There are numerous Plecos in the hobby, but a really great starting point into Plecos has to be the ever-popular Bristlenose Pleco (Ancistrus cirrhosus).
What’s a Pleco? Broadly put, they’re freshwater fish of the suckermouth variety who are slim but have very flat undersides, which allow them to clamp onto surfaces and feed. This includes other fish who are flat!
What sets them apart (and quite frankly, puts some people off) is their otherworldly facial structure. Like an alien life form for your own tank, the Bristlenose indeed has a number of protrusions emanating from its snout that resemble bristles on a hairbrush.
They have some variations in coloring, which make them a great bottom dweller to include in your tank setup if you need some action on the lower strata of your waters.
They hail from the Amazon River Basin as so many popular freshwater hobby fish do. In the trade, you might also see them under the name Bushy Nose Pleco, Suckerfish, Brushmouth Pleco, or Bristlenose Catfish. But whatever you call them, they are unique and interesting to care for.
They do indeed share many characteristics of other catfish and Pleco varieties but come with their own distinct set of needs.
What makes them possibly more coveted than the Common Pleco?
Let’s hit the bottom of the tank to see what’s up with these somewhat prehistoric-looking fish.
Bristlenose Pleco Behavior
They are hard to beat when it comes to being a great starter fish in the hobby. Sure, you might have other small-sized fish that are hardy to start with, too (we’re looking at your Tetras and Guppies), but for some easy breezy activity on the bottom of the tank to keep you occupied, the Bristlenose is second to none.
Undoubtedly you’ll get a fair amount of questions from family and friends about this oddball, but that’s what we’re here for!
However, they are primarily nocturnal and are able to stay motionless for hours at a time while they rest and blend in with their natural camouflage.
They like to hide in the daytime and become active at night.
Not only are they highly amicable creatures, but they also prefer to get social with your community too.
The one exception is males. Males should be limited to one in the tank because they are very territorial and will undoubtedly squabble with one another, which you don’t need if you’re a newbie.
Besides male competition, it would be uncommon to see any aggression between a Bristlenose and other fish in your tank.
You’ll need to avoid fish that are flatter shaped as species like Discus or Angelfish can become victim to having a Pleco latch on like a suction cup and suck on their slime coats.
It sounds pretty gruesome, but we suppose this adds to their alien charm and comparisons.
Anyone who has seen the film Alien or The Empire Strikes Back (those flying creatures that stick to the Millennium Falcon in the belly of the beast on the asteroid?) will understand that having something stuck to you with a vacuum seal would have to be unpleasant.
But we digress, let’s move on to lifespan and that unusual appearance.
Bristlenose Pleco Lifespan
Normally you can expect Bristlenose Plecos to live for around 5 years and often beyond, but in the wild, they can live for up to 12 years.
We will discuss more on tank requirements a little later in this article.
Bristlenose Pleco Appearance
Describing a Bristlenose isn’t difficult, but it can often be difficult for some people to comprehend. It’s a fish that looks like it has a brush on its nose? Well, yes.
At full maturity, they grow up to 6 inches in length, so they aren’t small. These fish do not possess scales and instead have a bony exoskeleton for protection.
Their fins extend horizontally because of their flattened body shaping. The pectoral and anal fins are on the side of the body and fan out flat to the ground, glass, or whatever they are clinging to.
The appropriately named sucker mouth is on the underside of the head in a round configuration like a suction cup.
It’s really quite simple to sex these fish too, and the key is in the bristles.
Bristle-like extensions cover the snout and head of the male, and they are quite lengthy too, almost like short tentacles. Females have much less pronounced ones, and they are only around the mouth area. In both cases, the trademark bristles only develop from around 6 months of age, so sexing prior to this is quite difficult.
Their coloring is usually a greenish-brown, black, olive, or grey base with white or yellowy spots all over the body.
Even though overall they are odd-looking creatures, that’s what makes them rather special to the hobby. You can have your own unique-looking specimen that will warrant discussion and help clean your tank!
Bristlenose Pleco Habitat And Tank Requirements
In the wild, they come from the Amazon River Basin, which has a moderate to high current with good oxygenation but not a lot of direct sunlight due to the dense forest overhang.
Lots of caves and places to hide along with suitable substrate that won’t scratch them is ideal in their setup.
Tank Conditions
When considering your landscaping for the Bristlenose, think of what they would encounter in the wild to provide optimum living quarters.
They enjoy slightly acidic water, lots of places to hide, fairly soft water, and plenty of space to ‘nose around.’
In terms of filtration, canisters work best. Even though these fish are wonders at cleaning up algae, they create an awful lot of waste themselves, so you need to keep that water clean and under control. They need to be high-powered to create the water flow and oxygenate the water thoroughly. Consider supplementation with under-gravel filtration too.
For substrate, consider dirt or clay with a gravel overlay which works really well. Nothing too sharp, which can scratch their undersides!
Driftwood is highly encouraged, as well as other cave-type structures for resting and hiding.
Vegetation like floating plants are best to diffuse out overhead lighting and help absorb nitrates from the water. Include Java Moss or Hornwort if you like for lower and full height plantings.
Water changes should be done at around 25% and biweekly or as needed.
Water conditions should be noted, tested regularly, and maintained as follows:
- pH of 5.8 – 7.5
- Water hardness 2 – 20 dGH
- Temperature between 73 – 81ºF (23 – 27ºC)
- Lighting should be standard or whatever your plant life needs to succeed
Tank Size
The minimum tank size needed is 30 gallons for a single Bristlenose Pleco. If you add more, add another 25 gallons if you want to house 2 or 3.
In terms of tank shape, you want to aim for a long and low tank so that the water height stays relatively shallow, which is what they are more accustomed to in nature.
Choosing Tank Mates For Bristlenose Plecos
Peaceful bottom-dwellers though they are, you should avoid having them in a community where anything is aggressive.
Also worth mentioning that other more active bottom dwellers like Clown Loaches can be more aggressive when it comes to feeding time. So take care to observe feeding time if you include other bottom dwellers to ensure that they are getting their fair share of the food supply.
Some excellent fish to include as tank mates for Bristlenose Plecos are:
How To Feed Bristlenose Plecos
The Bristlenose Pleco is omnivorous but mostly a herbivore. In the wild, they can sometimes eat insect larvae along with algae and plant materials.
In captive tanks, they pretty much like the same things. An important point to note here is that they should be fed at night. They do not like to eat during the daytime or with light around, so keep it late in the day when lighting is subdued.
Including things like Algae Wafers is helpful if you need to supplement their diet, but make sure it’s the sinking variety, so it reaches them at the bottom. They aren’t going to surface feed!
A wide variety is good for these fish, so include occasional protein hits like bloodworms or insect larvae if you can.
Vegetables are important too to include fiber in their diet. They need to get the air out of their system, and fiber is an important component of ensuring that happens, or it can affect their swim bladder.
Try things like blanched peas a few times a week, or cucumber, zucchini, and carrots. Peas are popular because they are easy to grab with a gravel suction vacuum if they don’t get eaten. It’s important to remove uneaten veggies to avoid fouling the water.
On that fiber note, another reason why driftwood should be encouraged in your setup is because Plecos will suck the wood to get algae but will also ingest fibrous wood materials, which help their digestion.
Bristlenose Pleco Common Health Issues
They are not prone to any species-specific diseases, but they should have excellent water conditions to keep them at their bristly best.
However, like most freshwater fish, they are susceptible to the usual culprits that afflict fish in captivity.
Ich or White Spot Disease is a parasitic infection that affects their gills and bodies. Presenting as white cotton-like spots on the body, this parasite will gradually take over its host (your fish) if not treated, but luckily there are treatments available.
Ich is highly contagious, so having a hospital tank isn’t likely to help, and it’s best to treat the whole tank to prevent others from catching it.
Hexamita or Hole-In-The-Head Disease is an infection that presents as ulcers on the head of the fish, which is also fatal if not treated.
Fin Rot, Dropsy, and Pop Eye are also possible for these fish.
Avoid any salt-based treatments to the tank, as well as anything that isn’t suited to fish without scales. Antibiotics are safe to use as long as you use the right one for the condition. Consult an expert if you are uncertain.
How To Breed Bristlenose Plecos
Considering breeding your Bristlenose Plecos? The good news is that it isn’t too difficult to achieve. The main challenge will be getting those fry to maturity.
However, saying that, it isn’t something to consider unless you know how you will raise these fry and what you would do with them if you manage to achieve their growth as juniors to maturity. A single female can lay hundreds of eggs.
Females will lay eggs, and males will fertilize them.
After that, they will ferociously defend their eggs, unlike the majority of other hobby species who tend to eat their own eggs.
You should not attempt to keep a breeding pair in a tank with other fish as the Plecos will defend and fight others to exhaustion or death in the pursuit of keeping their eggs viable.
If you wish to avoid all of this in the first place, keep single-sex groups of Plecos to prevent unnecessary stress and worry in your setup. It’s not worth having the concerns with what to do with the fry and the aggression towards other tank members if you don’t know what you would do with a large amount of fry in the first place.
Are Bristlenose Plecos A Good Idea For Your Aquarium?
In short, Bristlenose Plecos are an amazingly unique and interesting fish to choose if you want some unusual bottom dwellers in your setup.
They have many benefits for your tank in terms of algae clean-up and are remarkable to observe doing their thing and going about their business.
Otherworldly looks, hardy by nature, and camouflage experts in the tank, they are a fun addition that beats some of the more basic species.
Grab your lightsaber and release your inner Sci-Fi nerd to get on board with the Bristlenose; you won’t regret it.
