Assorted Longfin Bristlenose Catfish 3.5cm

Assorted Longfin Bristlenose Catfish

The Longfin Bristlenose is a true oddball fish to add to an aquarium, they offer all the amazing benefits of a common Bristlenose pleco whilst also having angelic long flowing fins. Bristlenose plecos are one of the world's most popular aquarium fish and are an excellent addition to any aquarium. The species quickly rose to popularity as it is an excellent algae eater and is regarded as an essential clean-up crew for freshwater tanks. It is also a very peaceful fish that breeds easily and stays at a relatively small size in comparison to other plecos. Being in the pleco family the Bristlenose are in fact armored catfish which have dense bone plating all over their body making them a very difficult fish to be eaten by predators.

Bristlenose plecos generally have short fins however the long-fin gene offers a new interesting aspect to a generally drab-looking fish, this was achieved through the efforts of captive line breeding. The other great aspect of choosing the assorted Longfin Bristlenose pleco option is that there is the opportunity to receive a random mix of both common and albino Bristlenose which offers an easy method of an interesting variation of these fish. Albino Bristlenose is also interesting because they are extremely rare to occur in the wild however in the captive environment they are bred easily.

They are a great addition to planted tanks, peaceful fish aquariums, or a species-only breeding aquarium. Trying to find the males and females in this species is fairly easy. males have a lot of fleshy bristles all over their noses which can look pretty weird but that’s what makes them such a unique species along with these trailing fins. Females on the other hand lave little to no bristles. Longfin Bristlenose though bred in captivity can be fairly shy and naturally, the wild colour Bristlenose pleco habitat in South America.

Tank Recommendations for your Longfin Bristlenose Pleco

The Longfin Bristlenose pleco only needs a tank of around 20 gallons (75 liters) as they are a fairly inactive species in terms of not needing a lot of open swimming space. Though species like common plecos can get 60 cm upwards (2 feet) the Bristlenose body length max out at 15cm however with the addition of long streaming fins they can reach 20cm+, however, the bioload they produce will remain the same. A sand or gravel substrate is perfectly fine but most importantly they will love hiding areas around small pieces of driftwood, rock caves and they will love a densely planted aquarium as well. This species is most active when lights are turned off.

Suitable Tank Buddies

The Longfin Bristlenose pleco is extremely peaceful with aggression only ever coming out during breeding males breeding however this is harmless behavior. With adequate space these fish will get along with a wide range of community fish however any fin nipping species should be avoided.

Usually Compatible

Tetras, gouramis, corydoras, angelfish, dwarf cichlids such as rams, and large peaceful cichlids such as Uaru or Severums.

Sometime Compatible

Semi-aggressive or territorial cichlids like jack Dempsey's, fire mouths, convict cichlids, and similar species.

Rarely Compatible 

large aggressive species such as African cichlids, Oscars, and Jaguar cichlids. These species may try to eat the Bristlenose pleco which could end in death for both fish. Because of the dense bone and armor plating, the plecos often get lodged in the predator fish’s throat. Fin nipping species such as tiger barbs or serpae should also be avoided as these will damage the fins. 

Feeding your Longfin Bristlenose Pleco
Bristlenose plecos will easily take to a wide range of food and are arguably one of the easiest fish to feed. The Bristlenose are regarded as ‘wood eaters’ meaning they can easily sustain themselves eating aquarium driftwood. The best type of wood is Malaysian bogwood. They also eat algae and decaying plant matter but will also eat sinking aquarium foods like sinking pleco wafers. This can be supplemented with blanched veggies like zucchini and pumpkin. Feeding should occur once a day and it is best to do so when the lights are off.