Deciding between common and L183 bristlenose

[laxation]

For my tank, I really like the L183 and would love to have one, but I'm not sure if it is right for me.

Right now, my PH is up around 7.3-7.5, but I have some mopani driftwood that might lower it somewhat.
I read that L183 like it below 7, so would they be drastically unhappy in this level of PH, or would he grow into it?

Also, I don't want my fish to hide so I never see them, but I have heard that L183's are timid and hide a lot. Are they generally more scared than common BN?

[MatsP]

I didn't have much luck with my brief attempt to keep L183. But that was probably caused by several factors coinciding.

L183 definitely likes soft, acidic water.

The common bristlenose, especially if it's a female is likely to be out and about most of the time. Other bristlenoses have been known to hide quite a bit in my own experience. This is possibly to do with the fact that the common bristlenose has been captive bred for many generations, and this may have reduced the need to hide (that is, the fish where the genetic tendency to hide is lessened aren't being killed by predators in the tank, where in the wild, fish that don't hide are more likely to get eaten by some predator - this is just a hypothesis, however).

In Australia, there is also the "peppermint bristlenose", which is pretty and easy to keep, as far as I understand. Like the common bristlenose, these are of somewhat unknown origin, possibly even hybrid species.

--
Mats

[laxation]

The peppermint bristlenose is the one I'm talking about. I was under the impression it was L183..

[MatsP]

No - it's most likely

Ancistrus sp(L071)

or a hybrid involving that or a similar species.

I don't believe the Australian peppermint species is particularly sensitive to pH higher than 7.

--
Mats

[laxation]

AH ok ripper! Do you know about anything its shyness?

[MatsP]

Don't know which is less shy. Most plecos are quite shy, so you need to provide them with an environment where they are comfortable. Counterintutively, this means that you should be providing lots of hiding spaces and cover, so the fish feels like it can find somewhere to hide with a quick flick of the fins. Imagine that you are in Africa, and there are lions, and you think the lions would like to eat you. You are in a safe place right now, where would you feel more comfortable to venture outside your safe place?
A) In an open field with a bit of grass that the lions can hide in.
B) An open maze of hidey-holes with a door that you can close behind you.

The same principle applies to shy fish too: If it feels safe, it will venture out. If it feels unsafe, it won't come out.

--
Mats

[laxation]

Good theory it makes so much sense!

I have an unplanted 90L tank, so it doesn't have a LOT of floorspace, but I have 7 pygmy corys and 4 panda corys in it. How could I create hidy spots without getting rid of too much floor space for the corys?

[MatsP]

Corys will be happy to have tunnels and plants to swim around with. If your plan is to breed your bristlenose, then you will need a proper cave rather than tunnel for the brood-care, but otherwise, just something to hide under is the key for the fish feeling secure.

--
Mats

[nvcichlids]

then you will need a proper cave rather than tunnel for the brood-care, but otherwise, just something to hide under is the key for the fish feeling secure.

--
Mats

Mats, i don't know if this is a freak occurance, but my brother's bristlenose are breeding in a sand bottomed tank with no cover. It is a tanganyikan cyprichromis colony tank, so no rocks or anything and they are just laying the eggs in small craters and the male will sit ontop of them. This behavior I had never seen before!

[MatsP]

then you will need a proper cave rather than tunnel for the brood-care, but otherwise, just something to hide under is the key for the fish feeling secure.

--
Mats

Mats, i don't know if this is a freak occurance, but my brother's bristlenose are breeding in a sand bottomed tank with no cover. It is a tanganyikan cyprichromis colony tank, so no rocks or anything and they are just laying the eggs in small craters and the male will sit ontop of them. This behavior I had never seen before!

Never heard of that before, but I guess if they are desperate enough...

--
Mats

[laxation]

I might go down to the local plant shop and buy some little slate rocks to make a cave for the little fella. I have a ship ornament they can hide in, but once he gets a bit bigger he won't fit!
I'm not trying to breed anything, don't have the drive to do that stuff right now. Maybe later on when I get used to keeping the fish.

[laxation]

I ended up with a peppermint, and he's been great so far! really happy with the little fella.

When I see him on the glass though, I noticed he has a pink belly. I thought I would just make sure that it's normal. He doesn't hang around long enough to take a picture, so let me know if you need a more detailed description!

[MatsP]

Slightly pink tummy is normal. If it's quite bright pink, you may have a problem. But I doubt it.

--
Mats

[laxation]

ok cool cheers, just thought I'd make sure!

[Hellspawn]

Too bad those Ozzy Peppermints aren't available outside Australia. I'd like a go at them, but I live in Europe.

[apistomaster]

then you will need a proper cave rather than tunnel for the brood-care, but otherwise, just something to hide under is the key for the fish feeling secure.

--
Mats

Mats, i don't know if this is a freak occurance, but my brother's bristlenose are breeding in a sand bottomed tank with no cover. It is a tanganyikan cyprichromis colony tank, so no rocks or anything and they are just laying the eggs in small craters and the male will sit ontop of them. This behavior I had never seen before!

Never heard of that before, but I guess if they are desperate enough...

--
Mats

I have had my collection of albino, normal but heterozygous for albinism and long fin albino common Ancistrus spawn without any "proper" caves a number of times in one of my Discus tanks. It was deliberately designed to not be very conducive to breeding Bushy Nose Plecos but they can and do hollow out retreats underneath pieces of drift wood branches and yield a tank full of albino and normal short fin fry several times.
When I have use for a few juvenile BN for utilitarian purposes I get some from a friend whom I gave heterozygous short fin normal colored BN carrying the albino gene.

I would like to see Ancistrus claro become the most commonly available species of Ancistrus.
I only want to breed some Ancistrus claro but I haven't been able to find anyone who has any for sale. If I am able to establish a breeding colony of Ancistrus claro I will completely eliminate every common BN I have. In my humble opinion, we would be doing the hobby a service to make Ancistrus claro the new standard algae eating pleco due to it's small adult size. It is better suited to small and aquatic garden styled tanks because they do less damage to more sensitive plant leaves and if they dig, their holes are not large.
I would rather use a couple Ancistrus claro to do the same utilitarian chores now typically done by one common Bushy Nose.
I think we have a long ways to go to develop a strain of Ancistrus claro which is as well adapted to general fish keeping; they seem to be a more sensitive species presently than the common BN but I am quite annoyed by the numbers of advertisers on fish auction sites who frequently advertise common Bushy Nose juveniles as "Dwarf Bushy Noses". Obviously they use this term because there is a demand for a smaller Ancistrus species by many people.

I do think our common Ancistrus cf. cirrhosus is the best choice for larger less planted tanks containing very peaceful to moderately peaceful fish which are medium sized or larger but still peaceful. It is also one of the few types which thrive as the resident algae eater in African Rift Lakes Cichlid aquariums due to it's ability to thrive in very hard, alkaline water conditions.

The Australian Peppermint pleco would probably be very welcomed in the rest of the world as an alternative to the common Ancistrus.

There are many attractive large species of plecos which are excellent choices for tanks containing larger and more aggressive species of fish