Rubbernose pleco care
Chaetostoma milesi · Andean rivers of Colombia and Venezuela
The rubbernose pleco, also called the bulldog pleco, comes from fast Andean rivers and wants cooler water than most plecos (68 to 77 °F), strong current and lots of oxygen.
- Tank size
- 30 US gal or larger
- Temperature
- 68 to 77 °F (20 to 25 °C)
- Group size
- Alone or in a pair
- Temperament
- Peaceful
- Adult size
- 5.7 in (standard length, without the tail)
- pH
- 6.5 to 7.5
- Hardness (GH)
- 4 to 15 dGH
- Lifespan
- 8 to 12 years
- Diet
- Grazer
- Care level
- Moderate
In a 30 gallon
36¼ × 12⅝ × 16¾ in outsideHow to keep rubbernose plecos
The rubbernose pleco, also called the bulldog pleco, comes from fast Andean rivers and wants cooler water than most plecos (68 to 77 °F), strong current and lots of oxygen. It grows to about 6 inches without the tail and grazes algae and biofilm off smooth stones; a 30 gallon or larger tank with rocks and a strong filter suits one.
Diet: Grazer: algae and biofilm, algae wafers, blanched vegetables, some small frozen foods. Fish food types compared · how often to feed.
Where they swim: Bottom of the tank.
Rubbernose 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.
Swordtail
5.5 in · 29+ gal · 72–82 °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
Black moor
6 in · 30+ gal · 64–74 °F
Rainbow cichlid
6 in · 30+ gal · 72–84 °F
Lionhead goldfish
6 in · 30+ gal · 64–74 °F
Keep apart
Discus: No shared temperature: rubbernose plecos need 68 to 77 °F, discus 82 to 88 °F.
German blue ram: No shared temperature: rubbernose plecos need 68 to 77 °F, German blue rams 78 to 85 °F.
Pea puffer: Pea puffers belong in a tank of their own.
Convict cichlid: Convict cichlids are aggressive towards peaceful fish such as rubbernose plecos.
Zebra pleco: No shared temperature: rubbernose plecos need 68 to 77 °F, zebra plecos 79 to 86 °F.
Jewel cichlid: Jewel cichlids are aggressive towards peaceful fish such as rubbernose plecos.
What a rubbernose pleco tank needs
A tank of 30 US gallons or more (such as the 30 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 30 gallon rubbernose 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 30 gallon rubbernose pleco tank without being built for a far bigger one.
Fluval E100
Rubbernose plecos need 68 to 77 °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 rubbernose 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 68 to 77 °F.
We don’t list fish food: any good brand of the foods under Diet will do. Plan the whole tank's equipment →
Common rubbernose pleco problems
- Warm, still water stresses it; add current and keep the temperature under about 77 °F.
- A new, clean tank has no algae film for it to graze; feed wafers and vegetables every day.
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: Chaetostoma milesi. 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.
- Rubbernose pleco Frank Alvarez, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Swordtail Usien, CC0, 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
- Black moor Riyad Youssef, CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
- Rainbow cichlid Happy Birthday To You!, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- Lionhead goldfish Roderick Santos, CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
- Discus Patrick Farrelly, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- German blue ram Eric Mengel, 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
- Zebra pleco Peaceinpianos, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Jewel cichlid NasserHalaweh, CC BY-SA 4.0, 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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