I would like a smallish (adult size def.not more than 12-15cm) peaceful bottomfeeder to live in my 120litre community tank. It must get along with an 7cm elephantnose, a 6cm rainbowshark, 5cm sailfin mollie, 4cm swordtail, and a 2cm tetra, also a largish (12cm) 9yr old comet goldfish. Odd collection I know. They have been living together happily for the last 2 years. The newest addition is the elephant nose, a friendly little fella that prefers to come out in light to feed with the others.

I don't want anything that will nip on the comet's tail. I've been reading and looking a lot over the last weeks, but the info I get is so contradictory.

I am thinking about asking the lfs to try to get me a zebra pleco (don't know if they can get). There is a synodontis multipunctatis and a bumblebee catfish (brownish - female?) at one shop that i kinda like.

Does anyone have any of these, what are they like in real life. I don't want to upset the good "karma" in the tank and at the same time I would realy like a colourful (in either character and/or coat) bottomfeeder. If it's an algae eater all the better.

the choice of a peaceful catfish is really down to you,but the zebra plec is a good one to choose though may turn out expensive to buy.

i suggest looking through this link sometime and hope it helps your decision.
http://www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/com_list.php#r

Hill stream loach/butterfly loach are very peaceful but can be a bit fragile. Bristlenose is also a good community fish. They don't grow too big either.

bottom dwellers... hmph. MTS!!!!! lol. they will upturn your gravel !!

and i thought upturned gravel is a good thing!

oh oh, what about ghost shrimp? im getting some reaaaaaal soon!

wont the goldfish try to eat the shrimp?

sure unless theres a lot of hiding places.

not much fun for the shrimp having to live in fear of being eaten

The bottom dwellers that I have in my tanks are not particularly colourful, but most do an admirable job of algae eating. The bristlenose plecos (ancistrus) are the best at algae eating. The Chinese hillstream loaches (butterfly plecos), scientific name - Pseudogastromyzon cheni, are good little algae eaters, but need a tank with high oxygen levels and a nice coating of algae. They also like a brisk current. I also have a little clown pleco (peckoltia). He is the prettiest of the group and is orange and brown striped, but he is very shy and I don't really see him much. He loves zucchini and does eat algae but not as well as the previous two.

I also have a couple of dojo loaches. They do not eat algae, but are quite the clowns.

All of these fish seem to live peacefully with their other tankmates and I have never had any trouble with any of them being quarrelsome.

Good luck with your choice, and let us know what you decide and how things work out in your tank

I would get a snow drop pleco. They are black with white polka dots and I had one for a while and he didn't seem to bother my orandas so I suspect he would get along with your other fish including the comet.