Overstocked on Algae Eaters 🤔

[Theresa_M]

Hello,

I have a 75g with 6 panda corydoras, three Hillstream loaches and two nerite snails (and many other community fish). I would love to add my false zebra pleco to the mix. He will get to about 3” but is a baby right now (probably half the size). 

I have never seen the loaches dining on anything other than the glass, so I have no idea if they’re getting any of the community food, but they’re alive after several months now. I’ve also never seen my pleco eat anything other than surfaces. I put algae wafers in both tanks and the cories are the ones that eat them.  

Do you think the environment/community can handle all of these algae eaters and bottom dwellers or am I at max already do you think? Would love to hear others’ experiences. 

[Brandy]

Well...do you ever need to clean algae off the glass? off anything? do you have driftwood in the tank? 

I think you have enough real estate, easily. I would want to know that you had enough food, and that really depends on your lighting and water and a ton of factors. I would also want to be able to FEED the loaches, but that is mostly my own paranoia. Maybe keep searching for acceptable foods, and give it a try. If they seem to be not getting enough to eat you can move him back to where he is?