[Baby_Baby]

here's some info on bristle noses. the breeding part is at the bottom (not i did not write this. someone else did. i do no own bristlenose plecos)
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Common names: Bristlenose plecostomus, bristlenose catfish, brushmouth plecostomus, bushy nose(d) plecostomus
Scientific/Latin names: Ancistrus temminckii and related species
Maximum length: 5 to 8 inches (depends on exact species)
Colors: Mottled brown with variations of yellow and black depending on variety and species; yellowish color for albino bristlenose pleco
Temperature preference: 70 to 80 degrees F
pH preference: 6 to 7
Hardness preference: Medium
Salinity preference: Low to medium
Compatibility: Good except breeding males may fight each other
Life span: Unknown
Ease of keeping: Moderate
Ease of breeding: Moderate




Description
The bristlenose pleco, Ancistrus temminckii and related species, is a wonderful fish to have. They come from South America. There are dozens of Ancistrus species. Like many plecos, they love to eat algae. I have read that some aquarists say that bristlenose plecos are the best "cure" for algae problems. Bristlenose's do a good job on attached algae and only grow to 4 to 8 inches depending on the species. Ancistrus temminckii grows only up to about 4.75 inches. Compared to other plecos who grow to 1 to 2 feet, that is small! My common plecostomus is over a foot long which is too big for most smaller aquariums. The bristlenose looks like most plecos in general shape except for its bristles. These fleshy appendages stick out around the lips and head of bristelnose plecos. The "bristles" or "brushes" grow as the fish grows. Males have many more adornments than females.




Setup and Water Preferences
Bristlenose plecos like water that is slightly acidic and medium in hardness (up to about 25 dGH). They do well from about 70 to 75 degrees F according to literature but my baby does fine at 80 degrees F. Bristlenose plecos are very peaceful with the exception being spawning males who may fight with other male bristlenoses. Part of their tank should include a water current from a filter or powerhead. In order for algae to grow, the tank should have a lot of light. To provide shade and spawning sites, live plants, clay pots, driftwood, and/or PVC pipes can be added. Adult bristlenose plecos spend most of their time on the bottom of the tank while babies tend to spend most of their time all over the aquarium glass (at least mine does!). My baby also feeds throughout the day while adults tend to be more nocturnal, feeding at night.

Feeding:
Like most plecos, they eat hard attached algae from the glass and ornaments. They also will eat sinking algae wafers or pleco foods, vegetable flakes, cucumbers, squash, green beans, peas, and other green vegetables. Cucumber, squash, and zucchini can be prepared by slicing a 2 to 4 inch piece of vegetable and cutting it in half. Remove the seeds with a grapefruit spoon. Attach it to a sinking vegetable holder (sold at most aquarium suppliers), tie it to a rock with anything aquarium-safe, or use a clip on a suction cup to otherwise hold the vegetable (well, they are actually fruits) in place. Frozen, fresh, or canned green beans or peas can be fed to the plecos at room temperature. Some suggest mashing them as well. Also, as with all plecos, the bristlenose pleco should be provided with some driftwood to chew on for roughage.

My large bristlenose has a fondness for sinking shrimp wafers. I have read that females like more meat in their diets. I think my big bristlenose is female as she has few bristles, and they are very short.




Sexing
Males have more bristles on their mouth and head. The bristles are much shorter with fewer branches for a female than for a male. Some might say that a male is "uglier." It is easiest to sex bristlenose plecos when you have a number of adult fish.




Breeding
Bristlenose plecostomus are perhaps the easiest plecostomus to breed in an aquarium. When sexually mature, a male will find a suitable spawning location and claim it as his territory. This may be around or under a hunk of driftwood or inside or under PVC pipe or clay pots. He will defend the spot from other males if present. To promote spawning, Baensch's aquarium atlas suggests doing a 75% water change in November (in the Northern hemisphere). The shorter days of winter and the water change make the plecos think it is the start of the rainy season. If the tank has a female(s), she will enter his territory and spawning site when she is ready to lay eggs. Eggs are stuck on hard surfaces, on top, hanging from the "ceiling." The camouflaged male will guard the orange or amber eggs until they hatch about ten days later. After absorbing their yolk over three to four days, the tiny, baby plecos will immediately start to work on sucking algae off of surfaces. If there are other fish in the tank aside from the plecos, the babies or eggs can be moved to another tank to prevent those fish from eating the babies. Some breeders remove whatever the eggs are laid on into another tank and give the father a replacement site (wood, pot, PVC, etc.) to guard. Although I have not bred these fish, I would think it would be better to keep the eggs with the father so that he can aerate them and tend to them. The babies can be removed after hatching.

One aquarist reports that bristlenoses will breed in deep, narrow caves like hollowed-out driftwood or PVC pipes that are about 1.5 inches diameter and about 6 inches deep. They use soft and slightly acidic water. Their babies emerge after almost two weeks. Females laid about 50-80 eggs each time.

According to a few aquarists, their bristlenoses will breed at one year old. Mine is at least one year old though (8/02), and he is not near the 3 inch plus length of most breeders. I say he but I think she is female and still under 2 inches long.