# Algae eaters to go with stingrays?



## The Lowercase Q (Aug 21, 2010)

I heard that plecos will suck on stingrays, and snails aren't too effective IMO, so I was wondering what I should use as an algae eater, or if it would be easier to hand clean the tank.


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## dan3345 (Jan 27, 2010)

Im not sure but I think a larger pleco would be fine with stingrays, they only latch on to other fish because they are underfed. Some people think that because they are algae eaters that they do not eat anything else. So basically the pleco starves. As for snails, I have bunch of zebra nerite snails in my tank. They dont spawn in freshwater and if you ask me IMO they are great at keeping algae down. PLus they are not aggressive to any animals or fish what so ever like some snails can be. You have to make sure though none of your fish will eat them.


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## The Lowercase Q (Aug 21, 2010)

My lfs doesn't sell nerites, but do you think like a bushy nosed plec could coexist with him? And do you have experience with cories? I've never kept any.


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## Blue Cray (Oct 19, 2007)

Just don't, rays don't need lots of light. If you keep up with water changes and keep the rays in pristine water conditions algae won't grow anyways.


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## dan3345 (Jan 27, 2010)

Blue Cray said:


> Just don't, rays don't need lots of light. If you keep up with water changes and keep the rays in pristine water conditions algae won't grow anyways.


blue cray has got it right. But I think if you really wanted a pleco in there bushynose would not be ok, because it stays small it would be eaten. If you wanted cories, umm... I think its a bad idea. I think they will get eaten.


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## The Lowercase Q (Aug 21, 2010)

Blue Cray said:


> Just don't, rays don't need lots of light. If you keep up with water changes and keep the rays in pristine water conditions algae won't grow anyways.


I was planning on keeping a brighter than normal light to keep plants that don't need to be rooted would I not be able to do that?


dan3345 said:


> blue cray has got it right. But I think if you really wanted a pleco in there bushynose would not be ok, because it stays small it would be eaten. If you wanted cories, umm... I think its a bad idea. I think they will get eaten.


Bushynoses get 10+ inches... 

Unrelated, but I can get a true zebra plec, and i was wondering if he'd get eaten by my ray.

And my new plan is to keep 2 rays, a mating pair of snooks, and a BGK.


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

there are a number of species of bushynose plecoes...but i have yest to see one over 10 inches..8 inches ; yes ; but not 10...but i haven't kept fish since i was 4 ; so i am pretty new to this.....lol


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## Corwin (May 23, 2010)

i wouldnt recomend any pleco with any sort of flat fish... 90% of the time things dont end well and a stingray is an expensive fish to take that risk with.


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## The Lowercase Q (Aug 21, 2010)

lohachata said:


> there are a number of species of bushynose plecoes...but i have yest to see one over 10 inches..8 inches ; yes ; but not 10...but i haven't kept fish since i was 4 ; so i am pretty new to this.....lol


Oh, i saw someone bring one into my lfs like a week ago, and I really haven't kept any plecoes long enough to grow more than 6", so I've never see any bigger than that.


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## Hoyo12 (May 18, 2009)

I wouldn't put any Pleco in with the Rays. Just a bad combination, because it isn't always a hunger problem, it's a territorial problem, and they will most likely "suck" on the Rays. And snails will most likely become a quick snack, so your best bet is to just clean it yourself.


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## Tallonebball (Apr 6, 2009)

I wouldnt put plants in with rays either. give them all the space they can get.
Listen to BlueCray, he knows what hes talking about when it comes to rays


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## Revolution1221 (Apr 20, 2010)

The Lowercase Q said:


> Unrelated, but I can get a true zebra plec, and i was wondering if he'd get eaten by my ray.
> 
> And my new plan is to keep 2 rays, a mating pair of snooks, and a BGK.


true zebra plecos by my understanding only get about 3 inches so that is out of the question


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