I NEVER heard about bristle-noses needing wood! I had wood in my tank and I took it out because people were talking about decomposition. And I never heard about them needing fiber. Thank you for saving my pleco's well-being! So glad I came across your video. Looks like I have some changes to make!!!
Besides it being good for them, it seems like they genuinely like rasping on wood. I just got mine yesterday from my LFS- they had no wood in the tank. As soon as I took him home, he went straight for the driftwood and sat there rasping on it for 2 days straight prior to exploring a bit. I think it also can offer more hiding spots/helps them feel more secure, creates an edible beneficial biofilm for them to munch on, among other things!
Having watched wild caught plecos in their native waters, the ppl were pulling up huge branches full of holes and the plecos were falling out of them, it was astonishing !!
I had a plecko for like a year and I never gave it wood or vedgetables and now I feel bad. I now have two bristlenoses and when I gave them wood for the first time they went crazy for it
I have a tank of breeding Albino BNP. Bare bottom, lots of drift wood. They love to rasp on it, especially the babies. Not only the fiber, but microscopic stuff and algae off it that they like. I can’t seem to get them in to the green beans, but tried several times. They like canned carrots actually. I feed them various Bug Bites, algae wafers, and Sera chips with wood are in the rotation.
BN plecos can live for over 10 years- so people saying "it lived without wood for 3-5 years" is like saying smoking isn't bad for you my uncle smoked every day and live to be 30. Some people are so stupid- they do this same thing with rabbits- "my rabbit lived to be 5 and we never fed it hay" but rabbits can live to be 12 and some even live to be 14 if you feed them properly.
dunno mate apparently human beings need 5 types of fruit and veg and 8 litre of pure water a day. ive eaten one piece a month on average for about the last 20 years an drink about a mouthfull of fresh water everyday when i brush my teeth... lol still kicking around still perfectly healthy.
i reckon you dont need 5 pieces a day at all. some, occasionally is... plenty. chuck in abit of wood once in a while every 6 months, theyll get all the fibre they need and you dont need a hunk of crappy looking wood throwing your carefully manicured aqauscape off. ooorrr put some food with fibre in it every once in a while? lol if your feeding them fruit and veg theyll get fibre from that
I find it so so sad that you are forced to over explain because people are so rude and indignant towards EVERYTHING and EVERYONE. Ugh. ANYYYYYWAAAAAYS thank you for this information! I’m in the midst of doing research before I get a Bristle Nose Pleco (fingers crossed I can find a long fin blue eyed lemon🤞🏻. ) This was very informative and helpful 😊
So I have a male BN. and introduced him to a pair of females in a 46 gallon. I found a oak tree limb about 2 1/2" in diameter cut it to about 6" long. I then drilled the center out to about 4" deep. Boiled it for about a half hour to get rid of the tannins and man I have BN babies all over the place! Had to remove the male because they were going wild. Wood cave is a excellent addition!
I 100% agree to what you shave said in this video. As I started with 4 Bristle nose Pleco's they were sized at about 4 cm and this was over 6 years ago. I have added over 3 pieces of pet shop approved wood into my 1200l tanks. I have an Aqua 1 external canister filter system and 4 bubblers. I have duck weed growing on the top of the water in the tank (as this also supplies my pond outside for my native Pygmy Perch and Motorbike frogs) and I add aquarium plants every year. I also have many aquarium approved fake logs and plants of all sizes and I place them all over the tank so they can hide and breed. I do this as I find each breeding male likes his own log. At last count I have over a thousand Pleco's in my tank ( they are all very happy). I often give them away to other aquarium owners . My original 4 are all over 15cms in size and still alive. I throw in frozen Oats and zucchini, beans and peas about 3 times a year and feed the alga wafers through automatic feeders daily. I top the water up monthly and only change 50% of the water out with filtered tap water. once or twice a year. I do clean my canister sponge filter as often as I need usually 4 times a year but some times monthly. I can go on holidays for up to three weeks as long as I get someone to check the tank a couple of times over the time I'm away they are fine.( even if there is a power failure the canister filter will restart once power is back on and the feeders are battery operated so all good). I have coloured aqua lights that I can dim on the top of the tank ( which I leave on when I'm on holidays a low light) and the tank is in my studio in a back corner with not much natural light (more convenience than choice). I also have a glass internal heater in the tank which sits at between 24 and 27 I find if its too warm they breed more so I try and only have it warmer in winter (Perth, WA Australia, temperature ranges between 2 to 42 celsius in a year) I do have heating and Air conditioning in my studio. so the reason I have added all of this stuff is I think this backs a lot of what you are saying on this UTube video. I really appreciate your suggestions as it confirms what I'm doing if right cheers
I understand you. You make a lot of sense. Bristlenose plecos do “munch” on the driftwood. They, as you have clearly said, in the process, do ingest the algae, aufwuchs, and bits of wood fiber. I think all of the stuff help in a bristlenose pleco’s digestion and overall health. I know you are on the right track because I eat my portion of green leafy vegetables everyday and a lot of them don’t really get fully digested and absorbed into my body - the bulky stuff (fiber/cellulose) just goes out as poop. Moreever, I think the science is already out there that explains the importance of having enough fiber in our daily diet. So I am connecting the dots here. Thank you for sharing this video. I see my plecos much differently now.
Just found your channel and subscribed, I raise bristle nose several types. You should try feeding tofu it’s just soybean,cut it into chunks feed what you need and freeze the rest. I have gotten several people to try it and they are amazed how fast they go for it. Extra firm or firm are my favorites and it sinks right away unless frozen then drop it in and when it thaws it will sink.
Thanks for the information about wood in the tank for algae eaters and I just so happen to have spider wood in my 20 long. How long have you been having fish in your fish tanks and over your right shoulder right shoulder was that guppy
I really enjoyed this video. The young Brown Bn Catfish Hybrids that I picked up at the Club Swap grew up and the 1 Quarantine that that there were 2 of them in... I have had 2 clutches of Fry. They love the Mopani Driftwood. I had carved out a ditch to add some Anubias in. The Anubias kept coming out, so I placed in on Suction Clips and my Betta hides in it. But, one day last month, I saw these lil white wiggling things. After a few days, I noticed that one of the BN was hanging out in that ditch in the Mopani Driftwood and the lil wiggling things turned out to be their babies. I made Rock Caves, but my guess is that there was a nice Biofilm on the. Mopani Driftwood that both parents and their babies like. I also had a piece of SpiderWood that these young ones are also enjoying. I noticed that they jump quickly on the Bloodworms that I add for the Betta. I was glad that they did since I never saw the Betta go after the BloodWorms. :-)
I dont keep ancistrus. I do breed L046, L264, L398. All my breeding tanks have wood and almond leaves . All fry tanks have wood and almond leaves. All my plecos get zucchini ( even zebs) for fiber. All plecos need wood to hide under, graze biofilm, tannins. Great video. I agree 100% . Too many people keep plecos to clean their tanks and dont understand them. I however love and adore plecos.
Soo close to 10k subs, great work ! . I found your channel from that bristlenose pleco video you did about 3 years ago , It's really happy to see your development. You deserve it.
I have a Baryancistrus l81 for 21 years! And I don't think it was very young when I bought it here in Israel. I do give it driftwood, pleco food, tons of cucumbers and peas. It's a hassle having to upkeep this beautiful fish for the past 21 years plus two months. But it's my responsibility to take care of it. I could have had it for 5 or 7 years without feeding it properly. And I'd think, wow. I had it a whopping 7 years. And I'd be wrong in my assertion. Anyway, thank God.
I feed mine butternut squash. Looks closest to a pumpkin and I prefer over zucchini lately cause it can stay in my tank for around 2 days before fouling water. Also have driftwood and I do 2 feedings a week. They love it as soon as I put it in the tank as well as my clown loaches, rainbow shark, and snails. Also I do weekly water changes at 50%
Carlos...I'm going to give you a piece of my mind!!! it is so good to see you!! LOL. You are almost at 10K subscribers! Very cool! Looking forward to future videos. Happy Thanksgiving and God Bless You and your family!!
I have for mine. They hide underneath and eat the algae stuck on it. It's cute in the tank. For food they also like romaine lettuce and collard. They left my plants alone.
Pleco’s love munching and rasping on wood , it is their natural behaviour and it is healthy for them. And I’m very happy too because the wood looks always good, like cleaned with a toothbrush every day. Nothing rotten or dirty on my wood. The bristlenose keeps the wood neat and clean
I Give mine Carrots , Cucumbers , Green Beans , Sweet Potatoes and do it like one day one thing the next day another... I think most people just think oh its a pelco.. let them scavage.
My bristle noses are 1 year old never fed veg but have so much wood in their tank there over 12cm long I'll be giving them some beans after I finish this comment btw I use drift wood I find on the beach
Awesome video. I have a 125 gallon fresh water tank. I will be having African Cichlids but waiting for a custom stand to be finished. Any way I have albino bristlenose pleacos. I am going to start feeding veggies. How do you keep the green beens from floating? I am going to get some drift wood from a aquarium store. How do I clean it to make it safe for the tank? Thanks in advance.
Just watched your older video about them. You certainly know your subject. Will Bristle nose eat pretty much all algae? My tank is already planted and has wood but looking for a couple of helpers to help with algae control. I saw another video that says they can get annoyed with other bottom feeders. I have 4 cory cats and a couple of clowns so dont want to get a couple of Bristle Nose if it will cause issue. Thanks for the video very much appreciated
They don't seem to eat green spot or black beard algae but they do a good job on most others. I don't think one would cause a problem with your other bottom feeders.
The Fish Nerd I bought 4 and put 1 into a 40 gallon with my 1male and 1 Female Kribensis and there young, I have not seen the BN since I put it in there 3 days! I feel so bad because the others in my 60 gallon are out and about, should I tear my tank apart to find it and remove it?? I feel so bad! I was told that My Kribs would be fine with a pleco Versus having fish while there babies are in there, I have moved the other Kribs that where in there, because of there aggression, any advice would be greatly appreciated!
I would imagine that a bristlenose would be fine with kribs. Chances are it's just hiding out somewhere. I have some that are out a lot and others that prefer to stay hidden during the day.
I am so glad you told me this I have about 12 bristle nose plecos and I want them to grow healthy. I have heard that sometimes when you add wood to the tank it will brown the water is that true? Also what veggies should I be feeding them? You said green beans (french cut) is that in the can as well? How often should I be feeding these guys? I get a cucumber and put two halfs in they go nuts with it. How long should I keep it in? I also have a large common pleco should he be eating these veggies? I just want them to be healthy. I have no seen my common pleco eat any veggies he just lays around. I do put in algae waffers in from time to time for the large guy. Any suggestions on getting him to eat the good stuff? I have a 125 gallon tank. I just had a stand made for the tank so now I can get about 30 to 40 africian cichlids. thanks again Aaron
The browning of the water doesn't always happen but it won't hurt anything. It's the tannins coming out of the wood and I do believe that can be good for your fish. I feed my plecos and cichlids cucumber and green beans several times a week. I don't use French cut tho,mine prefer regular canned. All of my breeds of fish enjoy the veggies. They eat a varied diet.
Hi Carlos, are you breeding those high red bristlenose pleco's again? I am hoping so and I will have wood and refer to your videos as you have had such great success with yours. Thank you.
Hi So glad I found your channel mate.I if you don’t mind have a question for you I am very new to this fascinating hobby at the moment I have a few Malawi but I also want TWO bristlenose Plecos but I don’t want any live plants my question to you is this, What food can I use without installing live plants I believe I also need wood what type I hope I have made myself clear and you understand me, Great videos and have just subscribed. Thanks
The funny thing is my dwarf groumi pair eat the wood more then my bristlenose 😂, one of them grew up with bottom feeders so he thinks he’s a bottomfeeder
I have a coconut shell in the tank for my bristlenose. Is that ok too? The weird thing is that it still preferres hanging on the glass behind the filter..
Hahaha..I hear you! But I bet there be some idiots that havent listened! I soaked my aquarium bought wood for 2 weeks then put it in..you are so right..they love to hang out on wood! ..can you do a video...preparing the veg to feed them? Also how long do you keep the veg on..24hrs? Then take out? Or sooner..please let me know. My Bristlenose Has doubled in size since I got him 2 months ago..i give him wafers etc..i just want the best for mine. They're quite hardy fish? Can tolerate some different types of water?
I totally agree with your thoughts on this subject. Yes a bristlenose will "survive" without fibrous foods. BUT they are most likely not "thriving". I feed all my plecos veggies. I just stay away from one specific vegetable. It's not that my plecos don't enjoy it, it's just that I don't. Brussel sprouts!!! The smell was over whelming. HOLY CRAP (literally)
If that's all they're getting, I would honestly say it's probably too meaty of a diet overall with not enough fiber. A green bean or slice of cucumber once or twice a week would be a good idea to add.
Thx, for the information and i just feed my girl BN a Green bean. How often do I need to feed her ? Thx this was really helpful and I didn't know I had to feed her fiber.
I'm about to put a piece of wood in my tank for my 2 bristlenose plecos, and someone suggested that I need to boil it first for some time.... is that necessary???
It is beneficial if you can. It will remove a lot of the tannins so the wood doesn't stain your water as much. It will also water log the wood so it's less likely to float.
I had the typical pleco, the gray first picture one when you google pleco. My first one i bought when it was around 3 inch and it grew to 4 inch after half 8 months but then died. I know know that they also need food besides the algae in the tank. I have bought a new pleco, its a little over 2 inches and i bought algae wafers. I saw in some comments that I can also feed it cucumber/beans? but how much? And regarding the wood, is a random twig from a outdoor tree useable or? I've only kept goldfish my last few years and i bought the pleco that died to counter the insane algae growth when i moved to a different area. Also i feed the cucumber and beans raw right?
The common pleco isn't as much an herbivore as bristlenose plecos. They are omnivores that will each pretty much anything (and get huge). The wood and vegetable requirements of bristlenose don't so much apply to commons.
Look at the fish collecting videos on UA-cam, they always find the bristlenoses in the crevices of wood when they collect them. Weather they eat it or not is besides the point, they are more comfortable with wood in the tank. We should keep our fish as close to what they have in the wild, period!
Great video and informative...Thank you I love my plecos,betta,adf, corys and loach. And I have wood and Im glad I do have because they are loving it ohh and my rainbow shark. But is carrot good for plecos? Just asking. My rainbow shark is sucking on that wood lol Thanks man. I will have questions later so I will tune in. Thanks bro be safe. The wood in my own opinion it looks freaking beautiful on the tank. 👍
Hi, We just added wood newly into the tank every since it was added, the catfish are stuck to the wood, earlier they used to go everywhere in the tank, plants and algae on the tank, but now they are only on the wood... should i be worried? they do not come down to have algae wafers as well. what should we feed them when they do not get down at all, please help.
The reason they stay with the wood instead of going all over is that you’ve given them something they like and makes them comfortable so that’s a good thing. :) For feeding them, I’ve had some plecos that prefer to feed at night (catfish tend to be nocturnal) so I like to feed them before bed so they can eat overnight, instead of the middle of the day when they’d rather be chilling in their “safe space.”
I picked up a clown pleco last weekend which is in QT right now. Can I get away with feeding him sera catfish chips about 3 times a week that contain wood instead of having wood in my tank?
Wow just wow u have to put a disclaimer of 3/4 of the video to all the ppl saying o no ur wrong I never did that like really ppl if u did it ok then u did everyone has different experiences anyways thank u for the video it helped me out I’ll start putting green beans in the tank and c how it goes
My question is how big of a piece do you need in your tank I have a piece of Driftwood that has Java moss growing on it it is roughly the size of a softball but hollowed out underneath is that going to be big enough or should I purchase some more to add to the tank PS I have lots and lots of plant cover and other fake pieces of driftwood
good video! I learned a lot! Your examples are very interesting. One thing is I think you could make the video a bit shorter, you seem to keep talking about the same thing over and over. Except for that, it's a great video!
No, they do not need wood. I have had mine for 3 years and they are healthy and are huge. I have Sail Fins and Albinos. I give mine vegetables , algae tablets that stick to the glass, and shrimp pellets that sink to the bottom.
I have lots of tanks and saw a albino pleco not bristle nose for the first time and thought it was difrent looking and impulse bought it I have it in the 29g and am now doing reacherch when it gets bigger I might move it to the 90g but I'm thinking of returning him beciuse I dont want to mess up his care and font want to put vegies in my tank
It's likely a common pleco if it's an albino that isn't a bristlenose. I would lean towards returning it if you can. Even a 90 isn't big enough for a common pleco at full size.
Idk my bristlenose pleco has a spot that he love to chill and this year I decided to rescape my tank and I took the wood and I think the pleco made himself a cave bc when I purchased this wood there was no cave but I think he chewed himself a cave
Many people will disagree, but I use wood from me local creeks and river. I try to keep my aquariums as natural as possible.
I NEVER heard about bristle-noses needing wood! I had wood in my tank and I took it out because people were talking about decomposition. And I never heard about them needing fiber. Thank you for saving my pleco's well-being! So glad I came across your video. Looks like I have some changes to make!!!
Glad it helped!!
Besides it being good for them, it seems like they genuinely like rasping on wood. I just got mine yesterday from my LFS- they had no wood in the tank. As soon as I took him home, he went straight for the driftwood and sat there rasping on it for 2 days straight prior to exploring a bit. I think it also can offer more hiding spots/helps them feel more secure, creates an edible beneficial biofilm for them to munch on, among other things!
My plecos have almost totally consumed a large piece of driftwood in 4 years.
Mine did a number on a piece of malaysian driftwood in my breeding tank.
Having watched wild caught plecos in their native waters, the ppl were pulling up huge branches full of holes and the plecos were falling out of them, it was astonishing !!
Super super cool
I had a plecko for like a year and I never gave it wood or vedgetables and now I feel bad.
I now have two bristlenoses and when I gave them wood for the first time they went crazy for it
They always do! :)
Driftwood definitely help to de-stress the pleco , improving their mental wellbeing :)
I have a tank of breeding Albino BNP. Bare bottom, lots of drift wood. They love to rasp on it, especially the babies. Not only the fiber, but microscopic stuff and algae off it that they like. I can’t seem to get them in to the green beans, but tried several times. They like canned carrots actually. I feed them various Bug Bites, algae wafers, and Sera chips with wood are in the rotation.
Right on!
BN plecos can live for over 10 years- so people saying "it lived without wood for 3-5 years" is like saying smoking isn't bad for you my uncle smoked every day and live to be 30. Some people are so stupid- they do this same thing with rabbits- "my rabbit lived to be 5 and we never fed it hay" but rabbits can live to be 12 and some even live to be 14 if you feed them properly.
Pretty much
dunno mate apparently human beings need 5 types of fruit and veg and 8 litre of pure water a day. ive eaten one piece a month on average for about the last 20 years an drink about a mouthfull of fresh water everyday when i brush my teeth... lol still kicking around still perfectly healthy.
i reckon you dont need 5 pieces a day at all. some, occasionally is... plenty. chuck in abit of wood once in a while every 6 months, theyll get all the fibre they need and you dont need a hunk of crappy looking wood throwing your carefully manicured aqauscape off. ooorrr put some food with fibre in it every once in a while? lol if your feeding them fruit and veg theyll get fibre from that
shit, 10 years?! I’ve had mine for about 4 years now. I’ve given him his own food and now knowing that they need wood, i put some in both my tanks
I find it so so sad that you are forced to over explain because people are so rude and indignant towards EVERYTHING and EVERYONE. Ugh.
ANYYYYYWAAAAAYS thank you for this information! I’m in the midst of doing research before I get a Bristle Nose Pleco (fingers crossed I can find a long fin blue eyed lemon🤞🏻. ) This was very informative and helpful 😊
So I have a male BN. and introduced him to a pair of females in a 46 gallon. I found a oak tree limb about 2 1/2" in diameter cut it to about 6" long. I then drilled the center out to about 4" deep. Boiled it for about a half hour to get rid of the tannins and man I have BN babies all over the place! Had to remove the male because they were going wild. Wood cave is a excellent addition!
Awesome!! Wood cave is very cool!
I 100% agree to what you shave said in this video. As I started with 4 Bristle nose Pleco's they were sized at about 4 cm and this was over 6 years ago. I have added over 3 pieces of pet shop approved wood into my 1200l tanks. I have an Aqua 1 external canister filter system and 4 bubblers. I have duck weed growing on the top of the water in the tank (as this also supplies my pond outside for my native Pygmy Perch and Motorbike frogs) and I add aquarium plants every year. I also have many aquarium approved fake logs and plants of all sizes and I place them all over the tank so they can hide and breed. I do this as I find each breeding male likes his own log. At last count I have over a thousand Pleco's in my tank ( they are all very happy). I often give them away to other aquarium owners . My original 4 are all over 15cms in size and still alive. I throw in frozen Oats and zucchini, beans and peas about 3 times a year and feed the alga wafers through automatic feeders daily. I top the water up monthly and only change 50% of the water out with filtered tap water. once or twice a year. I do clean my canister sponge filter as often as I need usually 4 times a year but some times monthly. I can go on holidays for up to three weeks as long as I get someone to check the tank a couple of times over the time I'm away they are fine.( even if there is a power failure the canister filter will restart once power is back on and the feeders are battery operated so all good). I have coloured aqua lights that I can dim on the top of the tank ( which I leave on when I'm on holidays a low light) and the tank is in my studio in a back corner with not much natural light (more convenience than choice). I also have a glass internal heater in the tank which sits at between 24 and 27 I find if its too warm they breed more so I try and only have it warmer in winter (Perth, WA Australia, temperature ranges between 2 to 42 celsius in a year) I do have heating and Air conditioning in my studio. so the reason I have added all of this stuff is I think this backs a lot of what you are saying on this UTube video. I really appreciate your suggestions as it confirms what I'm doing if right cheers
no ones opinion or experience is wrong,and I value yours,keep being the fish nerd..........God bless
👊🏼💥
My plecos are always sitting on the wood. I agree! I recommend it when I sell plecos at the shop
Yup. Seems it's always their favorite place in the tank.
Agree, I have tow Bristlenose. Got both from breeders about 6 months apart.
Planning to breed them yourself?
I understand you. You make a lot of sense. Bristlenose plecos do “munch” on the driftwood. They, as you have clearly said, in the process, do ingest the algae, aufwuchs, and bits of wood fiber. I think all of the stuff help in a bristlenose pleco’s digestion and overall health. I know you are on the right track because I eat my portion of green leafy vegetables everyday and a lot of them don’t really get fully digested and absorbed into my body - the bulky stuff (fiber/cellulose) just goes out as poop. Moreever, I think the science is already out there that explains the importance of having enough fiber in our daily diet. So I am connecting the dots here. Thank you for sharing this video. I see my plecos much differently now.
Just found your channel and subscribed, I raise bristle nose several types. You should try feeding tofu it’s just soybean,cut it into chunks feed what you need and freeze the rest. I have gotten several people to try it and they are amazed how fast they go for it. Extra firm or firm are my favorites and it sinks right away unless frozen then drop it in and when it thaws it will sink.
Thanks for the information about wood in the tank for algae eaters and I just so happen to have spider wood in my 20 long. How long have you been having fish in your fish tanks and over your right shoulder right shoulder was that guppy
I really enjoyed this video. The young Brown Bn Catfish Hybrids that I picked up at the Club Swap grew up and the 1 Quarantine that that there were 2 of them in... I have had 2 clutches of Fry. They love the Mopani Driftwood. I had carved out a ditch to add some Anubias in. The Anubias kept coming out, so I placed in on Suction Clips and my Betta hides in it. But, one day last month, I saw these lil white wiggling things. After a few days, I noticed that one of the BN was hanging out in that ditch in the Mopani Driftwood and the lil wiggling things turned out to be their babies. I made Rock Caves, but my guess is that there was a nice Biofilm on the. Mopani Driftwood that both parents and their babies like. I also had a piece of SpiderWood that these young ones are also enjoying.
I noticed that they jump quickly on the Bloodworms that I add for the Betta. I was glad that they did since I never saw the Betta go after the BloodWorms. :-)
I dont keep ancistrus. I do breed L046, L264, L398. All my breeding tanks have wood and almond leaves . All fry tanks have wood and almond leaves. All my plecos get zucchini ( even zebs) for fiber. All plecos need wood to hide under, graze biofilm, tannins. Great video. I agree 100% . Too many people keep plecos to clean their tanks and dont understand them. I however love and adore plecos.
I, too, am a sucker for plecos.
Soo close to 10k subs, great work ! . I found your channel from that bristlenose pleco video you did about 3 years ago , It's really happy to see your development. You deserve it.
Thank you so much!!!
10k giveaway video coming tomorrow btw :)
I have a Baryancistrus l81 for 21 years! And I don't think it was very young when I bought it here in Israel. I do give it driftwood, pleco food, tons of cucumbers and peas. It's a hassle having to upkeep this beautiful fish for the past 21 years plus two months. But it's my responsibility to take care of it.
I could have had it for 5 or 7 years without feeding it properly. And I'd think, wow. I had it a whopping 7 years. And I'd be wrong in my assertion.
Anyway, thank God.
Well done!!!
P.S. there is driftwood in his tank as well, in all my tanks.
😎
I feed mine butternut squash. Looks closest to a pumpkin and I prefer over zucchini lately cause it can stay in my tank for around 2 days before fouling water. Also have driftwood and I do 2 feedings a week. They love it as soon as I put it in the tank as well as my clown loaches, rainbow shark, and snails. Also I do weekly water changes at 50%
Carlos...I'm going to give you a piece of my mind!!! it is so good to see you!! LOL. You are almost at 10K subscribers! Very cool! Looking forward to future videos. Happy Thanksgiving and God Bless You and your family!!
Haha!! Thanks Michael!! Crazy that it's so close! Happy Thanksgiving to you all, too!! God bless, buddy!
3:12 “just feed them vegetables”
*proceeds to name fruits*
I have for mine. They hide underneath and eat the algae stuck on it. It's cute in the tank.
For food they also like romaine lettuce and collard. They left my plants alone.
Hey how often should I feed lettuce in the tank, every other day?
You should do a video on what your bristlenoses eat
Be a short video. "Here are the green beans." 🤣🤣🤣
Green beans are the way to go. I dropped some in and it seemed like candy to them.
Mine act the same way.
Try Sweet Patato
Mine has a tree shared with a betta and 5 shrimp
Ok, thanks. Any type of wood helped me.
I put in green beans in once a week. My Bristlenose chews on it 'till it's gone. My Mystery Snails love them too.
hey, that helped out, no questions.
Glad to hear it!
Pleco’s love munching and rasping on wood , it is their natural behaviour and it is healthy for them. And I’m very happy too because the wood looks always good, like cleaned with a toothbrush every day. Nothing rotten or dirty on my wood. The bristlenose keeps the wood neat and clean
Good reason why wood needs to be in the tank
im team green beans seems they breed alot better with a high fiber diet theres a difference between living and thriving great video really enjoyed it
Thanks bipolar!
My plecos love veggies and they love rasping on wood!!
Same here!
What kind of wood ? Need one that won’t lower my ph
I Give mine Carrots , Cucumbers , Green Beans , Sweet Potatoes and do it like one day one thing the next day another... I think most people just think oh its a pelco.. let them scavage.
Your plecos eat better than I do. Lol
My bristle noses are 1 year old never fed veg but have so much wood in their tank there over 12cm long I'll be giving them some beans after I finish this comment btw I use drift wood I find on the beach
Do I need to give vegetables revery day? I give cucumber frequently. Do I still need to put wood?
Awesome video. I have a 125 gallon fresh water tank. I will be having African Cichlids but waiting for a custom stand to be finished. Any way I have albino bristlenose pleacos. I am going to start feeding veggies. How do you keep the green beens from floating? I am going to get some drift wood from a aquarium store. How do I clean it to make it safe for the tank? Thanks in advance.
Canned green beans are already water logged so they just sink. As for cleaning wood, I just rinse it under hot water.
I have wood in all my BN tanks! Nice video Carlos.
Thanks EJ! 👊🏼💥
I have noticed with my last batch of BN the fry in with wood are much larger then the fry in tanks w/o wood. Its very noticeable atleast 1/2 " larger.
Now that's interesting! I wonder if it's more the wood or if it's that the wood provides more biofilm for the babies to give them a head start.
Just watched your older video about them. You certainly know your subject. Will Bristle nose eat pretty much all algae? My tank is already planted and has wood but looking for a couple of helpers to help with algae control. I saw another video that says they can get annoyed with other bottom feeders. I have 4 cory cats and a couple of clowns so dont want to get a couple of Bristle Nose if it will cause issue. Thanks for the video very much appreciated
They don't seem to eat green spot or black beard algae but they do a good job on most others.
I don't think one would cause a problem with your other bottom feeders.
The Fish Nerd Many thanks
Great video! Thanks for the info, I’m knew to bristle nose, just bought 4 babies, I love them!
Thanks Heather!! I agree, they're pretty great.
The Fish Nerd I bought 4 and put 1 into a 40 gallon with my 1male and 1 Female Kribensis and there young, I have not seen the BN since I put it in there 3 days! I feel so bad because the others in my 60 gallon are out and about, should I tear my tank apart to find it and remove it?? I feel so bad! I was told that My Kribs would be fine with a pleco Versus having fish while there babies are in there, I have moved the other Kribs that where in there, because of there aggression, any advice would be greatly appreciated!
I would imagine that a bristlenose would be fine with kribs.
Chances are it's just hiding out somewhere. I have some that are out a lot and others that prefer to stay hidden during the day.
The Fish Nerd thanks so much, I’ll continue throwing in veggies before the lights go out at night
thanks for the video. is it okay to feed "Del monte fresh cut green beans"??? or should i buy the fresh grean beans then boil it?
Great video mate 👍👍👍
Thanks!!
Thank you for this info!🙂👍🏻
Sure thing!
I am so glad you told me this I have about 12 bristle nose plecos and I want them to grow healthy. I have heard that sometimes when you add wood to the tank it will brown the water is that true?
Also what veggies should I be feeding them? You said green beans (french cut) is that in the can as well? How often should I be feeding these guys? I get a cucumber and put two halfs in they go nuts with it. How long should I keep it in? I also have a large common pleco should he be eating these veggies? I just want them to be healthy. I have no seen my common pleco eat any veggies he just lays around. I do put in algae waffers in from time to time for the large guy. Any suggestions on getting him to eat the good stuff? I have a 125 gallon tank. I just had a stand made for the tank so now I can get about 30 to 40 africian cichlids. thanks again Aaron
The browning of the water doesn't always happen but it won't hurt anything. It's the tannins coming out of the wood and I do believe that can be good for your fish. I feed my plecos and cichlids cucumber and green beans several times a week. I don't use French cut tho,mine prefer regular canned. All of my breeds of fish enjoy the veggies. They eat a varied diet.
They are very private animals and like the wood background to camouflage themselves. So there is a need beyond feeding off of wood.
Good point!
Hi Carlos, are you breeding those high red bristlenose pleco's again? I am hoping so and I will have wood and refer to your videos as you have had such great success with yours. Thank you.
No, I haven't started up the breeding again, yet.
@@TheFishNerd please let me know when and if you do this breeding project again. Ty Hank
Hi
So glad I found your channel mate.I if you don’t mind have a question for you I am very new to this fascinating hobby at the moment I have a few Malawi but I also want TWO bristlenose Plecos but I don’t want any live plants my question to you is this, What food can I use without installing live plants I believe I also need wood what type
I hope I have made myself clear and you understand me, Great videos and have just subscribed.
Thanks
Plants aren't necessary. Any aquarium safe wood will do (mopani, manzanita, malaysian driftwood, etc.).
So helpful, thank you!!🙏🏽
The funny thing is my dwarf groumi pair eat the wood more then my bristlenose 😂, one of them grew up with bottom feeders so he thinks he’s a bottomfeeder
Great video! Thanks for info! Exactly what I was wondering about their diet.
👍🏼
I have a coconut shell in the tank for my bristlenose. Is that ok too? The weird thing is that it still preferres hanging on the glass behind the filter..
I'd think that would be fine. It's a hard, fibrous, plant material. 👌🏼
thanks man. good video. very helpful
Thanks Kerry!! Glad it helped!
❤❤❤❤🥰🥰🥰🥰 great advice and great face to look at lol
Hahaha..I hear you! But I bet there be some idiots that havent listened! I soaked my aquarium bought wood for 2 weeks then put it in..you are so right..they love to hang out on wood! ..can you do a video...preparing the veg to feed them? Also how long do you keep the veg on..24hrs? Then take out? Or sooner..please let me know. My Bristlenose Has doubled in size since I got him 2 months ago..i give him wafers etc..i just want the best for mine. They're quite hardy fish? Can tolerate some different types of water?
I honestly just open the can of french cut green beans, pour off the water and add them to the tank. Lol
@@TheFishNerd thank you..I'm going to do that..I love my BN...i totally agree Fibre is important .
Do the pleco wafers have fiber? I have driftwood, but I feed pleco wafers for their health...
I totally agree with your thoughts on this subject. Yes a bristlenose will "survive" without fibrous foods. BUT they are most likely not "thriving". I feed all my plecos veggies. I just stay away from one specific vegetable. It's not that my plecos don't enjoy it, it's just that I don't. Brussel sprouts!!! The smell was over whelming. HOLY CRAP (literally)
Haha!!! Brussel sprouts are nasty!
Thank you. I have a long finned bristle nose pleco in a 55g aquarium. I give him zucchini every day. I will try other veggies too.
Awesome! 👍🏻
Thank You Carlos
You're welcome!
He is 100% correct. Mine rasp on it every day
What do you think of a beef heart discus flake with 2% fiber?
Wood in the tank also keeps the water soft which is key for my Discus
If that's all they're getting, I would honestly say it's probably too meaty of a diet overall with not enough fiber. A green bean or slice of cucumber once or twice a week would be a good idea to add.
Thx, for the information and i just feed my girl BN a Green bean. How often do I need to feed her ?
Thx this was really helpful and I didn't know I had to feed her fiber.
A green bean every few days should be fine as long as she's also getting flakes every day.
Your never going to make stupid stubborn people understand so don’t stress over it!!! Lol. Thanks for all you do!!! 😉😉😉
Haha!! Thanks chef!!
I'm about to put a piece of wood in my tank for my 2 bristlenose plecos, and someone suggested that I need to boil it first for some time.... is that necessary???
It is beneficial if you can. It will remove a lot of the tannins so the wood doesn't stain your water as much. It will also water log the wood so it's less likely to float.
do i use artificial driftwood or natural for my plecos?
If you feed them veggies whit fibre is it ok to have no wood then?
I had the typical pleco, the gray first picture one when you google pleco. My first one i bought when it was around 3 inch and it grew to 4 inch after half 8 months but then died. I know know that they also need food besides the algae in the tank. I have bought a new pleco, its a little over 2 inches and i bought algae wafers.
I saw in some comments that I can also feed it cucumber/beans? but how much?
And regarding the wood, is a random twig from a outdoor tree useable or? I've only kept goldfish my last few years and i bought the pleco that died to counter the insane algae growth when i moved to a different area.
Also i feed the cucumber and beans raw right?
The common pleco isn't as much an herbivore as bristlenose plecos. They are omnivores that will each pretty much anything (and get huge). The wood and vegetable requirements of bristlenose don't so much apply to commons.
Look at the fish collecting videos on UA-cam, they always find the bristlenoses in the crevices of wood when they collect them. Weather they eat it or not is besides the point, they are more comfortable with wood in the tank. We should keep our fish as close to what they have in the wild, period!
Very good point
Great video and informative...Thank you I love my plecos,betta,adf, corys and loach.
And I have wood and Im glad I do have because they are loving it ohh and my rainbow shark.
But is carrot good for plecos?
Just asking.
My rainbow shark is sucking on that wood lol
Thanks man.
I will have questions later so I will tune in.
Thanks bro be safe.
The wood in my own opinion it looks freaking beautiful on the tank.
👍
Thanks Frank! Plecos will eat carrots but mine don't seem to like them as much as green beans.
My pleco didn’t eat the green beans why not ?
Can African hardwood be put in with a Plecos? The tag says terrariums and aquariums
What kind of veggies can I give my pleco?
They like pretty much all the ones I mention in the video.
Hi, We just added wood newly into the tank every since it was added, the catfish are stuck to the wood, earlier they used to go everywhere in the tank, plants and algae on the tank, but now they are only on the wood... should i be worried? they do not come down to have algae wafers as well. what should we feed them when they do not get down at all, please help.
The reason they stay with the wood instead of going all over is that you’ve given them something they like and makes them comfortable so that’s a good thing. :)
For feeding them, I’ve had some plecos that prefer to feed at night (catfish tend to be nocturnal) so I like to feed them before bed so they can eat overnight, instead of the middle of the day when they’d rather be chilling in their “safe space.”
Thank you. You did well.
REDUNDANT!!! CAME HERE HOPING TO LEARN BUT TOO MUCH TIME REPEATING BEING DEFENSIVE IT SUCKS.
Thanks for the feedback! Leave a like if you didn't hate it too awfully bad.
Awesome info!
Thanks Caleb! Hope you're good, bud!
Is wood tannings bad 4 bristle nose fry
Are yellow beans the same as green beans ?
Im new to fish keeping and ive yet to see my pleco rasp on the wood. She is still young tho
what about wood from the local river?
I picked up a clown pleco last weekend which is in QT right now. Can I get away with feeding him sera catfish chips about 3 times a week that contain wood instead of having wood in my tank?
Clown plecos aren't as herbivorous as bristlenose plecos. I wouldn't worry about it.
Brussel sprouts👍
You're welcome😊
Do bristlenose pleco eat carpet plants?
Very nice
Thanks!
Required for proper digestion
I agree
Wow just wow u have to put a disclaimer of 3/4 of the video to all the ppl saying o no ur wrong I never did that like really ppl if u did it ok then u did everyone has different experiences anyways thank u for the video it helped me out I’ll start putting green beans in the tank and c how it goes
Glad it helped!!
My question is how big of a piece do you need in your tank I have a piece of Driftwood that has Java moss growing on it it is roughly the size of a softball but hollowed out underneath is that going to be big enough or should I purchase some more to add to the tank PS I have lots and lots of plant cover and other fake pieces of driftwood
That's fine, what you have. As long as it's enough for them to rasp on. 👍🏼
good video! I learned a lot! Your examples are very interesting. One thing is I think you could make the video a bit shorter, you seem to keep talking about the same thing over and over. Except for that, it's a great video!
I think they can possibly survive without it, but that it is definitely something they need for happiness and their diet.
Agreed
No, they do not need wood. I have had mine for 3 years and they are healthy and are huge. I have Sail Fins and Albinos. I give mine vegetables , algae tablets that stick to the glass, and shrimp pellets that sink to the bottom.
I have lots of tanks and saw a albino pleco not bristle nose for the first time and thought it was difrent looking and impulse bought it I have it in the 29g and am now doing reacherch when it gets bigger I might move it to the 90g but I'm thinking of returning him beciuse I dont want to mess up his care and font want to put vegies in my tank
It's likely a common pleco if it's an albino that isn't a bristlenose.
I would lean towards returning it if you can. Even a 90 isn't big enough for a common pleco at full size.
Good vid Just subbed
Thanks Steve!! 👊🏼💥
Idk my bristlenose pleco has a spot that he love to chill and this year I decided to rescape my tank and I took the wood and I think the pleco made himself a cave bc when I purchased this wood there was no cave but I think he chewed himself a cave
Wouldn't surprise me if he did!
I got a whole tree for my 1 with my shrimp he's a fry though super young 2cm
👍🏼
You probably already learned this the hard way, but Alot of bristlenose develop a taste for shrimp, especially common bristlenose for cherry shrimp
This helps so much
Thanks Ethan!!
Where is your new tank? We want to know how are they .:)
Which one? 😉
So, do bristle noses eat wood? Lol great video. I love it
Haha!! Thanks!