albino bristle nose pleco

[Cliffz]

folks,
Guy at LFS said the Albino Bristlenose Pleco will eat all my plants. Says they are vegetarians. He recommends going with a dwarf Cory which he says stays small.
im looking for a bottom feeder that will keep the bottom clean without uprooting my dwarf clover or Hydrocoytle verticcilli.

any recommendations are appreciated
Cliff NY

 

[rkilling1]

folks,
Guy at LFS said the Albino Bristlenose Pleco will eat all my plants. Says they are vegetarians.

LOL, they are vegetarians for the most part, which makes them good for cleaning the tank of algae.

A lot of people like having them in their planted tanks. I am currently looking for any type of BN pleco to add to my tanks.

 

[rich311k]

I have 4 bns and they do not eat plants. Cories do not eat algae. Both will eat left over food.

 

[gheitman]

Get half a dozen cories as your bottom feeders. They do a great job. Just make sure that you get some food that will sink to the bottom where they can get it. Don't rely on food that the other fish don't eat. I recommend some sinking wafers from New Life Spectrum or Hikari.

 

[majolo]

My ABN pleco does not eat my plants. He can certainly uproot them when I replant, though.

 

[Cliffz]

Folks--thanks for the feedback!

Maybe ill try one Albono Bristlenose and one dwarf Cory? Although I dont have an algae problem at all. I do have one Oto and 3 Japamino shrimp.

55 gal
thanks

 

[gheitman]

If you are going to get any cories you should get at least 5. They are more comfortable in groups and they are less likely to be stressed out and swim about the tank than if you bought just one.

 

[7Enigma]

One more vote for they don't eat plants (unless starved). I have one in my 20 gallon moderately planted tank and while they will occasionally rasp my anubias a bit too much, they do not eat plants. They are docile, but do not get picked on due to their size and spines. They will keep the glass pretty clean of algae and enjoy my nightly hikari algae wafer. All in all the perfect fish!

 

[Algenco]

Oto's should also be kept in groups

 

[Cliffz]

Folks,
Thanks for all the advice,
I bought one Albino Bristlenose Pleco and 2 more Japonica shrimp. They were out of Dwarf Cories.
The shrimp like the algae wafers--now I have to see if the Pleco discovers them!
Thanks!

 

[Jchillin]

He will, you can bet on it. Oh, I have 7 of them in my 75g...none have eaten any plants and that includes plant debris.

 

[Lance M.]

I also agree they don't eat plants. I have a long fin albino bristlenose in my 54 gallon planted. And like Majolo says they do a good job uprooting plants! Or at least mine does. He keeps uprooting my anubias...

 

[rkilling1]

The shrimp like the algae wafers--now I have to see if the Pleco discovers them!
Thanks!

You are purchasing algae eating fish, so I would have to assume you wanted them for that purpose? Eating algae.

FYI, if you feed them, they are not going to eat the algae.

 

[Cliffz]

Folks,
I dont have any algae. (hope I dont jinx myself!) the albino Pleco is sucking on the algae wafer--the shrimp play with it also!
Just had another load of 30 baby guppies today! yikees- tank is going to overpoulate soon!!

 

[7Enigma]

The shrimp like the algae wafers--now I have to see if the Pleco discovers them!
Thanks!

You are purchasing algae eating fish, so I would have to assume you wanted them for that purpose? Eating algae.

FYI, if you feed them, they are not going to eat the algae.

Not necessarily. Most fish do not have a satiation reflex (ie I'm full!). They will eat, and eat, and eat some more unless otherwise preoccupied (mating, fighting, territory guarding, etc.). While they will probably survive without being specifically fed in most tanks, they will not necessarily stop eating algae if they get a regular feeding. When the lights are off or you've been gone at work for 6 hours, they are hungry just like us and will start rummaging around!

 

[rkilling1]

Not necessarily. Most fish do not have a satiation reflex (ie I'm full!). They will eat, and eat, and eat some more unless otherwise preoccupied (mating, fighting, territory guarding, etc.). While they will probably survive without being specifically fed in most tanks, they will not necessarily stop eating algae if they get a regular feeding. When the lights are off or you've been gone at work for 6 hours, they are hungry just like us and will start rummaging around!

Justin, you can search the net and find many sites that have experienced what I posted. Once you get them to start eating regular foods, they stop eating algae.

 

[Purrbox]

This isn't so much a matter of whether or not they feel food, but rather that they prefer the algae wafers, etc and will wait for more of it rather than eat the less preferred food. If they aren't fed for long enough they'll finally concent to go back to eating algae.