Help with bristlenose pleco care

eah · Post by **eah** » 18 Jun 2006, 00:52

Hi everyone! I'm new here.

I've been reading just about everything I can over the past few weeks about plecos and have recently purchased a BN pleco. Right now, he's in my 10 gallon QT tank. Inside the QT tank are an array of plants, lots of green algae, and a medium sized piece of driftwood. As I'm typing, he is hiding under a cave-like piece of driftwood in the tank. I'll be moving him into my regular 30 gallon tank after a few weeks (I really like to quarantine them for a long time). Here's a photo of his "final destination":

Here are the water parameters of both tanks:
10 gallon QT tank - PH 7.2, Nitrates 10 ppm, Ammonia and Nitrites 0 ppm, temp 76
30 gallon - same, except nitrates are at 5.0 ppm and there is almost no algae.

As you can see from the photo, I have a nice large piece of driftwood in the tank. I'll be adding another piece of driftwood so that he has more hiding places during the day. There is not much algae growing in the 30 gallon, but there are some plants (I'm not sure what type they are but can take photos if needed). Since there is very little algae, I plan to supplement his diet with algae wafers and other things. I'd like to know what "other things" I should be feeding this guy. I've read that you can feed them blanched or frozen then thawed zuccini and cucumbers, which are both more readily available for me than other veggies (except spinach, which I've never seen recommended as fish food, so I'm not planning to feed it). I do not want this ugly little guy to die, so I'd really like to make sure that I'm doing everything I can to keep him happy. I've ordered some sinking shrimp pellets for the common goldies he's sharing the tank with (you can see them in the photo -- they're the little gold blobs). Will he eat those too? Will they be a good supplement to his diet?

When it comes time to transfer him from the QT tank to the 30 gallon, what is the lowest stress method of doing that for my situation? Both tanks are in the same room, about ten feet from each other. Also, other than regular water changes, good diet, hiding places in the tank, and steady temperature in the mid 70s, what else should I be doing to keep him happy?

So, to summarize my questions:
1. Food: When he makes the move to the 30 gallon, there won't be much algae. Will this be a stressful change even though he'll be getting other food? How often should I feed him wafers? How often should I feed him vegetables? What are the best vegetables to feed? Is it best to blanch or freeze the veggies? Do you think he'll eat the shrimp pellets I've bought for his goldy companions? If so, it is good for him?

2. The big move: How should I move him from the one tank to the other?

3. Misc: What else can I do to keep him happy?

Thanks in advance for all of your help. I've been browsing around here quite a bit lately and it looks like there is a lot of useful information here!

Azmeaiel · Post by **Azmeaiel** » 18 Jun 2006, 03:59

1st problem will be that the goldfish are coldwater the bristlenose ancistrus is tropical. (best temps approx 75-77f)they need a heated tank.

it is not reccomended you keep these two together, because the temp difference needed by these species will shorten the life-span of one or kill other. golfish produce a huge ammount of waste and should be kept in a species only tank, they will usually end up poisoning your other fish from their waste. If it is set up as tropical, best replace these with some cleaner tropicals.if not then you may need a heated tank for the ancistrus. Zuccini is a good food. cucumber has little nuttrition and is mostly water. sweet potato is good and you dont need to blanch all the nutrients out of it because it sinks. algae wafers are good.

eah · Post by **eah** » 18 Jun 2006, 04:31

Azmeaiel wrote:1st problem will be that the goldfish are coldwater the bristlenose ancistrus is tropical. (best temps approx 75-77f)they need a heated tank.

it is not reccomended you keep these two together, because the temp difference needed by these species will shorten the life-span of one or kill other. golfish produce a huge ammount of waste and should be kept in a species only tank, they will usually end up poisoning your other fish from their waste.

I have a heater and am keeping the tank at a temp that is supposed to be suitable for both the BN pleco and the goldies (75 degrees f). I did quite a bit of reading about temps for feeder goldfish and have seen in numerous places that they are fine in 75 degree water. I'm also keeping a very close watch on my ammonia/nitrite/nitrate levels and doing weekly 17% water changes. That combined with my healthy plants seems to be keeping the water conditions acceptable for a pleco.

Azmeaiel · Post by **Azmeaiel** » 18 Jun 2006, 04:53

from a lot of experience and anecdotal evidence keeping goldfish and tropicals always ends in disaster. it can be done but you need 25 gal for the first goldie+ 10 gal for each other goldie added. on top of this you must then add 1 gal per inch of bodylength for the full growth size of other species you wish to add to the tank. this is not the usual '1 inch per gal' rule but one formulated for keeping these fish with other species. simply from the ammount of filth they produce and the ammount of waste a biological filter can handle before your tropicals start choking. goldies can supposedly be kept at temps that high but I have found when breeding them that there is very very high mortality from bacterial disease. The higher temp increases their metabolism and they also have a significantly reduced lifespan.

MatsP · Post by **MatsP** » 19 Jun 2006, 16:48

For best results for both parties, I'd set the temperature around 20-22'C/72'F or so. From personal experience, common bristlenoses do well at this temperature, and it should be OK for the goldfish too. I do agree that they are not REALLY supposed to share the same environment, but it's probably better for both parties to go for the lower temperature range.

As to moving from one tank to another, I'd recommend that you just do the same as when moving from the shop to home: plastic bag, float bag for a while in the new tank (to adjust the temperature) then add some water from the new tank to the bag (to get the water chemical differences to even out), and when you have 60-80% new water in the bag, either net the fish and let it loose in the big tank, or let the fish swim out of the bag (depending on whether you believe the old water is going to hurt your new tank or not - I use the latter method, but I've seen both claimed as "the best" method).

Feeding: see this. Bristlenoses are mainly herbivore...

Plenty of hiding places (bamboo pipes, clay pots, driftwood/roots, etc) will make the fish happy.

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Mats