TankBud

Variety of Bristlenose pleco

Super red bristlenose pleco

Ancistrus sp.

One of 4 varieties of Ancistrus sp. · See all varieties →

Also known as Super Red Bushynose Pleco

FreshwaterFish

Super red bristlenose pleco (Ancistrus sp.)

Varieties · Ancistrus sp.

See all 4 →

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
Diet
Omnivore
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Cave spawner · Medium
Rarity
Very common
Family
Loricariidae

Overview

The super red bristlenose pleco is the solid red-orange line, sold plain or as a separate longfin version. It grazes algae on the bottom of a community tank and suits a keeper with some experience.

Did you know

Super red bristlenose juveniles come up yellowish and only fill in to red-orange as they grow. A washed-out young fish is normal rather than a bad pick. Picking the deepest-colored fish in a batch mostly tells you which is furthest along, not which will finish reddest.

Caring for the super red bristlenose pleco

A super red bristlenose pleco lives happily alone and needs no group. Set it up in at least 20 gal (75 L), with driftwood, some hiding places and good water movement. The driftwood is more than decor, since it rasps on the wood for fiber and roughage.

Keep the water at 70 to 79°F (21 to 26°C) and a pH of 6.5 to 7.5. It is a heavy waste producer, so keep up with filtration and water changes.

It grazes algae and aufwuchs and is a useful algae eater. Feed algae wafers and blanched vegetables such as zucchini, adding the odd sinking protein food.

It is peaceful, stays on the bottom and is safe with community fish. Mature males grow branching, bristle-like tentacles on the snout. Super red bristlenose plecos are cave spawners, and the male guards the eggs. Breeding them is moderately difficult.

Good to know

The super red bristlenose pleco's color is a graded selection for red-orange pigment over the whole body, not a single named gene. That is why strains differ in how cleanly they breed. Better stock throws fry that stay clean red, while weaker lines keep black flecks on the back and fins. Breeders cull hardest against this dark flecking, which can resurface in later generations from mixed stock. How the line relates to the albino stock is argued over in the hobby and not settled.

In the wild

The super red bristlenose pleco was fixed in captivity from the same Ancistrus stock as the brown and albino lines. No wild fish looks like it. No reliable source names the breeder who established it, so it is a hobby line of uncertain origin. Forum accounts point to German hobbyists line-breeding from existing captive stock, but the details are not settled.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The super red bristlenose pleco 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

Is a super red bristlenose pleco a different species from the bristlenose pleco?

No. A super red bristlenose pleco is a variety of the bristlenose pleco, Ancistrus sp., and it wants the same tank, water and food as the species.

What size tank does a super red bristlenose pleco need?

A super red bristlenose pleco needs at least 20 gal (75 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What does a super red bristlenose pleco eat?

A super red bristlenose pleco grazes algae and aufwuchs. Feed it algae wafers and blanched vegetables such as zucchini, adding the odd sinking protein food.

How big does a super red bristlenose pleco get?

An adult super red bristlenose pleco reaches about 4.9 in (12.5 cm).

How can you tell a male super red bristlenose pleco from a female?

Males grow branching, bristle-like tentacles on the snout when they mature.

How does a super red bristlenose pleco breed?

Super red bristlenose plecos spawn in caves, and the male guards the eggs. Breeding them is moderately difficult.

Related species