It is the standard beginner mistake. You buy a tank. You buy some Goldfish or Guppies. Then, the shop uncle tells you: “You need a cleaner fish. Take this black one. Only RM3.” You take home the Common Pleco (Hypostomus plecostomus). In Malaysia, we affectionately call them “Ikan Bandaraya” (The City Council Fish) because they […]

Category: Catfish / Bottom Dwellers Difficulty: Beginner to Advanced (Depending on species) Scientific Name: Hypostomus plecostomus (Common), Loricariidae family (Fancy types) The “Janitor” Myth If you walk into any aquarium shop in Kuala Lumpur or Penang, you will almost certainly see a tank full of dark, armored fish stuck to the glass. To the average