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Cleaner Catfish
Yes, if you have read thus far you will have realised by now that this is a 'Wind Up', but one based on just enough fact to make it plausible. Catfish are found on every continent in waters ranging from raging torrents to muddy stagnant pools and in an incredible range of temperatures. It is also true that many species have adapted "Sucker" mouths ideal for grazing on algae-covered stones and boulders, but that is where the facts end. The reality is that captive catfish will graze on algae growing in the aquarium, but only as a last resort. They will not relieve the owner of the weekly task of cleaning the tank, nor compensate for overfeeding. In the end, it is the owner's responsibility to maintain the tank and regulate the feeding, not the fish's.
As an added complication, some catfish grow a little too big for the home aquarium. Not quite the chunky specimen on the left, but even the humble Plecostomus or Gibbicep gets to about 14", at which size it is more likely to eat your other fish rather than your algae. So there you have it, next time you're in the shop and someone asks for a Cleaner Catfish you will understand why the assistant has a nervous breakdown.
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As old as the hobby itself, the cleaner catfish is still the most
popular of all aquarium fish. It will quite happily dispose of all
uneaten food from the bottom of the tank as well as sucking all the
algae from off the glass and ornaments to leave the tank clean and
sparkling. It will survive in all temperatures from the coldwater
goldfish tank to the Discus aquarium in the mid 80's and in a range of
pH from 5.0 - 9.0. Indeed the only drawback with this species is
its rarity, as in over 40 years of fish keeping I have never yet managed
to finder a retailer, including Grosvenor Tropicals, who has any
in-stock. In fact such is its rarity that many experts now believe
that it is a myth created by lazy fish keepers disenchanted with the
endless chore of tank maintenance , or worse, an elaborate hoax by
unscrupulous retailers to boost catfish sales 
