# Anybody Know A Cool Cleaner Fish/Critter, non pleco or CAE?



## BIG BWALZ (Feb 28, 2008)

Hey all, 
Im looking for something cool to add to my 55g mbuna with the yellow labs, ice blues and red tops. I dont have much of an algae prob, I just mainly want something else cool in there lol. I was looking at the gold nugget pleco, but was told by the lfs dude that he wouldnt work, and i dont really like any other plecos, maybe theres one that stays small and looks cool i dont know about. Ideally i would like some kind of invert or critter, but dont know of any that will not either eat the fish or be eaten by the fish? Any suggestions would be appreciated!


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## Bmgrocks (Jul 12, 2006)

look into some of the loaches, they don't necessairly have to be your regular clown, or dojo's and there are ton's of rarer, and prettier varities out there They are active, effective in consuming uneaten food, and actually fare quite well with Africans, My Yo Yo loach swims along side of them when ever they school and feed. Some varieties don't get too large, with the average size being a good 4". Check out Live aquaria's website, and look into different species. Good Luck I too grew tired of Plecos and overgrown synodontis... The loach did the trick for me


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## Guest (Jun 24, 2008)

Loaches (such as clown loaches) or Synodontis sp. would be a great addition.

~Ed


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## Fish_Dude (Aug 13, 2006)

Gold nuggets will work fine, just don't run your PH too high.. and acclimate them properly. I've kept them at 7.8 with no problems. I also have had good luck with the Queen Abrabescens Pleco. One of my oldest fish is a Pleco in a african cichlid tank. 
Now, I wouldn't dump a fish used to being at 6.2 to 8.0... but if you can acclimate the fish properly.. you should be fine.


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## hollyfish2000 (Aug 23, 2007)

If you're looking for something interesting get a small group of syndontis multipunctatus. Not only are they gorgeous, but they are very rambunctious and out and about all the time. They help keep the tank clean by getting food that drops to the substrate (altho I also feed mine with wafers.) If you don't have much an algae problem you don't need a pleco . . .


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## Fish_Dude (Aug 13, 2006)

Most of these suggestions are bottom feeders, but NOT aglae eaters. Loaches are cool, and the S. Multi catfish are my favorites. A lot more social than the Petricola in my opinion. get at least 3.. but reconsider a Pleco.

If you're looking for pure algae cleanup, in my experience, NOTHING tops the rubberlip. I put on in all my tanks... grow outs, breeding tanks. they keep the rocks and sides of the tank clean.. simply amazing. Drop one in a filthy tank and it's clean within days.
Ugly, but a real workhorse. Small though, might get eaten by larger fish.


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## Bmgrocks (Jul 12, 2006)

he is NOT looking for an algae eater, as he stated he doesn't have much of an algae problem...
something that stays small and looks cool..

as far as cool goes, you could do a freshwater eel, a tire track or fire eel don't get over I think 14" 
you don't have many more options. The things stated above are all that your left with

various synodontis, loaches, algae eaters, cory's ect. What else could you be possibly looking for that would fit that description?

Good luck


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## kingpoiuy (Jun 9, 2008)

What is this rubberlip you speak of? I can't find it through google or anything.


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## lotsofish (Feb 28, 2008)

The albino bristlenose pleco is a beauty. It has a nice gold color. It will clean algae and eat leftovers on the bottom of the tank. You can get them with short or long fins but I would suggest the short fin variety since Africans might pick at their fins.


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## CichlidWhisperer (Apr 12, 2008)

I love my Synodontis Lucipinnis... not sure if you would consider catfish though...


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## Fish_Dude (Aug 13, 2006)

But my understanding is he's not considering a Pleco because he was told he couldn't keep them in with africans which is untrue.

Rubberlip, also called bulldog... pleco.. no the most attractive, kind of small, but for cleaning rocks and keeping a tank clean... they blow the bristlenose away. Real workhorses. I just buy them at petsmart for 3.50. I have 10 tanks and keep them in about 6 of them. I have a fish closet that I used to have to scrub the tanks for algae. Added these to the tank and they do the cleaning for me.

I had a 75g that had that brownish algae covering some very attractive rocks.. they were 'clean' within a week... it was cool because you could see where he had cleaned.. he left a trail.

If you're going for looks, you can't beat the Syn. Mukli catfish.. a larger group would be best, but I would consider a gold nugget pleco... just make sure that these fish have places to hide.


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## Guest (Jun 28, 2008)

I have 4 synodontis multis catfish. They are cool, very active fish...swimming in and out of the rocks like a maze. They also like to lock lips a lot, probably territorial.


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## AquaticMadness (Jun 28, 2008)

I dunno about that comment saying bulldog plecos clean faster than bristlenose. I have a cleanup crew that consist of rare blue eyed longfins and shortfins and a bunch of regular albino bristlenose plecos and they have taken care of my severe algae problems in all my large tanks in a weeks time. I'm talking a 55 gallon so covered with algae that you wouldn't be able to see the fish if you wiped the glass and had all that stuff floating in the water. They have become as I call them my algae attack pack. Gold nuggets don't stay very small anyway. They will get quite large if you take care of them right.


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## xdustyj (Apr 14, 2007)

has anyone heard of common plecos eating other small fish??? I haven't but just got a huge one from a guy and he said be carefull cuz it was eating his fish. maybe, like tiny fry or something, but im pretty sure my fish are way to fast for a 7+ inch pleco to even catch


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## goldtopper (Jun 27, 2008)

Careful of rubberlips from Petsmart. I assume they have a huge central supplier- my rubberlip brought the gift of ich that smoked half of the fish in my tank before I caught it.


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## BIG BWALZ (Feb 28, 2008)

hey all, thanks for all the suggestions and adice!! sorry I havent been around for a bit, have been super busy with work. 
I think i will prob go with loaches because my tank is not dirty, I have 2 kuhlis in the fry tank, but these type wont work with my adults because even if they didnt get eaten theyd be so scared id never see em anyway lol. Just need to find a cool smaller type or group, i hear the clowns get really big.

Might try a gold nugget also if u guys think he could tolerate my ph of 8.2, with proper acclimation of course. Somebody mentioned they get big i thought they maxed out at 6-8" how big do they get then?

I do like the synos, but im not clear on how they disrupt the breeding, dont they eat eggs or hijack the mother into carrying theirs or something. If anybody understands this or knows a link about it that would be great. Also how big do synos get? I want a cichlid tank, not one full of cats so if they can do ok in smaller groups i might try them. Breeding interference is my main concern, I am currently breeding yellow labs, ice blue zebras and hopefully soon my red tops will start.

Have to work a bunch this weekend also, but ill try to check back in and tell u guys what i find out and what else u have to teach me.

Thanks again everybody!!


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## CichlidWhisperer (Apr 12, 2008)

I have 4 Synodontis Lucipinnis. These are the smallest of all the synodontis and max out at 3 1/2 inches.

The cookoo catfish is the Synodontis multipunctatus. The lucipinnis do not do this. I think they can eat eggs, but from what I understand the mommy cichlids are pretty good at picking up their eggs as they lay them and so the cats don't get many.

Hope this helps.


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