At what size do bristle nose plecos generally start breeding?

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mandy12785

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Jun 9, 2013
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I have a pair of bristle nose plecos that are not sexed. bigger one it a little bigger than 4 inches and smaller one is about 3 inches. I have had salt and freshwater tanks for years but these are my first plecos. I have had them for about a year now. I have been watching the bigger one for a few weeks and she seems to be getting bigger and bigger in her abdomen. I am thinking its a she and she is gravid but I don't know if she is old or big enough?

She is currently in a 20 gallon freshwater planted tank with driftwood and c02. There is a couple other small fish in the tank including 2 male guppies and 2 small female mollies and 2 mosquito raspboras (spelling?). Whats the best way to rear babies if she is? Should I move her to a bare bottom 10 gallon with a hide and a couple pieces of drift wood and a sponge filter? and when should I move her, and do I send the male with her? Assuming the smaller one is a male if she is gravid since I have had her for a year?
 

authmal

Pseudonovice
Aug 4, 2011
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Phoenix, AZ
My male BN was showing bristles by 3 inches. I don't know if that's atypical (I doubt it), but if your BNs aren't showing a lot of bristles by 4 inches, they're very likely to be female. I know it doesn't address your question, but if you have 2 females, there won't be breeding to worry about.

For what it's worth, your rasboras will be happier with a larger grouping.
 

vanillarum

AC Members
Jan 4, 2008
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Do you have a cave or 2 in the tank ? If there is, a male will hang out in the entrance of the cave. I agree, by that size I think that if you had a male, he would be showing bristles.
 

ManEatingShrimp

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Jan 28, 2012
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I had my bn plecos for about 6 months when they bred. I had gotten them from petco when they were about 1.5". The male will guard and fertilize the eggs in his cave after the female lays them. I did nothing and ended up with 50+ fry after multiple batches of eggs were layed in my community tank. In a qt tank it might be good to remove the male after the eggs hatch.
 

Star_Rider

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Dec 21, 2005
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Ed
btw, with my BN's the Males tend to be larger than females and will start showing bristles at around 3"
 
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