Impulse

[Questions?]

i was at my LFS today since they get new fish on thursday. i saw about 20 bristlenose plecos $2.99 apiece. so i bought them with 3 ghost shrimp.
i have them acclimating now in my 20 gallon with only 2 GBR for company. so my question is......
1. how do you tell if they are male or female?(one has a few bristle, but they are both really young)
2. if they are both males, will they fight?(i have two pieces of driftwood)
3. will they do good at a temp of about 76-80 degrees
4. wil my GBRs eat the shrimp?(they are a little big....the shrimp)
5. since the plecos eat algea will they eat flake foods?(wafers are really expensive)
6. will they ^ eat fuits like grapes? lettuce?
7. how wil can i grow algea fast?
8. will the plecos harm my plants?
9. when wil they gro bristles if they are male?
10. is my tetra whisper 30 filter good enough for 2 GBRs and 2 bristlenose plecos?

sorry about all the questions

 

[phoenixgsd]

genrally you should research the fish before you buy, im not a plec expert as i dont really like them but i do know that they are poop machines and often outgrow the tank, you have a 20 gallon tank, not sure how big that is as i work in litres but if you have bought 2, then you might find yourself upgrading or rehoming, and yes you do have to feed them

 

[Questions?]

i have researched them. they do fine in a 20 gallon tank. they eat mostly algea so i was wondering if i could feed them grapes or something, i read they eat peas, zuchini, cumber, and other things but you need to boil them unless the peas were in a can. i just wanted to know if i was correct. they grow to be about 5 inches. males have bristles, females have fewer or no bristles, but they aren't sexual maturity so idk whe n i could tell. please do not dis me, i know what i am doing. i would have gotten some before but they weren't in my LFS. they are one of the plecos that do actualy eat algea and require wafers etc if there isn't enough

a 20 gallon is about 80 litlres in the US, it is long, so it has more surface area then the regular 20 gallon and way more then the 20 gallon tall

 

[Questions?]

i will redo this question
1. can i feed the plecos peas from a can? do i need o mash them?
2. how can i grow a lot of algea?
3. will my GBRs eat the ghost shrimp?
4. wil 2 male plecos fight?
5. how can you sex non sexually mature bristlenose plecos?
6. wil the plecos eat flake food or cichlid pellets?

oh, i do not mean to sound rude
also they poop i am hoping will sink through the gravel and fertilize my plants

 

[SombreroBanana]

1. The male will grow bristles all around his mouth. The female generally doesn't grow any, but they sometimes grow a few on their lips.
2. They shouldn't as long as they have caves.
3. Yes.
4. No, ghost shrimp are big enough that they won't.
5. Yes, they will bottom feed. They like carnivore pellets and freeze-dried bloodworms especially.
6. Cucumber, zucchini, lettuce, celery, mainly crunchy vegetables. No fruits. Blanch them before putting them in the tank (boil).
7. Put some tank water in a tub and put it in a window.
8. Some people say they might uproot them, but they shouldn't eat them.
9. 2-3 inches in length generally.
10. Should be.

 

[phoenixgsd]

i have not 'dis' you and there is no need to be rude, you asked some questions that the most basic research would have answered, like what to feed them, sorry to say but all types of plec have to be fed, they eat sinking pellets or wafers that you have to give them

 

[Questions?]

all i asked for was a confirmation, if you had read by other post you would have learned i said i didn't mean to make it sound rude. the thing is i heard britlenose plecos can live off only algea, so again i was trying to confirm if that is true

 

[thereverendturtle]

Mine won't touch flake. They only seem to like wafers and sinking pellets. They are one of the better plecos for planted aquariums.
Where did you find them for $2.99? I have two males and need some females.

 

[Questions?]

1. The male will grow bristles all around his mouth. The female generally doesn't grow any, but they sometimes grow a few on their lips.
2. They shouldn't as long as they have caves.
3. Yes.
4. No, ghost shrimp are big enough that they won't.
5. Yes, they will bottom feed. They like carnivore pellets and freeze-dried bloodworms especially.
6. Cucumber, zucchini, lettuce, celery, mainly crunchy vegetables. No fruits. Blanch them before putting them in the tank (boil).
7. Put some tank water in a tub and put it in a window.
8. Some people say they might uproot them, but they shouldn't eat them.
9. 2-3 inches in length generally.
10. Should be.

thanks for the information

 

[thereverendturtle]

By the way, your rams will be much happier at 80+ degrees. My bushynoses seem to be just fine at 80-84, so crank the temp up a bit.

 

[Questions?]

i do, but my heater isn't working that good at the moment, i will have to buy a new heater soon, as it will only go up to 78 degrees and it is winter so the tank is about 76 degrees

 

[thereverendturtle]

Got it. Are you state side? I found reasonable heaters that work very well at truaqua.com

 

[Questions?]

florida

 

[thereverendturtle]

Check them out. They offer free shipping on just about every thing and have good customer service.

 

[Questions?]

i saw one for 29.99 i think i might get