Looking for an algae eater that my convict cichlid (fish) won't kill?

gumby

New member
he (or she) is about 9 years old. he's about 9 inches long. he's always been the only fish in the tank. we initially bought him along with several other fish. he was about the size of a quarter. we didn't know his nature. he killed all the other fish and has been alone in the tank ever since. i would like to add an algae eater to help keep the tank clean. are there any algae eaters that he won't kill? if yes, will it need to be of a minimum size?
 
I would suggest a plecostomus, which is most commonly known as a the "sucker fish." You can find them at any pet store that sell fish. I would suggest getting one that isn't too small. I'd probably start with at least 5 inches and add something in the tank where the pleco can fit and the convict can't. Plecos are very hardy fish. I had a tank full of breeding convicts (I didn't know they were male/female to start with) and they attacked every single fish in the tank except the pleco. I think they left the pleco alone because it didn't feel like a threat.

Also, just a bonus tip: If you want to know the sex of your convict cichlid, if it has red or orange on its belly, it's female. If it doesn't have any red/orange, it's definitely a male.
 
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