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I have a 182L(48g) 120cm(4 foot) tank that I plan to put 2 male and 2 female Longfin Super Red Bristlenose in to breed.

Stores in Australia sell them at 5cm (2 inches) for $145 a pop and 2,5gm (1 inch) for like $80. The physical stores however have no stock.

Given that I need the parents to be in the tank and 1 lot of parents I'm led to believe can have anything from 20 to 200 fry a time and I kinda need them to grow to 5cm (2 inches) how big do I need the tank for fry to be?

Some info I've been given is that I can raise them to 5cm (2 inches) in the same tank I breed the parents in aka the 182L(48g) 120cm(4 foot) tank while others have said I need to buy an IBC tote to convert it into a 1000L tank and get a giant sump.

You need lots of tanks if you want to do efficiently. Or just get a large vat of some sort (is that an IBC tote?) but if you use that method, one mistake, or disease and you lose a lot of fish.

I'd raise them to 1cm and then move each brood to its own grow out tank until you run out of grow out tanks and then just leaeve them in the main tank. Then, another tank or two to put the males in to give them a rest from time to time.

Cheers,

Jools

The biggest issue I have had with Ancistrus fry is that a few dominant fry will establish themselves and get the most food.

This results in a brood with 4-5 fast growing fry while their brothers and sisters show little growth. To keep growth equal among the group it's necessary to occasionally remove the most dominant (and thus fastest growing) fry from time to time.

-Shane

Shane wrote: ↑04 Sep 2024, 20:33 The biggest issue I have had with Ancistrus fry is that a few dominant fry will establish themselves and get the most food.

This results in a brood with 4-5 fast growing fry while their brothers and sisters show little growth. To keep growth equal among the group it's necessary to occasionally remove the most dominant (and thus fastest growing) fry from time to time.

-Shane

I've had the same experience with multiple species, plecos, corys and Amblydoras. As Shane says, periodically (I do it about twice a month), remove the 2-3 largest fish and put them together in a tank with other fish of same size, then let the smaller fish keep growing.

Cheers,
Eric

Jools wrote: ↑04 Sep 2024, 19:41 You need lots of tanks if you want to do efficiently. Or just get a large vat of some sort (is that an IBC tote?) but if you use that method, one mistake, or disease and you lose a lot of fish.

I'd raise them to 1cm and then move each brood to its own grow out tank until you run out of grow out tanks and then just leaeve them in the main tank. Then, another tank or two to put the males in to give them a rest from time to time.

Cheers,

Jools

IBC Tote is a 1000L (264g) plastic thing with a metal frame that is used to store mayonnaise and the like with its top sawed off to make it a tank.

I have had it suggested that a single canister filter won't be enough for that size thing even if Fluval says it is for a up to 1000L tank. I have had it suggested i'd need about 4 or 6 of those canisters since I need to filter the water between 10 and 15 times an hour and that it would be cheaper and better to get or build a 250L (66g) sump for the filter.

Keep in mind, if you use totes of any kind, that they do not need to meet display aquarium filtration standards as you will be doing large water changes every day or two.
-Shane

This is one of those questions that needs another question to be answered - Are you breeding for Hobby/Pleasure or for Business?
Hobby/Pleasure I would grow them out in the same tank they were bred in,
Business - I would definitely use a separate breeding/growing out tank.
In both cases you will need to ensure food availability for ALL fry (see comment from Shane). This might mean over-feeding for the first couple of weeks so Snails/Shrimp as cleaning crew, regular and frequent water changes (remove the breeding cave as frequent water changes may stimulate another breeding cycle - your call), and stay right on top of your water parameters.
Then all you need to do is find homes for the wee beasties before they get too big or they will overwhelm your tank!
Good luck