# bottom feeder/glass cleaner fish (compatible with malawis)



## markandjanice (Aug 13, 2012)

hi guys,

i am going to be malawi cichlids and wondered what bottom feeder fish i could keep with these and glass cleaner? i have seen common plecs but wondering if there is anything else?

my malaiws are all going to be roughly an inch long when i get them, juveniles.

i have a coral sand substrate and the tank is full of ocean rock also.

regards.


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## wallyb0rd000 (Apr 18, 2012)

bristlenose plecos


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## markandjanice (Aug 13, 2012)

thanks for the reply, how many would i need for a 180 litre tank? its a juwel vision 180?

how big do these grow? i know some plecs grow into MONSTERS i dont want that


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## Shizark (Mar 26, 2012)

People on here tend to like the Bristlenose because it stays a little smaller, yet still does well with Africans. (bristlenose will get to about 5-6 inches tops)

I have a common Pleco ( can get up to a foot or bigger) and 2 loaches in my tank and its a 90 gal. and all get along just fine with the fish in the tank.


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## markandjanice (Aug 13, 2012)

am liking the sound of bristlenose, *** just done little read up on them but at work, so will read more so tonight, they also have a lot of character too little unusual also haha


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## Baggly (Feb 2, 2012)

I had one 4" bristlenose in my 55g and it kept the tank spotless.


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## Storiwyr (Apr 24, 2012)

I have two in my 90g Malawi, and two in my 75g Tanganyika. They do a great job, and I personally think they're awfully cute.


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## clhinds78 (Jul 27, 2012)

Some mbuna keepers also keep cynodonus catfish in there tanks. They do best in groups of at least three and don't get too large.


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## markandjanice (Aug 13, 2012)

i'mm getting 2x albino bristlenose plecs tonight, they are from a home breeder who has come highly recommended to me, they are only £1 UK pounds each as well roughly 1" long so am well chuffed.

they look like they have a lot of character about them and i quiet like the idea of albino also adds a bit of colour


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## cbechdel (Jun 9, 2012)

I just got a 1" Bristlenose and overnight he cleaned he entire back wall of my 10 gallon. over next 3 days he had eaten evert bit of algae from every surface other than the artificial plant leaves. My peacock and hap don't even care that he's around.

I was amazed at what a little work horse that guy was (IS).


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## clhinds78 (Jul 27, 2012)

I should really get a couple of those guys!


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## Mike_G (Nov 8, 2011)

"Workhorse" is an apt description, my little 2" BN pleco cleaned my 37G which had quite a bit of algae *and* diatoms in 2 days.
I was told that driftwood is good for their digestive system, so I put a couple of small pieces of Malaysian driftwood in the tank, which I've seen him "chewing" on occasionally.
I also give him a slice of zucchini rubberbanded to a flat rock nightly. 
I have 4 2-2.5" deep-water haps growing out in the tank with him, when one of 'em gets too close while he's on his zucchini, he chases 'em off quite aggressively, it's actually pretty funny to watch the little guy put on a surprising burst of speed. Eventually, I plan to put him in the 55G with the bigger fish.


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