Bristlenose Plec

[MHunt]

Ok, i need to clear something up here, what is the best environment for a bristlenose plec? Tropical, Coldwater, or either?

This question comes after overhearing a very convincing salesperson in an lfs tell a customer that the fish would be quite happy in either cold water or tropical. She did seem surprised when the customer told her that she had bought these plecs before only for them to die in her coldwater tank. I think I know what the answer is, but i thought i'd ask the collective expeience of the tff what their thoughts are to be sure.

I didn't hear the rest of the conversation as i just walked away.

 

[babeasel]

It's amazing what some LFS will do to get a sale

Mine are kept at a temp of 26c and now seem to be breeding once every two months so definetly a tropical environment would be best

 

[chibi]

I have never had one, but they are from South America and live in the Amazon. Because of this, I'd say tropical.

 

[PaulEbs]

without a doubt, tropical.

 

[Vicky99]

Well mine is happy as larry in my heated tropical tank! Wouldn't have even thought of putting them in cold water personally.

 

[MHunt]

My next kind of related query is then, having heard that 'Sound' :stupid: advice. Would you be put off buying fish from such a shop?

My main concern is that if the staff are willing to give such poor advice to their customers, are the fish they stock really being kept in good condition. I have had two bad experiences so far, particularly with fish shops in garden centres. While they seem to have a much larger variety of fish than most dedicated fish shops i have been to recently, i am concerned that if the fish are being kept in poor conditions, i am going to infest my tank with whitespot, fishlice, or worse!

 

[babeasel]

If you want to buy fish from this shop but your concerned about their health then i'd personally buy a quarantine tank. This way it's much easier to treat your fish if any health issue's do arise.

I know there's nothing worse than introducing a diseased fish to your tank because i've done this myself, now i always use my quarantine tank for any fish i buy.

 

[nurglespuss]

Well now, it was bad advice, but not for the resaon you think:

Plecs (except the more delicate L numbers, panaque etc.) and bristlenoses, and suckin/sail fin loaches etc. can all SURVIVE at lower temperatures if intoruduced slowly, they won't breed and will be less active and sluggish, but so long as it is gradual it wont kill them (most of the catfish fall into this catergory, including corydoras aenus).

 

[MHunt]

So the customers plecs probably died because they were just introduced into a coldwater tank, after being sold from a tropical tank.

I guess they must be able to cope with changes in temperature, different season's weathers etc. But personally i would always prefer to see fish kept in conditions that they thrive in.