Bristlenose pleco care
Ancistrus cirrhosus · Rivers of South America
The bristlenose is the pleco that stays small: about 5 to 6 inches, so a 29 gallon or larger tank suits one.
- Tank size
- 29 US gal or larger
- Temperature
- 73 to 81 °F (23 to 27 °C)
- Group size
- Alone or in a pair
- Temperament
- Peaceful
- Adult size
- 6 in
- pH
- 6.5 to 7.5
- Hardness (GH)
- 4 to 15 dGH
- Lifespan
- 5 to 12 years
- Diet
- Mostly plant matter
- Care level
- Easy
In a 29 gallon
30¼ × 12½ × 18¾ in outsideHow to keep bristlenose plecos
The bristlenose is the pleco that stays small: about 5 to 6 inches, so a 29 gallon or larger tank suits one. Give it driftwood to rasp, caves to hide in and algae wafers or vegetables every day; it grazes algae but cannot live on it alone.
Diet: Mostly plant matter: algae wafers, blanched vegetables, some meaty food; driftwood to rasp. Fish food types compared · how often to feed.
Where they swim: Bottom of the tank.
Bristlenose pleco tank mates
Share the temperature and water, and neither side eats, nips or bullies the other. Check the full group in the stocking checker.
Angelfish
6 in · 29+ gal · 76–84 °F
Rosy barb
6 in · 29+ gal · 64–77 °F
Three-spot (blue) gourami
6 in · 29+ gal · 72–82 °F
Electric blue acara
6 in · 40+ gal · 72–82 °F
Scissortail rasbora
6 in · 40+ gal · 72–79 °F
Rainbow cichlid
6 in · 30+ gal · 72–84 °F
Blue acara
6 in · 40+ gal · 72–82 °F
Swordtail
5.5 in · 29+ gal · 72–82 °F
Keep apart
White cloud mountain minnow: No shared temperature: bristlenose plecos need 73 to 81 °F, white cloud mountain minnows 64 to 72 °F.
Discus: No shared temperature: bristlenose plecos need 73 to 81 °F, discus 82 to 88 °F.
Pea puffer: Pea puffers belong in a tank of their own.
Convict cichlid: Convict cichlids are aggressive towards peaceful fish such as bristlenose plecos.
Jewel cichlid: Jewel cichlids are aggressive towards peaceful fish such as bristlenose plecos.
Demasoni cichlid: Demasoni cichlids are aggressive towards peaceful fish such as bristlenose plecos.
What a bristlenose pleco tank needs
A tank of 29 US gallons or more (such as the 29 gallon) with a cover, and the equipment below.
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Aqueon PRO QuietFlow Power Filter 20
Rated by the maker for up to 30 US gal, which covers a 29 gallon bristlenose pleco tank without being built for a far bigger one.
Aqueon QuietFlow Internal Power Filter 15–30 gal
Rated by the maker for 15–30 US gal, which covers a 29 gallon bristlenose pleco tank without being built for a far bigger one.
Cobalt Aquatics Neo-Therm Pro 100W
Bristlenose plecos need 73 to 81 °F; most homes run cooler, so a heater holds the temperature.
API Freshwater Master Test Kit
Tests ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH, the readings that matter most before and after adding bristlenose plecos.
Seachem Prime 100 mL
Removes chlorine and chloramine from tap water at every water change.
Fluval Edge Thermometer
Shows the water temperature at a glance, so you know it stays within 73 to 81 °F.
More choices, each with the reason it is in or out: Filters for a 29 gallon tank · Heaters for a 29 gallon tank. We don’t list fish food: any good brand of the foods under Diet will do. Plan the whole tank's equipment →
Common bristlenose pleco problems
- Thin belly: they need vegetables and wafers daily, not just tank algae.
- Males defend caves from each other; one cave per male.
Test the water first whenever fish look unwell: see what your readings mean, then match the symptom. For disease, a vet who treats fish can diagnose it and advise treatment.
More to compare
Sources
Name, origin and adult size checked against Wikipedia: Ancistrus cirrhosus. Temperature, pH, hardness, group size, lifespan and minimum tank size are common hobby guidance, not figures from that article. Ranges are the range the species tolerates; aim for the middle. Minimum tank sizes are for an adult group. Drawings are our own; photo credits follow.
Photo credits
Real photographs from Wikimedia Commons, resized and cropped to fit; each is used under the license named.
- Bristlenose pleco André Karwath aka Aka, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
- Angelfish Citron, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Rosy barb Kkonstan, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Three-spot (blue) gourami Peter Jung, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Electric blue acara 5snake5, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Scissortail rasbora Lerdsuwa, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Rainbow cichlid Happy Birthday To You!, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- Blue acara Loïc Tremblay, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Swordtail Usien, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
- White cloud mountain minnow Petrtyl, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Discus Patrick Farrelly, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- Pea puffer Beta Mahatvaraj, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Convict cichlid S. Olkowicz, CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
- Jewel cichlid NasserHalaweh, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Demasoni cichlid lee Nachtigal, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Pygmy corydoras Birger A, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Salt-and-pepper corydoras D.W., CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Bronze corydoras Quatermass (English Wikipedia), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- Panda corydoras Chronotopian, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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