L/F Marble Bristlenose Catfish 3.5cm

L/F Marble Bristlenose Catfish

It seems like there is an almost endless range of bristlenose pleco variations which is simply due to breeders finding genetic flukes in these fish that result in an awesome-looking fish. With how easily these fish breed, bristlenose plecos have become a collector’s species for home breeders to try out. One of these genetic variations of the common bristlenose pleco is the marbled long fin. This offers a great contrast to the common bristlenose, it also has angelic, flowing fins that are incredibly unique. The marbled long-fin plecos are also great algae eaters and will be a vital member of your clean-up crew which makes them an even better fish to have in your aquarium.

Marbled long-fin bristlenose plecos were one of the earlier variations of the common bristlenose which is a near-black colour. These fish are generally produced by crossing albino bristlenose back into commons which results in this patchy colour. The intensity of dark pigment can change with each fish and more so over age as well so through the lifespan of this fish the colours and patterning can be constantly changing. This also means that if you were to breed these fish, they can throw all sorts of different fry like albino and normal long fins, standards, and marbles as well. In addition to this, these fish have a genetic trait that causes the fins to grow much longer than normal. This gene for some reason appears to be quite dominant in bristlenose compared to other long-finned fish. In certain individuals, the fins can be the same length as the fish which looks like streamers as the plecos swim over rocks and another hardscape in the aquarium.

These fish can easily be kept in a species-only breeding tank with minimal effort which makes them a great entry-level breeding fish or for an aquarist looking to run a system on a budget. 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. Females on the other hand have little to no bristles.

Tank Recommendations for your Marbled Long Fin Bristlenose pleco

A pair of marbled long fin pleco can easily be kept in an aquarium with a minimum volume of 75 litres. These fish tend to max out at around 10-15 cm and will have little to no concern with the aquarium setting as long as they have places to hide. They can be kept with virtually any substrate and hardscape, are very plant-friendly, and once settled into the aquarium, they should spend some time out in the open.

Suitable Tank Buddies

The marbled long-fin bristlenose pleco is extremely peaceful minimal aggression coming out between males during breeding time however this is kept between the males and never affects any other tank mates. The only consideration is to avoid any fin-nipping tank mates as these will for sure pester the long fin plecos.

Usually Compatible

Tetras, gouramis, corydoras, angelfish, rams, and other common community fish.

Sometime Compatible

Semi-aggressive or territorial cichlids like jack Dempseys, fire mouths, or convict cichlids. Rosy barbs, tiger barbs, and similar fin-nipping fish should be avoided or kept with caution.

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. These plecos have dense armour-like bones and pectoral spines which can get lodged in the throat of these fish.

Feeding your Long Fin Marbled Bristlenose Pleco

Marbled long-fin 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 bog wood as this is a softer type and breaks down fairly easily.

Do keep in mind that plecos feeding exclusively on wood can lead to a lot of wood dust as a by-product due to them chomping away however a palm-sized piece of wood should last a very long time. Aside from this they will 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.