One species · 4 varieties

Bristlenose pleco

Ancistrus sp.

Also known as bushynose pleco

FreshwaterFish

Bristlenose pleco (Ancistrus sp.) — Billyhill · CC BY-SA 3.0

Care at a glance

Temperature: 70–79°F; 21–26°C
pH: 6.5–7.5
Adult size: 4.9 in; 12.5 cm
Minimum tank: 20 gal; 75 L

Temperament: Peaceful
Social behavior: Solitary
Swim level: Bottom
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: Medium
Rarity: Very common
Family: Loricariidae
Origin: Argentina

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One setup covers every line on this page: care is the species' care.

Overview

One bristlenose is happy on its own; they don't need a group. They're peaceful bottom dwellers that do fine in a 75 liter tank or larger. Driftwood is important because they rasp on it and need the fiber. Feed algae wafers and blanched vegetables like zucchini, with the occasional sinking protein food. Keep pH from 6.5 to 7.5. They're good algae eaters but produce a lot of waste, so keep up with filtration and water changes.

In the wild

Bristlenose plecos come from rivers and streams in South America, including parts of the Amazon and rivers further south into Argentina. They cling to wood, rock, and roots in flowing, oxygen-rich water. Give them driftwood to rasp on, some hiding spots, and good water movement. They suit temperatures from the low to mid 20s C.

Good to know

Ancistrus is a genus of armored suckermouth catfish in the family Loricariidae, and "sp." means the common aquarium fish is a mix of species and line-bred forms. They reach about 12 to 13 cm, smaller than common plecos. Mature males grow branching, bristle-like tentacles on the snout, which is where the name comes from. They're cave spawners, and the male guards the eggs.

Did you know

Bristlenose plecos are often said to eat wood, but they don't actually digest it. They're algae and aufwuchs grazers that rasp on driftwood mainly for fiber and roughage, and studies show loricariids like these don't break the wood down. A piece of driftwood is still worth keeping for them to graze on.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

Every variety on this page wants the same water, so one set of picks fits them all. These picks match on water type, temperature, pH, size and temperament.

Check the full mix in the stocking calculator