Not sure if fish store sold me correct pleco species?

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Jellybean123

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Hi ,

I brought 4 new bristle nose plecos last week from a chain pet store . They all seem to be young as small ( maybe 2 months) and havenā€™t got the bristles yet . Two were labelled as ā€œmarigoldā€ bristle nose plecos - I think itā€™s their fancy name for albino . They had a deal on buy two at a set price . I also wanted two common bristlenose plecos so I asked if they had any more as could only see one typical looking one in the tank . They said they had another so I could have the deal . Great ā€¦

However the last pleco that was hiding when I got home it is 3 times bigger than the other ( I was told they were all the same age) it also doesnā€™t look as expected . When I compared to my other bristle nose slightly bigger this new one has a larger head and bigger eyes . Itā€™s colouring also looks different as itā€™s brown with a grey tinge but then has really faint grey/light brown lines . Itā€™s less active than the others often just lays near the air stones . Itā€™s a really pretty pleco but i wonder if itā€™s not a bristlenose ? Maybe some kind of hybrid ? Or could it just be older and different colouring ?

I canā€™t get a good photo but has anyone got any ideas or any photos of more unique coloured bristlenoses ?
 
Hard to say without a picture. It does sound like something different, and hopefully they didn't sell you a common pleco. If you can't get a picture to share with us, I would recommend searching images of "plecostomus species" and look at pictures until you find what you have.
 
Thanks I will try to get a photo and it I looked and canā€™t find anything thatā€™s matches . My hope as well !
 
It is difficult to help you identify your plecos. It would help if you put some pictures up of your plecos so we can help identify them.
 
My male bristle nose did not get bristles until he was almost an adult. My female of course has very few bristles if any. Give them time to grow.
IMG_20220914_133420.jpg
IMG_20230210_172130.jpg
 
This is him they are in a quarantine pool for a few weeks . I have upped the temp as he wasnā€™t moving much as the others and now heā€™s moving a lot more . He could just be older but the others seem to look different ?
 

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Theyā€™re not great pictures but it looks like a common plec (Pterygoplichthys spp), or possibly a Hypostomus. If it has more than seven soft dorsal rays (behind the first ray) itā€™s Pterygoplichthys. If it has seven itā€™ll be a Hypostomus.
 
I've been wondering the same thing but mine is still small and has been growing slowly. About 1.5 inches when I got it and about 2.5 inches now over about 4 months so I think I am good but still no bristles at all.
 

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