Help Please

[lintulover666]

could anyone tell me what this fish is. it came with one of my tanks the revious owner just called it an algae eater, but would love to know more.
his name is Alvin, even though i dont know if its male or female.

http/i5.photobucket.com/albums/y191/lady...6/random196.jpg
http/i5.photobucket.com/albums/y191/lady...random189-1.jpg
please any help welcomed. He is brown in colour with lighter spots. and sometimes his back and tail fin do spread out

 

[Boxermom]

Hard to tell exactly. Could be many kinds of plecos. I'm guessing bristlenose.

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

Could be an L001;

http/www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/speci...?species_id=177

Or a young bristlenose;

http/www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/speci...p?species_id=49

Do either of these look similar to yours? Can you get any pics of the plecs belly?

 

[lintulover666]

he looks abit like one of those veiltails but it is hard to tell. ive taken a few (rubbish) belly shots so im just uploading them.

 

[lintulover666]

more pics. sorry not very good.
http/i5.photobucket.com/albums/y191/lady...6/random040.jpg
http/i5.photobucket.com/albums/y191/lady...rrows666/al.jpg
http/i5.photobucket.com/albums/y191/lady...ows666/alvi.jpg
sorry about bad quality he keeps on wriggling.

x

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

more pics. sorry not very good.
http/i5.photobucket.com/albums/y191/lady...6/random040.jpg
http/i5.photobucket.com/albums/y191/lady...rrows666/al.jpg
http/i5.photobucket.com/albums/y191/lady...ows666/alvi.jpg
sorry about bad quality he keeps on wriggling.

x

Yeah i would say its a young bristlenose, how many inches long is it ?

 

[lintulover666]

about 1.5/ 2 inches at the moment. How big will it get?
I normaly do research about all my fish before i get them but this lil fella was a surprise with a tank i got off ebay.

x

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

about 1.5/ 2 inches at the moment. How big will it get?
I normaly do research about all my fish before i get them but this lil fella was a surprise with a tank i got off ebay.

x

About 5inches, this link below will tell you all you need to know on how to care for them properly ;

http/www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/speci...p?species_id=49

 

[lintulover666]

ok thanks. the only reason i thought he might not be a bristlenose is because he doesnt actualy have any bristles. Or do females not have them?
i may need to upgrade to a bigger tank then. the one i have now is 65 litres about 16 gallons i think. and i already have about 6 guppies and a dwarf gourami in there.
anyway thanks for the help ill go look at the link.
x

 

[Saedcantas]

I have a baby BN that looks literally identical to that

 

[lintulover666]

stil not sure on its sex. but apparently some females dont get bristles. so maybe its more likely mine is a female. not sure though.

x

 

[mamafish68]

female BN's dont get as big, max 3 inches so she's fine where she is but she looks starving, get some algae discs and feed at night, if theres only her in there snip the disc in 4's so not to pollute the tank.
enjoy, she's a cutie!!

 

[lintulover666]

oh ok then. I had been putting in cucumber and lettuce for her, but she never seems that interested. My tank is algae free though

would a bristlenose be ok in a tank that fry will go in? My pregnant guppies are in a smaller tank about 6 gallons though its starting to get algae in it.

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

oh ok then. I had been putting in cucumber and lettuce for her, but she never seems that interested. My tank is algae free though

would a bristlenose be ok in a tank that fry will go in? My pregnant guppies are in a smaller tank about 6 gallons though its starting to get algae in it.

A bristlenose that small may be ok, but a full grown one won't. Iceberg lettuce basically has no nutritional value to it, so algae wafers and cucumber is much better .

 

[lintulover666]

ok thankyou will go buy some tomorrow if i can find them.
thanks for all your help very much appreciated

x