Bristlenose Pleco

Ancistrus cirrhosus

Males grow a comical beard of fleshy bristles. Give them driftwood to rasp on and they will clean algae for life.

A peaceful freshwater fish that grows to 12 cm, lives near the bottom and needs 21–28 °C, pH 6.0–8.0 and an aquarium of at least 60 L.

Care at a glance

Water

Freshwater

Temperature

21–28 °C (70–82 °F)

pH

6.0–8.0

Adult size

12 cm (4.7 in)

Aquarium

60 L or bigger (16 US gal)

Temperament

Peaceful

Group size

Fine on its own

Swims

Bottom

Diet

Herbivore

Wild home

Amazon basin

Good to know

• Algae eater. Keeps algae under control.
• Glass cleaner. Clings to the glass and wood while grazing.
• Loves driftwood. Happier with wood in the aquarium.
• Hardy. Tolerates less-than-perfect water. Great for beginners.
• Armoured. Covered in bony plates or spines – too spiky for most fish to swallow.
• Nocturnal. Hides and rests while the lights are on, and comes out to explore and feed at night.

Tank mates

Good company: Black Skirt Tetra, Bloodfin Tetra, Cardinal Tetra, Cherry Barb, Chili Rasbora, Comet Goldfish, Dwarf Gourami, Dwarf Neon Rainbowfish, Ember Tetra, Endler's Livebearer.

Eaten by: Asian Arowana, Motoro Stingray.

Attacked by: Black Ghost Knifefish, Flowerhorn, Jack Dempsey.

Its fry are eaten by: Angelfish, Axolotl, Bala Shark, Black Ghost Knifefish, Comet Goldfish, Electric Blue Acara, Firemouth Cichlid, Flowerhorn, Frontosa, Jack Dempsey, Ornate Bichir, Oscar and 3 more.

Colours and breeding

• Common uncommon
• Albino uncommon
• Super Red rare
• Calico rare

In Aquarius a grown male and female breed in a healthy tank. Their young are born about 1 cm long and take after one of the parents.

Some pairs give a colour neither parent has:

• Albino × Super Red can give Calico

The care values are the ones Aquarius uses, based on how these animals live. Tank mates follow the game's rules: water type, temperature and pH, who can swallow whom, fin nipping, temperament and territory.