Will a plecostomus algae eating fish live 60 days on just plain green algae in a 1 gallon bottle?

Never. This is cruel. Plecos only eat specific kinds of algae. The common misconception is that they eat any algae, but the truth is, most if it is to rich and thick for their lips. If you want to feed one, buy some algae pellets. My pleco is very spoiled and loves them! He wont eat much else. A 1 gallon bottle is also way too small for it. Not to mention that it will need cleaned out very well.

If you want something to put it in get at least a 2.5 gallon tank. They are about $25 at walmart. These are also easy to transport if you will be needing to take it to class. If nothing else get it one of those portable pet carriers. (one of the large ones!) This would at least house it for 60 days if you plan on putting it in your larger tank after the project is over. If you do get one of those though, you should get an air pump. If you can't manage this then you should consider not using a live animal.

Good luck on your project!

Edit: If you wont be able to feed it, then don't do it. The algae pellets don't promote algae growth. Most plecos actually thrive off of the food you feed your other fish. They are really bottom feeders, and not algae eaters. They just prefer algae. Personally, I've never had one that keep my tank algae free. Also, all fish need oxygen. If it is sealed you are giving the fish a 1 stop trip to fishy heaven. I would consider doing something with live aquarium plants. These can create their own oxygen from the water and you're not putting a helpless life in danger.

Edit 2: To be totally honest, your teacher needs to be reported to the school district for REQUIRING a live animal. This is wrong, because these animals aren't there for you to just experiment with. They are just trying to live their life and hoping that people will take care of them. A totally sealed container is going to kill ANY live animal if it can't get oxygen flow. It honestly wont even last a week, more less 60 days. There are no live creatures that live in this kind of environment naturally. I would talk to your parents and see what they think. You should honestly bring this up with the principal if not the school board. This is far from ethical on the teachers part.

Nope, it will die pretty fast..

Plecos need, I'd say, a minimum of 40-55 Gallons of water, so 1 gallon won't do. They also need a heater and a filter, so a bottle won't do. It should also have a bit more then just some green algae in a bottle.

Sorry, but this is experiment, is a recipe for disaster, and you shouldn't do it. No fish will survive in that bottle, so you should probably think of a new experiment. From what I know, live animals in an experiment will get you disqualified, but maybe your rules are different.. Please, don't kill the innocent Pleco for an experiment that won't work...

By the way, are you even sure the bottle is 1 gallon? Because if it is a 1LITRE bottle, than that is even less than 1 gallon...

best of luck.

EDIT: Oh and I forgot, the bottle will give NO space for oxygen... just don't do it lol.. not a good idea. The first person isn't right at all btw. No fish could live in a bottle, not even a betta, and even a baby wouldn't make a difference for the project, it will just die...

use a snail or shrimp and add like some live plants or somehting an put it in direct sunlight to get as much light as possible., the live plants are what's really neccisary for anything in there to live more than a few hours., you need alot of plants and one very small animal.

fill the bottle about 2/3 or 3/4 full so that air can exchange between the plants and the air in the bottle for the snail/shrimp to live on...

they do stuff like this all the time really they just need REALLY small organisms and lots of plants and stuff to feed the animal and oxygenate the water.

no way

1. filtration(must have)

2. heat(needs a constant temp of around 77 degrees)

3. ammonia(enough to kill it in 24 hours)

4. oxygen

5. oxygen

EDIT...YOUR experiment may work with brine shrimp If you put in a plant called anacharis..as this may provide enough oxygen...It should work for your live animal...but the pleco is going to die within a day or two.

use something else, man, one gallon sealed off is not appropriate for a pleco. there are all sorts of other animals you can use that aren't fish. snails, for example, or brine shrimp.

Get a small pleco. A very small one. Rinse out the bttle very well. and also get some hikari algea wafers and he should be good. Algea wafers are excelent for the pleco. make sure the water is good quality and a good temp since plecos are tropical fish of South America. And you should be good to go. Just make sure to do water changes. Plecos poop, a lot.

How about a tadpoles you could get a young one half fill it put loads of food in there and some fruit flys or something , still its pretty mean.

It wouldn't last a day.