Bristlenose Pleco Care Guide: Super Red, Longfin, Peppermint and More

Bristlenose plecos are the clean-up crew I recommend more than any other fish. They graze algae off glass, wood and leaves all day, they stay a sensible size, and they come in some beautiful colours and fin types. Unlike the common pleco that can grow huge, a bristlenose tops out at around 10 to 12cm, so it suits a normal home aquarium. This guide covers the different varieties, how to set up for them and how to breed them.

What are bristlenose plecos?

Bristlenose plecos (Ancistrus) are small suckermouth catfish from South America. They get their name from the soft, fleshy bristles that grow on the males' snouts as they mature. Females have only a few small bristles around the edge of the mouth, or none at all, which makes it easy to tell the sexes apart once they are grown.

They are peaceful, hardy and mostly active in the evening and overnight. During the day you will often find them resting on wood or tucked into a cave, and at night they get busy cleaning every surface in the tank.

Bristlenose varieties

All the varieties below have the same easy care. The main differences are colour and fin length. Longfin bristlenose have long, flowing fins, while shortfin bristlenose have the standard fin shape.

Super red

Super red bristlenose

A deep reddish-orange body that looks fantastic against green plants and dark substrate. One of the most colourful bristlenose varieties. Shop shortfin super red

Longfin super red bristlenose

All the colour of a super red with long, flowing fins. A real feature fish, not just a cleaner. Shop longfin super red

Peppermint

Peppermint bristlenose

A dark body covered in small white spots, a bit like a starry night. Many youngsters also have a white edge on the dorsal fin and tail that fades as they grow. The peppermint bristlenose in Australia are a hobby line rather than a pure wild species, so spotting and fins vary from fish to fish. Shop peppermint bristlenose

Common, albino and calico

Common bristlenose

The classic brown bristlenose with light spots, in shortfin and longfin. Hardy, reliable and a great choice for any community tank.

Albino and calico bristlenose

Albino bristlenose have a golden-yellow body and red eyes. Calico, or marbled, bristlenose have a patchy pattern of dark and light that is different on every fish. I have bred both, but they are not listed at the moment.

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Tank setup

• Tank size: 60 litres or more for one bristlenose, and bigger if you want a pair or a few.
• Driftwood: This is a must. Bristlenose spend hours rasping at wood, grazing the biofilm and algae that grow on it. They also love resting on it and hiding underneath.
• Caves: Give each bristlenose a cave or a hiding spot. A coconut cave or a pleco cave is perfect, and males will use it for breeding.
• Temperature: 22 to 28 degrees Celsius.
• Filtration: Bristlenose produce a fair bit of waste, so give them good filtration and a little water movement. A sponge filter works well and is safe for babies.
• Substrate: Sand or smooth gravel. Avoid sharp gravel, which can damage their mouths and bellies.

Feeding

Bristlenose will graze algae and biofilm in your tank, but there is rarely enough to keep them healthy, so always feed them as well. A good diet includes:

• Sinking algae wafers or vegetable-based pellets as a daily staple.
• Blanched vegetables like zucchini, cucumber, peas and pumpkin a few times a week. Weigh them down with a fork or a vegetable clip, and remove any leftovers after a day.
• An occasional meaty treat such as frozen bloodworms.
• Driftwood in the tank at all times, so there is always biofilm to graze.

Feed in the evening, as that is when they are most active. If your bristlenose has a sunken belly, it is not getting enough food.

Breeding bristlenose plecos

Bristlenose are one of the easiest catfish to breed. A male will claim a cave and clean it out, then encourage a female inside to lay a clump of orange eggs on the cave ceiling or walls.

The male then guards the eggs and fans them with his fins until they hatch, usually in about a week. The babies stay in the cave on their yolk sacs for a few more days, then come out and start grazing. The male does all the parenting, so leave him and the cave undisturbed.

Feed the babies blanched vegetables, crushed algae wafers and fine sinking food. Plenty of driftwood and biofilm in the tank helps them grow. A well-fed pair can breed every few weeks, so plan ahead for what you will do with the babies.

Tankmates

Bristlenose are peaceful and get along with almost any community fish that is not large enough to bully them. They are great with endlers, rasboras, tetras, corydoras and most other community fish. Adult shrimp are safe too.

Males can be territorial with each other over caves, so if you keep more than one male, give them plenty of caves and space. Avoid keeping them with large or aggressive fish.

Why I love bristlenose plecos

Bristlenose are the hardest-working fish in a tank. They keep the glass and wood clean, stay a sensible size and are easy to look after, and the super red, longfin and peppermint varieties look great while they do it.

If you have any questions about bristlenose plecos, email me at elyza@handpickedaquatics.com. Happy to help.

Cheers,
Elyza
Hand Picked Aquatics