bristlenose and clown plecos

[fishdude07]

i was just thinking about getting one or two plecos for my 29 gallon for a little more variety in the tank. i was wondering if a bristlenose and a clown pleco would be ok...would they be ok? how big do bristlenose get? do either the bristlenose or clown pleco mind other plecos? thanks in advance

 

[Lotus]

I wouldn't get more than one pleco for that size tank. Plecos are pretty territorial, and you could end up with a nasty fight. Clown plecos are great little fish, but not big algae eaters, they prefer a more meaty diet.

Bristlenose get about 4", I believe. They're kind of strange looking, and not everyone likes the way they look. Apparently they're good algae eaters.

Your 29g looks like it has almost all bottom feeders. You may end up with some unhappiness if there aren't enough caves for everyone.

 

[fishdude07]

ahh, youre right about the cave thing...theres only one cave...maybe i should wait until i get some more? ive been planning on getting 1 or 2 more anyways. i personally like the way bristlenose look, so if i get a few more caves, i think i might want a bristlenose. thanks alot lotus

 

[wayne]

I think you'll be fine. I've always used the one sq foot of tank floor for a small to medium pleco rule and been ok.
Most bristlenoses won't get beyond 4 inches in captivity though they get bigger in the wild as they can feed continuously there.
By Clown pleco I assume you mean what is now called Panaque maccus, though I've seen other things sold under this name. This is one of the plecs that eats wood, and has to have wood available to chew on. They're also quite spiky to other similar fish so it's hit and miss how it will react to the dojo
If you decide to get another plec give gold nuggetss a miss till you've successfully kept a few. They're the mandarins of freshwater - cheap , beautiful and prone to starving to death.

 

[TaffyFish]

good point wayne about different fish sold as clown plecos.....another thing to bear in mind is the difference between male and female bristlenose. Only the male has the bristles, mine is kept with cichlids, is normally nocturnal and rarely comes out of his cave in the day. The female OTOH is out most of the time and feeds on algae all day long. So if you're just getting one get a female.