# Rubber lipped plecos



## fandsw (Jan 30, 2004)

Best plecos for algae are Bristlenose and Clown in that order. One nice thing about them is that they stay small (< 6"). I have a bristlenose in a medium density planted tank and he leaves the plants alone.


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## Georgiadawgger (Apr 23, 2004)

Find out what the cause of the algae is...adding fish will really not help get rid of the algae that much. Just my 2 cents.


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## Not Mister Green (Feb 15, 2005)

*what size tank do you have mustang?*

rubber lip pleco's rock! :fish: 

The Rubber Lip is also called the Rubber Nose and the Bull Dog Pleco.

"There are 3 main varients, L187a Chaetostoma milesi, which is just the common Bull Dog/Rubber Lip, L187b Chaetostoma cf. thomsoni, which is the Striped Bulldog/Rubber.. this has a yellow albino varient, and L187 Chaetostoma pearsei , which is the White Spot Bulldog/Rubbernose, and this has a pure white albino varient. There are other as yet undescribed species of Chaetostoma, but would probably be harder to find. 

The adult size averages around 4". pH range is between 6.8 and 7.8. Good community fish but only 1 per tank. Water must be maintained as poorer water quality can severly affect the fish. Prefers a well rounded omnivorous diet. Frozens and live foods are best."

Mine never bother my plants and two of them are full size. 

Its the larger plecos that get 12" plus that will wreck havoc in the planted tank. 

Rubber Lips also stay under 5" and make will make a significant dent in the green algae that grows on tank sides. As well as cleaning extra food on the bottom of the tank. They've got wonderful coy personalities and get along with most other fish. Mine will body check the cory cats when feeding but no harm done. These fish have eyelids!

My first one got his head stuck in a crack in a piece of malaysian driftwood and died. I was doing a blackout for BGA at the same time didn't notice he got stuck  Watch out for the cracks in malaysian driftwood!

I don't give them a space where they can totally hide. Instead, I position the driftwood so that you can still see them when they are in their space. Otherwise you won't see them occasionnaly throughout the daylight hours. They are always out at night. 

Once nice thing about the sunshine tank is that eveyone gets to experience dawn and dusk and my pleco's are out alot during these times to. 

enjoy!


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## Ibn (Nov 19, 2003)

Great plecos for the sides of glass as stated. That's where mine is found every time that I've seen it. I finally started feeding mine last week since after being in there for about a month, he cleared the tank glass of the majority of the algae.


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## mustang (Dec 11, 2005)

My tank is a 75G. The varients that you talk about sound neat but I have never seen them.


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