Breeding Size of Bristlenose Pleco (i.e. "Ancistrus sp.")

[BrownBullhead]

What size do Bristlenose Pleco (i.e. "Ancistrus sp.") usually begin to breed at?

I bought six specimens from forum sponsor about January 2008 that were in the 1.5" range then, and now appear to be 3" size.

I am 99% certain I have two pairs moved into a 80 gallon with some Tropheus. Two have the distinct "bush" and two have but ome less than 1mm "stubble" around the sucker lip, but no stubble up the "bridge" of the face.

I have seen the type of "breeding cave" I will need to buy at a local keeper's house.

Does it sound like my Pleco are at the required size for breeding? Is it possible to breed them in "hard water"? Do they need anything else besides potato, algae wafers, and cichlid pellets; I have read they "need" driftwood???

Thank you for all input.

[MatsP]

If they are common

Ancistrus sp(3)

they should certainly be at breeding age. They may even be breeding right now, but because you have two males, the males will fight and potentially eat the eggs/fry of the other male. It is better to have one male and two females.

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Mats

[katie]

I have 4 inch albino brisle noses (mama is long finned) they have just let the 3rd batch of babies out of their shell they have happyly used sea shells the male will want to be able to fit inside it takes 3 days for the eggs to hatch but my male keeps them in the shell 2 weeks - I thought he ate them the first time be sure not to let eggs in air as they will die i keep drift wood in all my tanks i was told they need need it to digest food mine also love zuccini & roman lettuce-sorry 4 the spelling and best of luck i'm always excited to see new wigglers

[anglerfishuk]

I have Breeding Ancistrus sp3 proper driftwood not mopani wood is needed for the lignin , also i found feeding some bloodworm or black mosquito larve brings them into breeding mood, plus a water change with slighty cooler than the tank temp will also help , I have a "cave like" ornament which the male claimed for his place,
I currently have around 80 -90 young in varying sizes, I also have another pair which have not bred as yet,
Feedingwise they will take zucchini, cucumber, potato, sweet potato, and Marrow ( larger member of squash family looks like a zucchini)

[MatsP]

I have just one comment, and that is that Mopani is fine with bristlenoses. The first 150 or so of the bristlenoses I bred were kept in a tank with only mopani in it (actually, the first part of the life of "mom", there was no wood in the tank at all). I don't know how many I have at the moment, but I have three tanks with breeding pairs at the moment. I can't give them away! [At the moment, I'm making no effort to make the fry survive, but they tend to do that anyways].

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Mats

[Carp37]

I'm not sure how much Ancistrus "need" bogwood/driftwood either- like Mats I've had fry and adolescent fish develop and grow normally without it for months (and in some cases without supplemental vegetables too), but where they have wood available, both fry and adults make as much sawdust mess as the Panaque maccus do (I have to gravel vac the main bristlenose tank, and de-clog the internal filter, every other day), so they definitely like it when it's available. The bristlenose in my 4' community tank eat wood but won't touch courgette or cucumber!

[anglerfishuk]

I have the same thing with my offspring i did manage to sell some to a LFS earlier this year, re Mopani Wood , I have 3 tanks with proper Bogwood and 1 with Mopani wood and Bogwood is covered in bodies but the Mopani wood is totally ignored maybe I spoiled them when they wre wrigglers lol