Bristlenose Breeding - Size Tank, Tankmates

[The Lady Raven]

Hi,

I'm looking to purchase a breeding pair of brown bristlenoses and wanted to know what the minimum size tank you would recommend them to be in, they are 4" and 3.5" in length. Also, would another baby bristlenose, not one of their offspring, be ok living with them (he's only 1.5")? Thank you!

 

[Callum]

umm i would say a 40g min (i may be wrong) but i heard bristlenoses can be terrortorial i have 1 in my 20g but u could get 2 and a baby in a 40g prob

 

[Tolak]

I have a male & 2 female albinos breeding in a 20 gallon. I just let them do their thing, there are at least a dozen smaller brislenose in with them. When they get decent size, & when I get around to it, they get moved to other tanks for algae patrol.

 

[dylema]

I have two males and a female in a 20g and the female has spawned with both males. I haven't had any fighting but I might just be lucky. I also have 5 (4cm) BN in there and a bunch of live bearers.

Dylan

 

[Ginge]

I think i have seen smithrc done it in a 20g but needed alot of maintance due to the mess and the small tank.

 

[smithrc]

if you go for a smaller tank - ensure you have it over filtered

we had 3 breeding in a 50L (15us gal) but but i was running a fluval 3+ filter (for tanks upto 150L if i remember rightly)

 

[dylema]

My tank is well over filtered with a 500lph external (Bio) and a 500lph internal (mechanical). I have to replace/clean the wool in the internal twice a week and the external one a month. I water change at least 25% a week as well.

Dylan

 

[The Lady Raven]

My tank is well over filtered with a 500lph external (Bio) and a 500lph internal (mechanical). I have to replace/clean the wool in the internal twice a week and the external one a month. I water change at least 25% a week as well.

Dylan

Good to know that I'm thinking the right way here; the filter supplied with my tank is tiny so I was thinking of replacing it for a much larger one as my bristles make a lot of mess as it is! So, it can be done in a smaller tank, just needs good filtration and frequent maintenance? Also, should I add a separate air pump to the tank?

 

[smithrc]

Added air wont be a bad thing... If you miss a filter change when its clogged - the O2 levels will fall...

The fry will give you a warning though

An air pump will add more flow - they like flow

 

[TwoTankAmin]

If the primary purpose of the tank it to spawn them, I suggest you go with a bare bottom. You should also have another tank for growout.

In their prime they can produce 75+ eggs in a spawn and they should have a very high survival rate.

If they are in more of a community setting, plan to pull the cave (dad can come along) when they go free swimming and before dad kicks them out.

 

[The Lady Raven]

I decided against buying the breeding pair because I thought, though it's more difficult, it would be more interesting to buy some babies, let them grow up and then hopefully breed them. So, I bought three baby bristlenoses from one of the local fish shops in the hope that they aren't all the same sex! One is slightly bigger than the other two and has more of the creamish markings (I don't know what it is but I feel that it's a girl lol). They seem to be getting on well with Archimedes (the larger bristlenose in there). He was a little intimidated at first but he seems to like them now.