Yes Or No On Bristlenose Plecos?

[Evad]

I just spent the last 30 minutes searching and reading on Bristlenose plecos in a planted tank. Seems like no solid suggestion either way. Can you please tell me what the risks are to my planted tank if I add a Bristlenose pleco? Are only sensitive plants at risk? What is an example of a sensitive plant for a Bristlenose?

Thanks!

 

[Wolfenrook]

If you keep them really well fed on vetetable matter (courgette, cucumber, blanched lettuce leaves etc) then they should present minimal risk to even plants like echinodorus species. Don't give them enough and plants like swords etc will get munched.

Ade

 

[Evad]

If you keep them really well fed on vetetable matter (courgette, cucumber, blanched lettuce leaves etc) then they should present minimal risk to even plants like echinodorus species. Don't give them enough and plants like swords etc will get munched.

Ade

Sorry I guess I wasn't clear on my intentions I would only buy the Pleco to eat algae. If for some reason all my algae woes dissapeared then of course I would feed it all kinds of neat veggies.

So, now that you know I want him to eat algae - still a good choice? Or no?

 

[piper]

I have two in my planted tank and haven't seem them damage any of my plants. I feed them algae tabs but thats about it,

 

[samh12]

You could have one i do in my vision 180. (i dont give him veg)
He has never eaten a plant only the algae from the plants and wood etc.
I also have Algae Shrimp in both of my Tropical Tank. (Freshwater)
Hope this helps
Sam

 

[Mr Bliss]

Nice timing, I was just going to post the very same question. I don't have any fish in my planted tank yet, and I'm hoping that my upcoming trumpet snails and cherry red shrimp will take care of any algae, but I keep thinking about bristlenoses. On top of dealing with algae, they are beautiful (in my opinion anyway) and interesting fishes. They would also be less likely to jump out of my open top tank than SAEs. But I keep hearing that Amazon swords in particular get damaged by bristlenoses. They may not eat the plants, but they've been said to damage the surface of the plant when scraping off algae, and swords are sensitive to that. Has anyone here had such problems?

 

[Evad]

OK! So it sounds like a bristlenose pleco is the way to go! Next question: Any suggestions on what kind? Does it matter?

I have a 180gal in case that matters....

 

[rocknurworld2006]

is it a proper planted tank with lots of plants?

you dont buy a pleco to eat algae!!

they need to fed a varied diet they cannot just survive on algae just!

 

[Evad]

is it a proper planted tank with lots of plants?

you dont buy a pleco to eat algae!!

they need to fed a varied diet they cannot just survive on algae just!

Interesting. So after reading a ton of threads on this formum you are the first peson to say that you don't buy a pleco to eat algae. Even in the species index on these very boards it says "Bristelnose catfish are not a strictly nocturnal fish. These algae eaters establish territories around caves, peices of wood and other hiding places found in tanks"

Now I feel like I am back to square one.

 

[Mr Bliss]

is it a proper planted tank with lots of plants?

you dont buy a pleco to eat algae!!

they need to fed a varied diet they cannot just survive on algae just!

Interesting. So after reading a ton of threads on this formum you are the first peson to say that you don't buy a pleco to eat algae. Even in the species index on these very boards it says "Bristelnose catfish are not a strictly nocturnal fish. These algae eaters establish territories around caves, peices of wood and other hiding places found in tanks"

Now I feel like I am back to square one.

I think he meant to warn that bristlenoses won't thrive on algae only, especially in a heavily planted tank where you probably won't have huge amounts of algae (and not all algae species are nutritious). I kept bristlenoses in my old kribensis tank, where I fed them blanched zucchini (you can leave a piece of zucchini in the tank for a couple of days) and cooked broccoli (mainly for my apple snails, since broccoli is high in calcium, but the BNs liked it too). This diet plus leftovers from the kribensis' pellets seemed to keep the bristlenoses in good shape.

 

[rocknurworld2006]

is it a proper planted tank with lots of plants?

you dont buy a pleco to eat algae!!

they need to fed a varied diet they cannot just survive on algae just!

Interesting. So after reading a ton of threads on this formum you are the first peson to say that you don't buy a pleco to eat algae. Even in the species index on these very boards it says "Bristelnose catfish are not a strictly nocturnal fish. These algae eaters establish territories around caves, peices of wood and other hiding places found in tanks"

Now I feel like I am back to square one.

I think he meant to warn that bristlenoses won't thrive on algae only, especially in a heavily planted tank where you probably won't have huge amounts of algae (and not all algae species are nutritious). I kept bristlenoses in my old kribensis tank, where I fed them blanched zucchini (you can leave a piece of zucchini in the tank for a couple of days) and cooked broccoli (mainly for my apple snails, since broccoli is high in calcium, but the BNs liked it too). This diet plus leftovers from the kribensis' pellets seemed to keep the bristlenoses in good shape.

yes basically what i mean is they still need to be fed a balanced diet on vegetables bloodwrom etc. but they will feed on algae as well and do a cracking job on it. also you are best to have a bit of bogwood for them as well.
if your tank is heavily planted sometimes adult bristloses are not the most gentle of species lol to plants as sometimes you find the plants floating at the top as when bn moving about the plants they end up coming out of the gravel lol. obviously if they have good roots in the gravel then they aint gonna come up

anymore questions dont hesitate to ask

 

[piper]

I bought a pleco just to eat algae!! Dont see that as a problem.

 

[rocknurworld2006]

I bought a pleco just to eat algae!! Dont see that as a problem.

so ur saying u never feed it?

 

[piper]

Yes, it gets a varied diet because I feed my shark and corys sinking pellets. But I bought it for the sole purpose of eating algae just as I bought my shrimp and otos.