Breeding Bristlenose Pleco's

[kingmed]

I bought 2 bristlenose a week ago to put in my 55 gallon to clean up algae, they are amazing little guys, they sucked everything up in no time at all. I was looking real close to them the other day and noticed that one had the protrutions on the nose and the other had none what so ever, I'm thinking I might have a pair. I want to put them into my 55 gallon up stairs once it gets cycled and try to breed them, is it hard to breed these little guys and after they have young is it hard to rear them up? Don't want to persue something that's going to be a hardache and cumbersome, I heard they were the easiest of the pleco's to breed and I also heard/read that the babies may at times during their growth become cannibalistic for a small time, is this true? Also I was wondering if I decide to do this project can I do it with sand or small gravel in the tank or should it be left plan glass? THANKS.

 

[fishyfeet]

They are very easy and sound like you do have a male and female, they will need a cave of some kind, lots of slate caves around about £4 and a good healty diet incl some bloodworm, they do take about 2 years before anything happens so not sure what age yours would be, and i dont think it matters and or gravel, i have gravel and it bothers them not. di

 

[kingmed]

They are very easy and sound like you do have a male and female, they will need a cave of some kind, lots of slate caves around about £4 and a good healty diet incl some bloodworm, they do take about 2 years before anything happens so not sure what age yours would be, and i dont think it matters and or gravel, i have gravel and it bothers them not. di

they are about 2.5 to 3 inches in length at present time, one has spots and the other is brown. Is there anyway of telling if they are ready or not except for trial and error? Also can breeding be done in a 10 gallon tank?

 

[fishyfeet]

by the size i would say could be in the next few months my adult and 3 -4 inches, are you sure the brown one is a bristlenose, I was given a pair on male bristlenose with loads of bristles so yea that one seems right, a female about 8 inches and i can see he was sold it as a b/n female and its obviously a common or something. you might need a pic of them and see what everyone thinks, im not an expert i just breed bristlenoses. If they are the only fish in the tank then yea 10 gal might be ok, you need to keep an eye on water quality though as they need good filtration. di

 

[kingmed]

by the size i would say could be in the next few months my adult and 3 -4 inches, are you sure the brown one is a bristlenose, I was given a pair on male bristlenose with loads of bristles so yea that one seems right, a female about 8 inches and i can see he was sold it as a b/n female and its obviously a common or something. you might need a pic of them and see what everyone thinks, im not an expert i just breed bristlenoses. If they are the only fish in the tank then yea 10 gal might be ok, you need to keep an eye on water quality though as they need good filtration. di

both are identical except for the bristles on the male as far as I can see. They are both around 3 inches.