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Hi all
Wondering if the teracotta pots i have in my tank are too rough for a bristlenose (4.5cm) Eg might that cause the redness on my bn sucker?
Thoughts
Cheers
Jay

I've got a 12cm terracotta pot (regular plain variety that you find in any garden-centre), and I've had that or a similar one with Gus for the last year or so. She's currently about 8 cm, but was about 4-5 when I got her. Not seen any redness on the sucker. I've also got Warren in the same tank, he's currently about 4.5cm, and seems perfectly happy with the furniture.

I don't know what would cause the redness on the sucker, but I doubt it would be the terracotta pots.

What sort of food are you giving it? Mine loves Courgette (Zuchini), but also likes to eat Baked Potato skin (with some potato left on it), grapes and I just put some Sweet potato (Yam) in there, and that seems to be a hit too.

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Mats

hi
yes my pots are (regular plain variety that you find in any garden-centre), also

ive only had them a short time and i feed shelled pea, algae wafer, cucumber and zuchini the odd brineshrimp and bloodworm(both frozen) could well float past also. Is this diet lacking?

its good to know i can eed eat Baked Potato skin (with some potato left on it), grapes and I just put some Sweet potato (Yam)
cheers
jay

Your diet sounds fine. The bristlenoses are herbivores, but they don't mind a bit of protein in the food, so the odd bloodworm or brineshrimp will not mess up their diet. Mine quite likes to have a chance on the bloodworms when I give the others their saturday treat.

Also, you may want to have some driftwood/bogwood in the tank that the bristlenose will like to chew on, but it's not as important as for instance the Panaque species, which are really WOODEATING species.

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Mats

Hi,
I have some plant pots as well as home made terracotta caves where I bought the clay, made them and had them fired.
I have had no problems. one of my BNs got a red sore on the end of its nose which I thought might be from the edge of a PVC tube where the edges are a little rough, but it healed OK with a bit a melafix, and not returned, so I think it was from a fight with another male.
in fact they like the rough surface as more algae grows on it.
I did have some glazed pots but heard that if they lay eggs in them they dont stick to the cave surface as well and can get pushed off, so a rough surface is better for eggs (if I get lucky enough)-hence I made these caves.

thanks for all the info everyone
its interesting to learn that the rough surface serves its own purpose
and
yes mine have plenty of driftwood I love the look of driftwood in a tank

Cheers
Jay

I don't use terra cotta POTs for my bristle nose , but for the past thirty odd years I have used the terra cotta saucers that go under the pots as Ancistrus spawning sites/caves.

Bristles seem to like the tightest possible spots to hide their eggs, and their first choice seems to be impossibley small holes in bog wood. How they even get in there to spawn is beyond me, but they do.

Their next choice is a real tight fit under or between rocks, so I hit on the idea of the saucers (I used to grow cacti and orchids). Use 4", 6", 8" or 10" saucers depending on the size of the male and using a light hammer, tap out a crescent from the rim, just big enough for him to squeeze in. Works a treat and he will entice as many females as possible into his pad.

Check out this guy http://perthcichlid.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=2335

Alan.