015)

They look like sailfin pleco...I never saw them being attacked too much, but some nipping by silver dollar so I assumed. I want them to keep algae down and I like them as a fish. 1 week at most. I feed them flake and pellets like other fish and occasional brine shrimp..


----------



## Granamyr (Dec 16, 2015)

what are your water parameters?

if they are only last a week that says something is either out of whack on your water parameters or they are just bad stock. No pleco should die within a week even if you put no food in the tank if they were healthy before you got them and the water was ok. I can't say I've ever seen a silver dollar attack a pleco before though either?

a 55 gallon is actually too small for a sailfin pleco long term but that's not the issue that makes them die in a week.

Need to know the water parameters though to see if something is causing the issue there.


----------



## Aquariguns (Jan 15, 2015)

Bristlenose pleco or rubber mouth pleco are both pretty robust smaller/medium size plecos. They stay 6 inches or under and do OK without supplement driftwood in tank, other than feeding alae wafers or something similar they are good cleaners and dont require much Also it is worth mentioning that many of these plecos are pretty salt sensitive, so not sure if you adding or dosing anything but that could be an issue.


----------



## Iggy Newcastle (May 15, 2012)

Definitely sounds like an aggression issue. Plecos will generally fare better with plenty of cover such as driftwood and rubble of rocks. Not sure how your tank is decked out, though.

A 55 is quite limiting, especially with SDs.


----------



## keithfoco (Jan 11, 2016)

I suggest bushynose pleco. they are small but tough. Mine takes no guff from any of the tankmates. In fact, he is the most aggressive fish in the tank and been in there for over a year.


----------



## katherine7 (Jan 25, 2016)

keithfoco said:


> I suggest bushynose pleco. they are small but tough. Mine takes no guff from any of the tankmates. In fact, he is the most aggressive fish in the tank and been in there for over a year.





> That's right, you are truthful.


----------

