Bristlenose Plecos
Hypostomus plecostomus
Plecostomus, pleco, or plec is the common name of several species of freshwater loricariid catfish commonly sold as aquarium fish.
What is the best food for pleco?
The food items I list right below, are all perfect for Plecos:
- Algae wafers
- Driftwood – very important for all types of Plecos. This is a naturally encountered food source, so make sure they have plenty of it in the tank.
- Earthworms
- Bloodworms
- Shrimp
- Vegetables
How often should I Feed my pleco?
Now that you’ve read through this post, you should know that:
- Plecos are omnivores, meaning they need meat as well as vegetables.
- They eat algae, algae wafers, zucchini, squash, cucumber, earthworms, shrimp, and more
- They’ll eat almost any fish food that drops to the bottom, but this can’t be their entire diet
- Plecos are fantastic cleaners for the bottom of your fish tank
What should I Feed my pleco?
Vegetable List For Feeding Plecos
- IMPORTANT. Make sure you have an ID of your plec to ensure the correct dietary needs are met. ...
- STARTER LIST. This is a list of vegetables and fruit that are popular with most plecs.
- OTHER VEGETABLES AND FRUIT. ...
- SUGGESTIONS FOR WEIGHING DOWN VEG. ...
Would pleco Eat my fishes?
or any other small fish?
- Niki7. I just got a new pleco 2 weeks ago. ...
- James0816. The pleco will not bother any of the fishies in there. ...
- jrman83. Now see, I would have thought that he would love some Guppy fry.
- NursePlaty. I think Plecos only pose a danger to stationary fry like Discus or Angelfish where they breed on slates and such.
- jrman83. ...
- James0816. ...
- Niki7. ...
- James0816. ...
- Niki7. ...
- jrman83. ...
How do you take care of a Bristlenose pleco baby?
After hatching, the baby Plecos will latch onto the sides of the cave and feed on their eggs sacks for a few days. Once you see them swimming throughout the tank freely, you can try to feed them some food. They will eat algae like their parents, but mashed vegetables are a great supplement.
How fast do baby Bristlenose plecos grow?
Generally, bristlenose pleco fry tend to grow very slowly, staying under an inch in length during their first three months of life. After three months, they usually hit a growth spurt, growing an extra two or three inches until they reach six months of age.
How often should I feed my baby pleco?
Feed your pleco fruit or vegetables once or twice per week. Cut them up into small pieces before adding them to your tank, and add an aquarium weight so they sink to the bottom of the tank. Alternatively, you can use an aquarium clip to attach the food to the side of the tank near the bottom.
What do I feed my Bristlenose fry?
3:225:15TOP 5 EASY FOODS for the Baby Fish Fry | Bristlenose Catfish - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipFood number four is a food that everyone pretty much has seen before in the shops a form of LG waferMoreFood number four is a food that everyone pretty much has seen before in the shops a form of LG wafer.
Feeding Baby Bristlenose plecos
Ok... I have a bunch of baby Bristlenose plecos, and egg sacs are starting to dwindle now.... what are the best foods to feed them, and should I wait till their yolks are gone or start before they are completely absorbed??
Re: Feeding Baby Bristlenose plecos
I feed mine blanched veggies like squash, zucchini , carrots even broccoli and just about any of the reg. fish foods I feed in my tank. I also feed algae wafers periodically and another type of sinking food called plecocaine that I purchased off AB. They eat all the time!!
Re: Feeding Baby Bristlenose plecos
Corgette (zucchini) algae wafers, flake food. I dont blanch it first but it does need weighing down with something (not the flake of course).
Re: Feeding Baby Bristlenose plecos
Babies eat the same thing as the parents. And no feeding until yolk sack is gone. They are pretty good at finding food, so not difficult to bring up as long as you keep the water quality under control.
Re: Feeding Baby Bristlenose plecos
Can I ask why you have them in a fry keeper ? The parent will NOT bother them in any way and will protect them from most fishy predators. They can also find their own food easier in the main tank where there will (generally) be more to eat than a bare fry keeper.
Re: Feeding Baby Bristlenose plecos
I feed my pleco fry mainly earth worm sticks and supplement that with some Spirulina Sticks and frozen blood worms. All pleco fry will do very well on earth worm sticks. It is a food which breaks down into a mush shortly after you feed them and baby plecos eagerly suck up all this mush.
Re: Feeding Baby Bristlenose plecos
I took them out for a couple reasons... 1st, because I didn't know better, but more importantly, 2nd... I have some perugiae's in that tank, and figured they would snack on them..... I suppose I could take them out and let the fry go with parents....
What is the smallest catfish in the aquarium?
Bristlenose Pleco. The Bristlenose Catfish is one of the smallest aquarium catfish and will grow up to an average of 3-5 inches. It has a wider head and is much shorter, fatter, and flatter than the Common Pleco.
Why is a bristlenose pleco so common?
One of the main reasons this fish is so common in home aquariums is because of its useful ability to keep algae down. The Bristlenose Pleco is known as a number of different names including; Bristlenose Catfish, Bushynose Catfish, Common Bristlenose Catfish, ...
How to tell if a pleco is male or female?
The first thing you’ll need to be able to determine is which are male and females. This is really easy to do with Bristlenose Plecos. The males tend to have larger bristles, which grow out to the middle of their heads. The females have much smaller bristles which only grow around their mouths.
What kind of filter should I use for bristlenose fish?
As always, you should also have a filter in your tank. The best filter to use in an aquarium with Bristlenose is a canister filter . If you’re new to fishkeeping, I suggest that you buy a fully grown adult Bristlenose. Juveniles are more sensitive to pH levels than adults.
What color are plecos?
Bristlenose Plecos are usually black, brown, olive, or grey with light white or yellow spots all over the body. The underneath side of the fish is lighter in color than the main body.
How big of a tank do you need for a bristlenose fish?
Depending on what other fish you are housing with your Bristlenose, you’ll need a minimum tank size of 25 gallons, and you should ensure that the bottom of the tank, which is where they spend most of their time, is large.
Where do plecos come from?
Bristlenose Pleco Tank Requirements. Bristlenose Plecos originate from the streams and rivers in South America. They, therefore, prefer freshwater with a current that is well aerated. You should ensure that your tank water is well oxygenated with a moderate water flow.
How long does it take for a bristlenose pleco to hatch?
The females will enter the ‘cave’ with the male, and will deposit the eggs to the upper surface of it. The eggs will hatch around 10 days later.
What do plecos eat?
At least 75% of their diet should be a plant-based food such as algae wafers. Vegetables such as zucchini, cabbage, and cucumber can be fed occasionally as a treat. Don’t forget – Bristlenose plecos are bottom-feeding fish.
How big of a tank do you need for a bristlenose pleco?
They can reach up to 6 inches in length relatively quickly, so it’s recommended that you keep them in a tank size of at least 30 Gallons. Remember that this is just a minimum recommendation.
What is a bristlenose pleco?
Bristlenose Plecos are hardy fish meaning they can tolerate a broader range of water parameters. With that being said, our goal is to replicate the natural environment of the fish we are keeping and keep it as consistent as possible.
What is the most popular species of Pleco fish?
Written by Logan Price in Freshwater Fish Last Updated 23rd June 2021. The Bristlenose Pleco. One of the most popular species of Pleco fish you will find in home aquariums all over the globe. Also known as the Bushy nose Pleco, these easy to care for tropical freshwater fish are perfect for beginner aquarists, and advanced aquarists alike.
How to induce spawning in Plecos?
To induce spawning, we recommend a water change of at least 50%. This will trick the Plecos into thinking it’s the rainy season, which is when they prefer to start breeding. The only other tip when trying to induce spawning is to make sure you are feeding the fish plenty of high quality food.
What is neon tetra?
The Neon Tetra is the crowning glory of home aquariums. Its exquisite natural beauty says it all. Its shimmering colors – silver and white at the abdomen and light blue at its back, combine into...
What is the best fish to eat algae?
There are several commercially available species, but Ancistrus cirrhosus is the most common. Bristlenose plecos are commonly known as suckerfish, and make an excellent addition to most freshwater aquariums. They are arguably the best algae eaters available – both because of the large amount of algae that they consume and their hardy, ...
What should I feed my bristlenose pleco?
If you are hoping to get a bristlenose pleco into breeding condition, they should be fed live or frozen foods. Their particular favorites are bloodworms and live blackworms, and they tend to ignore most other frozen and live foods.
How big is a pleco?
Maximum Size: 6 inches (15 cm) The bristlenose pleco ( Ancistrus cirrhosus), also known as the bushynose pleco, has a wide distribution throughout the Amazon river basin in South America. It can be found in a variety of habitats, from shallow low oxygen floodplains, to the deep, dark waters of rivers. There are several commercially available ...
What do plecos eat?
Their main diet should be composed of a herbivore sinking pellet, since they tend to mainly eat on the bottom of the tank. An excellent choice is Hikari Algae Wafers, which I use for my plecos.
Where do plecos hide?
In the wild, adult bristlenose plecos tend to hide in caves and under driftwood when they aren’t foraging and should be provided with similar hiding places in the aquarium. This can be as simple as providing a clay pot on its side, or you can provide large pieces of driftwood with overhangs that a bristlenose pleco can hide under.
Where is the bristlenose pleco found?
The bristlenose pleco ( Ancistrus cirrhosus), also known as the bushynose pleco, has a wide distribution throughout the Amazon river basin in South America.
What is the best filter for a tropical aquarium?
However, if you have a bit more money to spend, a canister filter is usually the best choice for most tropical aquariums.
