Plecostomus String Algae Control

String algae happens to be the absolute favorite of all time. Bar none. I used to roll it up on a stick and even bring it inside to the plecos I had in my fish tank.

In winter, they eat Zuchini but let me back track.

So there's this ugly tropical algae eater that actually LOVES algae and eats it CONSTANTLY day and night. I started using them 10 years ago. The ONLY string algae they can't get is the stuff they can't get, namely the waterfall.

I traditionally use two plecostomus. In large ponds like twelve THOUSAND gallons I buy two of the bigger ones. In ponds like 2 or 3 thousand gallons I use two of the small ones. Babies in the much smaller ponds.....

TWO? Why two?

Because it's all you need. Try it and call me a liar. Pundits who have NOT tried it already do.

By the end of any growing seasn on unlimited string algae the plecostomus will be over a foot long. And they die summarily at 55 degrees. Not 56, but 55.

The fish Lock is carrying is dead, having died in October water. (In Georgia we have warm October days and frigid nights)

A word of warning.

Plecostomus are aggressive in very small facilities. I personally would NOT recommend a pair of plecostomus in less than 600 gallons unless very small. Slow moving fish like Goldfish may pay a dear price if they are pinned and grated by the plecostomus for it's delicious slime coat and scales.

At left, a Telescope goldfish that was rasped completely scaleless and died from its wounds from a small plecostomus in a 55 gallon aquarium.

I have only seen this ONCE in a very small tank with Koi and only one Koi was affected.

Given a choice, the PLecostomus would eat effortless algae than chase around mobile food.

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