# Smallest Pleco Species



## PlantNewbie

Anyone know what would be the smallest pleco species? and about how large do they grow?


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## Knotty Bitz

The smallest pleco species is, I believe, the emperor pleco. It reaches 2-3"


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## ed seeley

Otos are the same family and they're smaller.


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## MoonFish

clowns are really small. About 2" and very seclusive.


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## Diana K

_Otocinclus_, and there are several species are generally the smallest that are commonly available. _Paraotocinclus_ are generally a bit larger, but still quite small. 
Other small Loricariads include several _Peckoltias_ and _Panaques_ (Candy, Clown), Rubberlip (_Chaetostoma sp_), and one that I bought labeled 'Bulldog' that is absolutely NOT a Rubbernose or Rubberlip. The genus _Rineloricaria_ has generally finer bodied fish that have therefor a smaller bioload than most of the Loricariads. The _Farlowellas_ are also very thin, so while they may be 6"+ in length they also have a smaller impact on the tank than their plumper relatives.

You can search at planet catfish for small cats. Go to one of the species that you know is small (Otos, for example) and look for a search feature that says something like 'Find fish the same size'. The search is not just among Loricariads, but is within the Catfish family. You could start the search from an even smaller fish (_Cory hastatus_ or similar) and see if any Loricarids show up.

http://www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/family.php?family_id=4


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## LVKSPlantlady

MoonFish said:


> clowns are really small. About 2" and very seclusive.


The clown I had Loved to eat my sword plants! I got rid of him...


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## Diana K

Some Loricariads are not specifically algae eaters, but thrive on wood. (Others are more carnivorous) I would think that a fish with equipment to rasp wood would do a really good job of destroying plants, if they ever decided to rasp them for any reason.


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## PlantNewbie

So I probably have to stick with otos then?


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## alta678

How about bristlenose plecos? They are relatively small and don't seem to bother my plants.


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## DarrylR

Zebra Pleco are SUPER DUPER tiny only a few inches long I believe 2-3 but are also Super expensive. About $100+ or more each I seen on the market.


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## Diana K

Describe your set up, including tank size, temperature, and other fish. 

Otos are fine in tanks down to about 5 gallons, and are social enough to stock at the rate of about 1 Oto per 10 gallons for algae control. 
The other 'small' Loricariads are probably better in tanks of about 20 gallons and up. 
For tanks of 5 gallons or smaller I would really suggest you look into shrimp and snails, not fish for algae removal. 

Look up the species description at Planet Catfish for whatever species are available near you, or on line if you will be shopping that way. There are a lot of Loricariads available, but most are larger than a couple of inches, and many are not algae eating fish. As a group Loricariads produce a lot of solid waste. 

As far as using them for algae control, they work well on most of the flatter sorts of algae, not the hairy sorts. But getting one of the larger Loricariads for a small tank is sort of like getting a cow to eat weeds in the average back yard. Sure the weeds disappear, but look at the mess you are left with! Choose the right species based on tank size and tank mates.


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## JanS

I have Clown Plec's in my planted tanks and they never bother the plants, and they are about the smallest, aside from Oto's. Rubbernoses are also small, and do a nice job with algae, and Bristlenoses are a bit bigger depending on the species, but also leave my plants alone.
One of the keys there is to toss them an algae wafer or chunk of zucchini a few times a week to be sure they're getting enough to eat and not having to resort to the plants if they're hungry. 

If your tank is less than 30 gallons, I wouldn't recommend a Bristlenose though, since they're a bit bigger than the others mentioned.


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## jmhart

Diana K said:


> _Paraotocinclus_ are generally a bit larger, but still quite small.


Parotocinclus eppelyi is a great species I was fortunate enough to find at a club auction in October. They are fully grown at about 3/4" and really a delightful fish. They seem quite hard to find in the hobby, but they really are an ideal nano fish.

Hopefully, they'll be come more available over time.

It appears that Amazon Tropicals has some labeled as Parotocinclus eplei.

http://www.amazontropicalsonline.com/StockListContd.html


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## TropTrea

Go to planet cat fish and look up the various ancisterius species. These are commonly called the bristle nose plecos. Interestingly these are lso being developed by breeders using selective breeding to produce various color strains albino, reds, calico, blue eyed, as well as long fin varieties. 

I have several color morphs now I'm trying to breed. But I found they love some drift wood to chew on as well as squash. The breeder I got mine from feeds them an alternating diet of green beans and squash. 

Yes they are primary algae eaters but they will also munch on some plants if not kept well feed.


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## Method

I love my Farlowella. He's really a tank and is quite small for a 6" fish. They need some room to maneuver though. Probably not a good idea for a tank smaller than 25 gallons.


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## HDBenson

I find the clown plec in my 26gbf does a good job keeping algae at bay - except bha. It leaves this stuff alone. I also keep driftwood in every tank in which he resides. I have yet to see him even rest on a plant. Mine is moderately reclusive but with a well planted tank he shows out quite a bit. I've had mine now for almost three years and is about 2.5 in. I do find however, for such a small critter it creates A LOT OF MESS. I would say it is responsible for almost all of the visible mulm in my tank. I have to remove it every few days or the bottom of my tank is brown sludge. The tankmates are two breeding P. pulcher, two T. ocelicauda, and a school of rosy tetras and no-one bothers it.


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