How big does Bristlenose Pleco get?

Bristlenose Pleco reaches an adult standard length of 10–13 cm (excluding the caudal fin). Size the tank for that, not for the juvenile you bring home — the difference is often several times over, and upgrading later costs more than buying once.

What water does Bristlenose Pleco need?

23–28 °C, pH 6–7.5, 2–15 dGH. At 5 °C wide it is one of the more forgiving ranges.

What is the smallest tank for Bristlenose Pleco?

At least 100 L, and no shorter than 80 cm. That is the floor for long-term keeping, not for short-term survival: volume buys water stability and length buys swimming room, and neither substitutes for the other. It is not a schooling fish, so a single specimen or a pair is fine.

What is Bristlenose Pleco like to keep?

Temperament: peaceful. Difficulty: beginner. It occupies the bottom and is herbivore. With plants it is "Leaves plants alone".

G-01 / 36Freshwater

Bristlenose Pleco胡子异型

Ancistrus cirrhosus · Loricariidae

A 12 cm pleco that grazes algae without sucking on tankmates or stripping plants: the right replacement for a common pleco.

Illustration to come

G-01 / 36 · Bristlenose Pleco Ancistrus cirrhosus

SpecificationsFish atlas

Name: 胡子异型
Scientific name: Ancistrus cirrhosus
Family: Loricariidae
Origin: Amazon tributaries, Brazil
Adult size: 10–13 cm
Temperament: Peaceful
Diet: Herbivore
Water level: Bottom
Level: Beginner
Min. tank: 100 L
Min. length: 80 cm
Plant safe: Leaves plants alone

Water requirementsFreshwater

Temp.23–28 °C

pH6–7.5

Hardness2–15 dGH

Units: temperature in °C, hardness in German degrees (dGH / dKH), marine salinity as specific gravity at 25 °C, volume in litres. These are the values recorded for the species and do not follow the site unit switcher.

Keeping notes

1Far gentler than the common pleco: it rarely sucks on tankmates and does not strip plants.
2Provide driftwood to rasp for fibre plus caves or pipes to hide in.
3At 12 cm it needs 100 L or more, active mainly at night and resting in caves by day.
4Mainly herbivorous on algae wafers, blanched vegetables and biofilm from wood.
5Males grow branched bristles and guard eggs laid on the inner wall of a cave.

Frequently asked questions

How big does Bristlenose Pleco get?: Bristlenose Pleco reaches an adult standard length of 10–13 cm (excluding the caudal fin). Size the tank for that, not for the juvenile you bring home — the difference is often several times over, and upgrading later costs more than buying once.
What water does Bristlenose Pleco need?: 23–28 °C, pH 6–7.5, 2–15 dGH. At 5 °C wide it is one of the more forgiving ranges.
What is the smallest tank for Bristlenose Pleco?: At least 100 L, and no shorter than 80 cm. That is the floor for long-term keeping, not for short-term survival: volume buys water stability and length buys swimming room, and neither substitutes for the other. It is not a schooling fish, so a single specimen or a pair is fine.
What is Bristlenose Pleco like to keep?: Temperament: peaceful. Difficulty: beginner. It occupies the bottom and is herbivore. With plants it is "Leaves plants alone".