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My pair of ancristus bristlenose catfish spawned on June 25th, and again on July 26th with the second brood on the point of becoming free-swimming. My husband has counted around 20 from the first brood, all about 3/4" long, and it looks like I'm on my way to being over-run with bristlies !

My local fish shop will only take surplus bristlies when they reach 1" minimum ( preferably an inch and a half) so how do I discourge my adults from producing a third brood? In about a months' time they'll be big enough to catch and I can give some away at my local aquarist society as well as trading some at my local fish shop, but I haven't got a second tank to house an ever-increasing bristlie population in the meantime!

The adults have spawned on both occasions in a small clay plant-pot so would it discourage them from spawning again if I either relocated the plant-pot within the tank or removed it altogether?

The tank is a 4 ft bow-fronted Juwel tank, densely planted and with several logs for the benefit of my bristlies.

Common tank BN breed like rabbits. The only solution to your problem is to put them in different tanks.

Sometimes removing the spawning cave will stop them spawning, or at least slow them down till they find an alternative spot.

On the other hand there's an ample supply of stories of BNs breeding in the strangest places.

Probably not an answer you're looking for, but...

My bushynose stopped breeding, and I think it's because some of their tankmates started breeding and chasing all the other fish around the tank. So: in place of one problem, I have a different problem.

On the other hand there's an ample supply of stories of BNs breeding in the strangest places.

Yes they do