Bristlenose pleco guarding eggs??

[Shan98]

Hi, I recently got a male albino bristlenose pleco, unknown to me at the time because I’m only a year into fish keeping… I must’ve had all female bristlenoses in my tank already when I got him because none of the other have spikes even half as big as his…

Anyway, since he has been in the tank he has been attached to one piece of decor. Constantly hangs in it/ on it and in the groves.

Fast forward to 5-7 days ago my rainbow shark and loach were trying to get into the decor… constantly trying to poke their heads in, it got me thinking…. are there eggs inside? Would they even survive? The decor he selected is an Air stone cave… photos in thread of male and his decor. Somehow he manages to get inside it as I’ve seen him come out of the same little indent he is sitting in on pic attached..

I left the decor alone, and I didn’t remove it or any of the bristlenoses from the tank. There is 7 others in the main tank.

Now I have noticed today the male has started acting like the other bristlenoses… eating, swimming around etc…. Does this mean no eggs? Or does this mean I had eggs and because there are no signs of babies none of them were fertile or possibly they haven’t made it because of not enough oxygen/airflow maybe??

Ps. I wouldn’t know which female it would be if there was eggs, I did notice one of the smaller bristlenoses was missing, which has now returned… however thought he/she was too young….

 

[Deleted member 149562]

One of my male BN's has taken ownership of one part of the decor, a hollow, upright resin mangrove root. Spends around 20 hours a day in there, with the occasional royal wave waft of his tail out of the top. He has been a bit of a randy so'n'so (babies did result, though unsure if the eggs were in there with him or not) and he did get quite stroppy with anyone poking around inside "his" decor. However even without being randy, he absolutely goes nuts at anyone, including passing snails, that get too nosey around "his" decor.

 

[Shan98]

One of my male BN's has taken ownership of one part of the decor, a hollow, upright resin mangrove root. Spends around 20 hours a day in there, with the occasional royal wave waft of his tail out of the top. He has been a bit of a randy so'n'so (babies did result, though unsure if the eggs were in there with him or not) and he did get quite stroppy with anyone poking around inside "his" decor. However even without being randy, he absolutely goes nuts at anyone, including passing snails, that get too nosey around "his" decor.

My guys not aggressive at all, didn’t chase any of the fishes away, but he didn’t let them in either… as he is new to my tank I’m unsure if he has bred before, or if this is new for him too.
I still can’t see any fry, so assuming either way there is none… I just hope they’re not in the decor still. Maybe I should open the decor to make sure?

 

[Deleted member 149562]

I would leave him be, if he enjoys his decor, and he is eating normally etc, nothing to worry about...especially newish to the aquarium. My BN aimed straight for the decor seconds after transferring from his old home to the larger aquarium months ago....I shall not interfere with him or his home, why cause stress on the fish when you do not need to

 

[Shan98]

I would leave him be, if he enjoys his decor, and he is eating normally etc, nothing to worry about...especially newish to the aquarium. My BN aimed straight for the decor seconds after transferring from his old home to the larger aquarium months ago....I shall not interfere with him or his home, why cause stress on the fish when you do not need to

No I don’t mean take him out. I am just worried if there is something inside the decor, e.g eggs that aren’t fertile that I need to remove (if there are eggs). Im more worried about it effecting health of fish in there and the tank levels.

No fish have been removed or disturbed

 

[Deleted member 149562]

Any eggs lurking anywhere will usually get eaten by the BN and other tankmates.....fish are partial to caviar, some pig out on it in seconds.