3 Pack - Brown Bristlenose Plecos - Tank Raised

Description

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We ship on Monday
or
Tuesday Only (
Excluding National Holidays)
All orders are shipped
in styrofoam insulated boxes
Heat or Cold packs
added as needed
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3 - Brown Bushynose Plecos
1" - 1 1/2" Long
Bristlenose pleco is one of the most spread species in the family Loricariidae, it’s a very popular tank fish. Both beginners and experienced aquarists know about it and keep it. Ancistrus has caught such close interest due to its features: the fish is called a “tank cleaner”, it’s easy in care, its behavior is quite extraordinary, its cupule-mouth structure makes it remarkably different from a number of other fishes.
Inhabitance in the wild
The fish is native to South America, especially often it can be seen in the Amazon river basin. In habitat of Loricariidae family catfish the water most of the year has the following parameters: hardness — 4—5 °dH, acidity (рН) — about 6. The flow is relatively fast, the water is oxygen-rich.
Description
Bristlenose catfish has flattened plain body completely covered in polyangular bony plates. Its body has a pair of pectoral and abdominal fins. Its roundish mouth and elongated lips with horn cupule is especially interesting, these cupule help the fish to live in fast flowing waters by sucking on stones and snugs. There are some horn buds on the fish cupule (sometimes they are called a “grater”) meant for scrubbing some plant fouling and animal substance from plants, stones and other surfaces in a tank. In the wild these are the main source of food for that catfish.
Ancistrus doesn’t have a sound and that’s why the fish can’t stay for a long time in water as other fishes do. Therefore, to swim for some distance without scrambling any objects with its cupule the catfish has to use its fins rather actively. Bristlenose is one of the smallest tank catfish: its size is in the range from 8 to 15 cm (3 - 5 inches), but usually even the male fish size doesn’t exceed 15 cm (5 in).
Lifespan 5 years and more. The adult fish body is usually of dark-brown color or more seldom it’s grayish (the coloring also may have some spots of brighter colors) with promiscuously scattered small bright spots which turn into lines on the fish fins. The bottom abdomen side of the fish body is a bit brighter than its back side.
There is also albino pleco and longfinned albino pleco – it doesn’t differ from the ordinary one but for the coloring and the fins length. Moreover, common catfish may have albino or longfinned pleco in their spawn.
Compatibility
The fish is a territory dependent one, however this concerns only the fish of the same kind. Males start fighting for territory and the one that is larger makes the smaller one leave.
As a rule bristlenose catfish doesn’t start in with other tank mates, but if the fish is hungry it may suck on fishes without scales. Bristlenose catfish is compatible with any fast and active fishes that swim in the middle water layer.
Feeding
Ancistrus is considered to be a plant feeder. Namely this feature of the cupule makes this catfish an irreplaceable one to deal with fouling on tank glass and decorations. Due to the unique structure of its mouth Ancistrus scrapes any small fouling.
Thus, we can say that the fish isn’t demanding as for the feed and it can find food on its own. However, this doesn’t mean that the aquarist doesn’t have to feed the fish. Ancistrus diet has to consist on 70-80% of plant food and 20-30% of protein.
It’s important to have some snag in a tank because by sucking it around the catfish gets lignin, which is important for its digestive system.
When there’s not much fouling in a tank, the fish may start eating tank plants and usually young and soft leaves suffer from this, the fish gnaws holes in them or just eats them completely. To avoid this it’s advisable to give some additional plant feeding to Ancistrus. The easiest way is to feed it with some branded food with plant components. Also you may use some parboiled lettuce leaves (it’s enough to put them into boiling water for 1 minute), or it may be cabbage leaves or a cucumber (cut it into pieces and also put into boiling water on a fork). We use several different types of food, and change them from time to time.
Keeping in a tank
Here are the most optimal conditions to keep this fish in a tank successfully: water temperature should be about 24 °C (75 F), dH — up to 20—25°, рН — in the range from 6,5 to 7,5.
Water renew should be done at least weekly – ¼ of old tank water should be renewed with fresh water. Tank capacity should be more than 25 gallons, but the tank bottom has to be large with lots of shelters.
Ancistrus prefers shadowed tank areas which should be taken into account when designing the tank. This fish swims almost all the time looking for some live or plant food leftovers on the tank bottom.
This catfish likes being in the water flow area which is created by the pumps of tank filters. It’s important to keep in mind that the fish may get inside the filter and die, that why it’s recommended to get the filter output tube up at some distance from the tank bottom or close it with some grid.
Shipping Information
Thank You for shopping with catfishtown. Our primary concern is the health and safety of your fish. To achieve this standard, we professionally package all aquatic life in the best materials and use the most direct and reliable shipping methods. We package our fish in styrofoam insulated boxes using cycled water, pure oxygen and two 3 mil poly bags. We will add heat or cold packs as needed.
In extra hot or cold weather we may suggest to have you pick up the fish from the post office if possible. Contact your local post office to put a hold on your package so you can pick it up sooner.
We think it's a better idea than leaving the fish in a hot/cold postal truck for hours while out for delivery.
Orders are shipped on the Monday or Tuesday after payment is made. Orders placed on
Saturday after 11pm
EST  will be shipped the following Monday or Tuesday. Orders will be delayed around postal holidays or bad weather.
When your fish order ships you will receive tracking information
sent to the email address you provided at check out.
Please check your spam/junk folder, sometimes they go there.
Due to the fact we are based closer to the east coast. We may decline orders that come from the West Coast unless overnight shipping is used. Shipping is tough on fish when they have to travel from east to west coast and we are more concerned about the survival rate than making money off the fish. We hope you understand.
Live Arrival Guarantee / DOA
Please buy with confidence that you will receive your fish alive and healthy. We guarantee it as long as they are delivered within the time frame specified by the shipping carrier. However, DOA's do happen from time to time. If the entire order is DOA send 2 clear pictures in the unopened double sealed bag within one hour of declared delivery. Opening a bag voids the Live Arrival Guarantee. You must hold on to the fish, in the original double bag until we verify the D.O.A.
Once verified by us, we will ask for 2 more clear photos with the fish out of the bag and in a bowl of water laying belly up.  We will replace your order at no additional cost or refund the order cost minus shipping.
After receiving your order, if you are unsatisfied with your fish for any reason, please contact us. Our number one priority is to make our customers happy.