Bristlenose in a planted tank

[venymae]

Hey all!

I have a lightly planted tank and an albino bristle-nose pleco. I've read mixed opinions about whether my new guy will eat my plants. Has anyone kept one in a planted tank, and did they leave the plants alone or was it a salad buffet?

He's a find off freecycle (they were moving) and quite fat. He's got a blanched piece of lettuce until I get algae tabs. I really like him, but my son thinks he's a scary monster.

 

[jestes]

I had a pair of brown ones in a planted tank once, and they would occasionally munch on the larger leafed plants like swords.

 

[pittbully13]

I have an ABN pleco in my planted tank and doesn't look like he's harming anything. But I let a lil algae grow on the side of my tank for him, the otos, and some shrimp. Everyone's happy.

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[venymae]

I have an ABN pleco in my planted tank and doesn't look like he's harming anything. But I let a lil algae grow on the side of my tank for him, the otos, and some shrimp. Everyone's happy.

Sent from my SGH-T889 using Aquarium Advice mobile app

Hm. I read a couple places that the well fed ones tend to stay away from plants - maybe I'll just have to do that. Keep him fat?

 

[Delapool]

Apparently they can but I haven't noticed too much where I can pin it on them. Having said that something destroys them. I know the yo yo loaches think they are playthings.

 

[Cactuspixie]

My BN are in planted tanks, and they don't eat them. They do clean algae (not BBA) and biofilm from the leaves though. Mine are well fed with algae wafers and veggies (doesn't stop the mystery snails DEVOURING my Anubias!!)

 

[tnfinfan]

I have a BN, a mystery snail, and two nerites. None of them touch the plants other than the BN cleaning the larger leaves for me. I did have to replant sprigs of rotala repeatedly until it rooted because between the corydoras, molly, and the BN, they kept getting knocked loose. Now that it's rooted, though, no problems.

 

[senorkevin]

Mine doesn't touch the plants but likes to be next to them

 

[Rivercats]

BNP's are often blamed for eating large leaf plants such as swords but actually they get on those leaves and rasp off algae and biofilm. What happens then is the leaf tissue usually gets damaged from the rasping but the BNP isn't actually eating the plant.

I feed my plec's zucchini about every 2 or 3 days, you can use cucumber as well. If you use lettuce then use a leafy one like Romaine as head lettuce has no nutrients available. I might feed an algae tablet or New Era Plec Pellet 1 or 2x a week.

You also need a piece of driftwood in the tank for the plec to rasp on. They need the cellulite in the wood to aid in digestion.