Fish Care Description

Freshwater

The Bristlenose Catfish is a very unusual looking catfish. The male has flesh like bristles around the chin area giving the appearance of a moustache with extra bristles running along the central part of the head.

The females only have bristles around the edges of their chin, this makes it very easy to find the sex of these fish.

They are native to South America and grow up to 5-6 inches in length with a lifespan of 6-8 years.

Housing

The tank temperature should be kept at (7.2-7.9) and the water should be slightly alkaline to quite soft acidic with a ph of (6.8-7.5)  Plant with lots of leafy foliage as these fish are quite timid and prefer hiding spots when feeling threatened. A piece of wood should also be added to the tank for the Bristlenose catfish to rest and graze on as this help with digestion and provide the fibre needed in their diet.

The Ancistrus Catfish are algae eaters and will keep the tank clean by sucking on the glass of the tank or the plants, although they do not start to eat algae until they have grown to approximately 2-3 cm in length.

Feeding

Ancistrus Catfish are not fussy eaters and will eat most foods placed in the aquarium, but they do need some vegetables in their diet like Spinach, Garden peas or blanched lettuce.