Starlight bristlenose pleco (L183)

Ancistrus dolichopterus

Also known as L183, Starlight Bristlenose, Blue-fin Bristlenose, Blue Seam Bushynose Pleco

FreshwaterFish

Starlight bristlenose pleco (L183) (Ancistrus dolichopterus) — The Wet Spot Tropical Fish · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature: 79–84°F; 26–29°C
pH: 5.5–7.0
Adult size: 5.5 in; 14 cm
Minimum tank: 63 gal; 240 L

Temperament: Peaceful
Social behavior: Solitary
Swim level: Bottom
Diet: Herbivore
Difficulty: Easy
Breeding: Easy
Rarity: Common
Family: Loricariidae
Origin: Rio Negro basin in Amazonas, Brazil.

Overview

The starlight bristlenose pleco (L183) is a modest, colorful pleco for a peaceful tank with soft, acidic water. It is easy to keep.

Did you know

Unlike the everyday common bristlenose, the starlight bristlenose breeds true. Its black-and-white pattern passes reliably to the fry.

Caring for the starlight bristlenose pleco (L183)

Give a starlight bristlenose pleco (L183) a tank of at least 63 gal (240 L). Keep driftwood in the tank at all times, since it eats the wood surface itself and the wood aids its digestion.

It is hardier than many L-numbers but pickier about water than the common bristlenose. Give it warm, soft, acidic water stained with tannins, at 79 to 84°F (26 to 29°C) and a pH of 5.5 to 7.0.

It is a genuine algae eater. Feed algae and spirulina wafers and blanched vegetables, with only light protein.

The starlight bristlenose is a peaceful, solitary fish that is safe in a community tank. Males grow the branched nose bristles the group is named for. Breeding it is easy.

Good to know

The starlight bristlenose pleco (L183) is the true Ancistrus dolichopterus, in the family Loricariidae. It is distinct from the mixed-origin common bristlenose, which is sold simply as Ancistrus sp. Adults keep a jet black body dusted with white, star-like spots and a bold white edge on the dorsal and tail fins. That white fin seam lasts into adulthood and is the quickest way to tell it from lookalikes.

In the wild

The starlight bristlenose pleco (L183) comes from the soft, acidic blackwater of the Rio Negro basin in Amazonas, Brazil. It lives among driftwood and leaf litter in shaded margins, rasping algae and aufwuchs off wood and rock.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The starlight bristlenose pleco (L183) is a peaceful, solitary species that keeps to the bottom. These picks share a community profile with it, are safe together in both directions, and overlap on water type, temperature and pH.

Check the full mix in the stocking calculator

Common questions

What size tank does a starlight bristlenose pleco (L183) need?

A starlight bristlenose pleco (L183) needs at least 63 gal (240 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a starlight bristlenose pleco (L183) need?

A starlight bristlenose pleco (L183) is comfortable at 79–84°F (26–29°C) with a pH of 5.5–7.0.

What does a starlight bristlenose pleco (L183) eat?

A starlight bristlenose pleco (L183) is a genuine algae eater. Feed it algae and spirulina wafers and blanched vegetables, with only light protein, and keep driftwood in the tank.