Question about juvenile bristlenose pleco

exu

exu

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Mar 8, 2007
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I have been keeping an eye out for a bristlenose pleco in my area for a couple years now and low and behold my LFS has a tank with the very label on it. The fish are very small (1 1/2") and do not have any tentacles. Do juveniles lack tentacles? or is my LFS blowing smoke out their wazoo as usual...

thanks!
 
Nolapete is correct. Hope you can still get a BN! They are well worth the wait. Mine unfortunatelyt died when I my tank went bazerk a couple months ago. I think he woulda done better with more hiding places too.
 
Nolapete said:
The males get tentacles/bristles as they mature. The females have very short almost unseen bristles.
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But at such a small size are they likely to be showing anything? We looked over what they had pretty well and I did not find any bristles. I am willing to just get one and see, but I don't want a monster pleco down the road :D. I already went down that road early on in this hobby.
 
jpappy789 said:
Nolapete is correct. Hope you can still get a BN! They are well worth the wait. Mine unfortunatelyt died when I my tank went bazerk a couple months ago. I think he woulda done better with more hiding places too.
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I like my rubberlip a great deal. His head keeps getting bigger :)
 
The males aren't going to show any bristles for a few more months. They are just babies that the LFS has. So...no way of sexing them right now. When you say you don't want a monster pleco down the road....if it is truly a bristlenose, the males get only a max of 5", females around 4", and most are probably a little smaller than that at adult size. If you're wondering if it is truly even a real bristlenose, take a look at the pictures on planet catfish or pleco fanatics. Could also go to aquabid to get a better idea of what a young bristlenose looks like. Most of the bristlenose that are posted there by breeders are usually between 1 and 1.5" when the breeder sells them.

Debbi:)
 
We got this BN when she was about 2", she is about 3" now and doing a great job, i say she because there are no signs of tentacles, just a couple of small nubs.....:)

IMG_0773.jpg
 
pinkertd said:
The males aren't going to show any bristles for a few more months. They are just babies that the LFS has. So...no way of sexing them right now. When you say you don't want a monster pleco down the road....if it is truly a bristlenose, the males get only a max of 5", females around 4", and most are probably a little smaller than that at adult size. If you're wondering if it is truly even a real bristlenose, take a look at the pictures on planet catfish or pleco fanatics. Could also go to aquabid to get a better idea of what a young bristlenose looks like. Most of the bristlenose that are posted there by breeders are usually between 1 and 1.5" when the breeder sells them.

Debbi:)
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Great! I figured they weren't showing yet but wanted to make sure. The size is the main reason I have always wanted one of these guys (the oddball factor sure doesn't hurt). The only algae eating smaller species I have been able to find around here are the rubberlip (greta little fish too!!!). Looks like I will be making a trip to the LFS after work.

Thanks for the great info!
 
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