bristlenose and driftwood

degrassi · Post by **degrassi** » 10 Dec 2003, 20:42

I was wondering if bristlenose plecos need driftwood in their diet like some other plecos? I"m aksin becuase on another board a member said that they do but i have BN plecos in all my tanks and some have dirftwood and some don't and they are all healthy.

So do bristlenose plecos need driftwood?

Yann · Post by **Yann** » 10 Dec 2003, 21:23

Hi!

Ancistrus usually do not eat the wood, they are more like eating the microfilm that is deposit on it and that has algae and other animacul, but they do not feed out of wood like Panaque and members of the Hypostomus cochliodon group will do...
I also have some in both type of tank and both groups are doing good...
Cheers
Yann

degrassi · Post by **degrassi** » 11 Dec 2003, 05:26

Thank you, I didn't think that the needed it like some of the wood eating pleco do.

fishnut2 · Post by **fishnut2** » 11 Dec 2003, 19:11

Hi all,
I 've spawned bristlenose with and without driftwood in the tank. I don't think it's absolutely necessary...but they do seem to enjoy it. My bristles definetely eat the driftwood. They also eat my Amazon sword plants, which some people will deny. The fry seem to enjoy the driftwood as well. They are probably just eating infusoria at that stage...but the driftwood provides a collection area for it. My opinion...it isn't necessary.
But most plecos would prefer to have it!
Rich - Fishnut2