# The right suckerfish?



## Shadyr (Mar 27, 2012)

I got a 36G bowfront for Christmas, and it's currently housing my fledgeling sorority, some tetras, and a few catsfish. My originaly purchased suckerfish (I don't know what kind, he was about 7 inches long and as skinny as a pencil...at the thickest part) didn't make it through the round of ich medication (Thanks tetras!). Everyone really liked him though, so I went looking for another once the tank was all re-settled and cleared. Did not find one, but the store *did* have some absolutely gorgeous longfin bristlenose plecos. The fish manager said they only grow to be about 6-9 inches long, unlike the regular plecos which I know grow to be fishzillas.

Is he correct on this? Would a bristlenose be good in my 36?


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## blu the betta (Dec 31, 2012)

yep.


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## Shadyr (Mar 27, 2012)

*hopes they still have some today* They were fun to watch - they seemed to all take great pleasure in swishing their extra big tails.


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## aemaki09 (Oct 23, 2012)

Yay! I've been scared to get plecos after hearing horror stories about them turning into carnivores, but if I remember correctly brittle nose ones don't do that!
They are adorable too! I'm going to stick with oto's for now though!

I hope you can find one!


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## Shadyr (Mar 27, 2012)

They did still have some, so my 36G is now home to a longfin bristlenose pleco! (S)he (is there any way to tell?) is very good at hiding, and while not hiding is very good at tail-swishing. And quickly found the little spots of algae that were starting to show up on the back wall of the tank.


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## Tikibirds (May 26, 2011)

The males will have more and longer bristles. There are other things to look for but I'll dont now what they are. 

Not all plecos grow huge and not all eat algae. Bristlenoses stay fairly small, I think 5 or so inches is the max and they are supposed to be awsome at eatting algae. 

I have 2 clown plecos, which max out at about 3 inches and I NEVER see them. Ever. I see their poop and I see sand being being kicked up, but very seldom them. Maybe a tail if I am lucky.


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## Silverfang (Mar 25, 2011)

And they NEED driftwood. When they are young it's pretty hard to tell, but when mature there is a HUGE difference. Saw a fully grown male albino in the LFS one day and literally jumped it shocked me.


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## Shadyr (Mar 27, 2012)

Yes, I had read about them needing a bit of driftwood to gnaw on. I have two options - I have a nice piece of driftwood I found on our local lake beach...would something like that work? Or too many unknowns? I could also search my local stores to find a piece of mopani this weekend for him/her. This must be a young one, no bristles yet. Are plecos generally nocturnal? I can never find him when the tank "daylights" are on, but once it switches over to the moonlights, he shows up out in the open.


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## Fenghuang (Dec 28, 2012)

Size and behavior depend on what kind of pleco. There are many many different species. The plecos often sold as "common" plecos grow up to prey on smaller fish. They may be okay as juveniles, but could be aggressive as adults. Panaque (the royal plecos) need a regular supply of wood and fresh vegetables, otherwise they may become malnourished.

Bristlenoses require wood in their diet for digestion and to hide in. They get stressed out if they don't have a place to retreat to. They are not very demanding nor very aggressive. Bristlenoses aren't just one species but many species; on average, their maximum size is around 5 or 6 inches. Bristlenoses are omnivores, so you can feed him sinking pellets, algae wafers, and vegetables and fruit. All plecos are nocturnal, so don't expect to see much activity in the daytime. Feed your pleco at night, so food isn't just sitting around. Hope that helps. =)


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## Silverfang (Mar 25, 2011)

Very well describing a BN's habits. Mine is a coward unless I have fresh blanched zucchini clipped in the tank. That will always lure (I think) her out. She always pounces on shrimp pellets when I try to feed the corries. And 99% of the time she hides in or under or somewhere on the driftwood.

This is my girl. Caught her after lights out. She's very shy, and slightly plump when you see her attached to the glass.


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## OrangeAugust (Jul 23, 2012)

Silverfang said:


> And they NEED driftwood. When they are young it's pretty hard to tell, but when mature there is a HUGE difference. Saw a fully grown male albino in the LFS one day and literally jumped it shocked me.


AAH! It's so creepy!!! :shock:


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## Shadyr (Mar 27, 2012)

How does one go about clipping and blanching zucchini for a shy pleco? Would any of the other fish also like that as a treat? (Tank houses, sorority, tetras, cory cats, and loaches) I will have to try this!

Swish doesn't have any bristles on the nose yet  I did notice that he does seem to have some rudimentary camouflage abilities, his skin coloration seems to change according to what he's currently hanging onto!


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## Fenghuang (Dec 28, 2012)

They sell special clips at petstores. But I don't have one so I usually just tie the food that float to a rock to weight it down. To blanch, just place in boiling water for a few minutes, the time varies depending on whatever it is, but you should be able to judge by looking at it. Don't cook all the way through, just until they become tender and the colour changes slightly. Not soft enough to lose their shape, though. Dip them in cold water afterwards to stop the cooking process and cool them down. Some vegetables can be fed raw; I feed lettuce raw after washing them thoroughly. Blanching is just to make certain tougher vegetables easier to eat.

And yes, cories would love vegetables as treats. Some other fish might also pick at it.


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## Silverfang (Mar 25, 2011)

I use this one!


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## Tikibirds (May 26, 2011)

I use plant weights a fishling line. If you ever order bunched plants online it will come with a bendable weight so the plants wont float. 
I tae the weight, stick it through the cucumber and bend the other end of the weight around the fishing line and tie the fishing line in a loop. Then toss it it, keeping one end of the line out of the tank for easy removal. 

Not that I have seen anything of mine actually eat the cucmber :evil:


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## Silverfang (Mar 25, 2011)

what the pleco doesn't rasp the snails gorge themselves on. That is one handy clip.


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## Kithy (Nov 21, 2012)

I love my albino bristlenose 

It's pretty brave for a pleco, I think. Spends lots of time out from under the wood when the lights are on. Certainly is getting braver than when I first got him. I can get my hand rather near him for an algae wafer than I used to.


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## Mandy Pandy (Mar 17, 2012)

I have two bristlenoses and I just loooove them. My first boy's named Rufus and is a calico bristlenose. I've had him almost a year and he's about five inches long and has lots of little bristles sticking out of his nose. A few weeks ago Petco had albino bristlenoses so I just had to pick one up! I'm not sure if my little albino one is a male or female but I named it Whitaker.


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## Shadyr (Mar 27, 2012)

Ooh! (S)he(?) was out kinda in the open with the daylights on yesterday, so I managed to grab a picture! Dat tail! Swish LOVES to swish that tail.


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## Fenghuang (Dec 28, 2012)

Awww, how cute. I love plecos.


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## Kithy (Nov 21, 2012)

Finally got a good one of my baby BN with all the little tiny bristles coming out.


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## Shadyr (Mar 27, 2012)

Cute! I will be watching Swish to see if any develop! Looks like its a bit easier to find the albino...mine seems to blend right in to most of my decor!


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## Kithy (Nov 21, 2012)

Oh yes, against the gravel I can't tell at all. But the dark part of that wood really shows it.


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## Mandy Pandy (Mar 17, 2012)

Rufus. :3


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## Kithy (Nov 21, 2012)

Ahhh! BN plecos are seriously the world's cutest sea monsters!! I love them. Wish I could get more D:


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