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Can I add a bristlenose pleco?

1830 Views 4 Replies 5 Participants Last post by  Nordic
I have a 60 gallon, I know my tank is over stocked but the fish are happy and only 1 casualty in 8 months. I do weekly water changes of about 40 percent. I know I have plenty filtration with a Aquaclear 70 hang on back filter and Eheim 2217 canister filter. I have a 48 inch Finnex Ray 2 and 48 inch Finnex fugeray planted plus.

My stocking is
2- adolescent angels
1- flag fish
1- dwarf gourami
5- black neon tetra
6- harlequin rasbora
6- albino corys
4- pepper cories
6- siamese algae eater

I bought the SAEs for hair algae on plants and my slate rocks and they kicked the crap out of it but wont touch the little green algae on my glass. Would you suggest adding a single or pair of bristlenose plecos? I know they have a big bioload so I wouldn't want my cycle to stall.
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I often look at overcrowding in several ways. One is the space for the fish to live in a somewhat normal way. The second is how much extra work it may/may not require to add fish. So with the info you've given and if you are willing/able to do any extra work to keep the water good, I would feel a pleco is okay. They may not be full solution to the glass, though as they tend to be a bit willy-nilly in the way they leave streaks that look like kids have been drawing on the glass!
But then I also want to add that it does always pay to watch and be aware of potential problems. Tanks are not something that stay the same from starting to finish. I find they are constantly changing as plants and fish grow and my interests change. That means that I try to look ahead to see trouble before it actually comes up. You will need to do the same and it is more important to do it when you begin to press up closer to overstocking.
Your angels will grow as well as the rest. Nothing unusual but just something to be aware of and then you may need to make some changes.
Raising fish can be like raising kids. It is a constant struggle to stay ahead of the decisions?
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Another option would be a handful of nerite snails. They clean glass extremely well and can't reproduce in freshwater. There are some really great variants out there if color is your thing. I've got four in my 20L that are about the size of a nickel if it were a sphere, and I only have to clean the glass once every few months.
You really shouldn't add a pleco for the intent of having it clean your glass. You should devote 30 seconds daily to clean it yourself for good results. On the other hand if you just find the pleco to be intersting and enjoyable you should get one.
Plecos are a heavy bioload. I have a tank full of babies, maybe 2/3rds of and inch. I literally have to vacuum the floor every day with the amount of excrement they produce.
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