Bristlenose pleco caves

[Betty]

I've tried a few different types of caves or logs and I have found that my bristlenose that aren't fully grown, (but are still mature enough to spawn) prefer these stone caves. I don't think a fully grown pleco would fit inside and I'm surprised that mine at their sizes still fit in there. There is a lip around the opening and I haven't seen any eggs get accidentally kicked out. I have four males and three of them fight over these stones. I have more than enough, but they still have to squabble over them. I think it might be time to separate them.

This video shows two of them fighting over a cave. The invader gets a cave in the end.

[flash=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/v/XHnziykE1T0" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true[/flash]

 

[Madness]

Those pics are awesome. I think I will try one of those stones for my pair, they are much smaller than the reg BN.

On a different topic, sorta. lol Is it possible that my male pleco gathered up all of the little ones and took them back into the log? When they all began hatching I had around 35 wigglers all over the tank, now I see 1.

 

[Betty]

I haven't seen mine do that, but I suppose it's possible. I imagine it would be difficult to get them all gathered if they were scattered all over the tank. I know that mine will keep the babies in the cave for quite a while, even after their egg sacs are fully absorbed. I take a flashlight and shine it down in the log to be able to see if there are any in there.

Most of my little ones manage to stay out of sight until I feed. There have been times when I thought they were all gone, but when the food went it, they came out from everywhere!

 

[Madness]

What do you feed them?

 

[Betty]

I feed them the same foods the adults get. NLS, canned French-style green beans, fresh veggies, just about anything really. The first few days I will sometimes use a little bit of Hikari First Bites and swish that around in the water to settle around for them. I've never known them to be picky.

 

[Betty]

Here are a couple of older videos of feeding times.
The first one they are eating NLS pellets; the second one the canned green beans.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byeR_gGvHkk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QI15YaKf-g

 

[DMD123]

I dont know what is is but my plecos love NLS too.

 

[Betty]

I dont know what is is but my plecos love NLS too.

:spoton: It makes feeding time easy when all of the fish can eat the same food.

Madness, did you locate your other babies?

I found another way to get all the babies out in the open. This morning when I went to feed the tank, I noticed thousands (slight exaggeration) of fry covering the glass on all sides -- something they never do. I had no idea there were that many in the tank! Anyway, the tank is filtered with two sponge filters and the pump had died some time during the night. :shock: I had to make an emergency trip to the store and did a big water change. They all seem to be okay now.

 

[Betty]

Since there are some new topics about bristlenose caves, I thought I'd update this one. I have even more males wanting the small "stone" caves. They still manage to cram themselves in there and all have been spawning in them.

They also use other types of caves. A lot of fry have been raised in the "log" on the left.

My big regular bristlenose spawns in this log style cave. I don't have a cichlid stone cave in his tank, but I don't think he would be able to fit all of his bristles in that small opening.

 

[MorganEA]

Can you tell us more about your tank setup? Do you have them all in the same tank?

 

[Betty]

I'm embarrassed to admit that I've got the albinos (what seems at times like hundreds if you count fry) in one 10 gallon tank. There is one regular colored female in that tank that I need to move. I really need to move them all to a bigger tank, but this tank has been working for years now. I do big water changes on it every third day or so. They breed like crazy. There are six adult males and there always seems to be one with a brood in his cave. I have given away hundreds over the years.

The regular bristlenose are in a 20 long. Only one big male and half a dozen or so females.

I do bare bottoms on these tanks now because it's so much easier to keep clean with the amount of poop that's produced! Sponge filters because I used to find young ones in the power filters even with the intake strainers covered.

I feed NLS pellets, canned french style green beans, fresh veggies and I also take algae covered rocks from other tanks and place in the pleco tank to let them clean them off.

 

[MorganEA]

Plecos don't seem that fussy about space I think people say to keep them in larger tanks because of how messy they are. Thank you for sharing I've been wanting to separate my Plecos into their own tank but was unsure as to what size to get them.

 

[tazeat]

My big regular bristlenose spawns in this log style cave. I don't have a cichlid stone cave in his tank, but I don't think he would be able to fit all of his bristles in that small opening.

Wow more pictures of the giant bristles on that guy! Looks like the pictures of the "Medusa" plecos I've seen. You can see my albino Mr Bristles in my picture thread . Their bristles are surprisingly soft on your fingers though.

I keep all my plecos in male or female only tanks, I'm having enough trouble giving away the ones from my last spawn... Having more than 10 fry in a tank plus the guppies just seems too much for my 10g.

 

[Betty]

Morgan, I wouldn't recommend a 10 gallon long-term unless you only keep one male and a few females and can do frequent water changes. I really need to move mine up to a bigger tank. This one sits right next to the laundry room sink and is very convenient for me to keep it maintained, so I keep putting it off and putting it off...

Tazeat, I saw your Mr. Bristles. He's nice-looking.


Here's my old guy. I love this fish.

 

[Cory]

Great pictures, with the close up it looks like a monster from a movie.

 

[tazeat]

He's awesome! Nice pictures too, take care of him, he probably already gets all the lady plecos

 

[Betty]

Thanks guys. I try to keep him happy. He is a lone male in his tank. He doesn't get along with other males. I don't know how long plecos live, but he's over eight years old. This picture was taken January, 2007.

 

[tazeat]

Wiki says lifespan of up to 12 years so sounds like he's doing well.

 

[MorganEA]

Wow look at all his bristles! Betty I'm going to get a 20long for my male and his 3 females.

 

[Ali]

Stupid newbie question:You can tell males from females by the quantity and location of bristles? So how can you tell in other species?