How to breed bristlenose plecos

Bristlenose plecos are one of the easiest catfish to breed at home. A male guards the eggs in a cave until the babies swim out, and the young grow up on the same foods as the adults. Here's how to set them up and raise the fry.

I've bred super red bristlenose plecos, a bright orange-red color form of the same fish.

Males and females

Adult males have a bushy face covered in fleshy bristles that reach up the head. Females have only a few short bristles around the edge of the mouth. You can usually tell at about 6 months, and adults breed from about a year old.

Setting up to breed

• One male and one or two females in a tank of 20 gallons or more. See bristlenose pleco care.
• A cave just big enough for the male, with one opening. Clay or ceramic pleco caves work best. A male picks a cave and guards it.
• Driftwood to graze on. See aquarium driftwood.
• Clean water and good food. Lots of vegetables and sinking wafers bring females into condition.
• A large, slightly cooler water change often triggers spawning, the way rain does in the wild.

Eggs and fry

1. The female lays a clump of orange eggs inside the male's cave and leaves.
2. The male fans and guards them. He may stay in the cave for a week or more and not come out to eat. Leave him alone.
3. The eggs hatch in about 4 to 10 days. The fry stay in the cave and live off their yolk sacs for a few more days.
4. The fry come out and start grazing on wood and glass. Now they need food.

If the male drops the eggs out of the cave, you can raise them in a breeder box with an air stone, but most fathers do a good job on their own.

Feeding the fry

• Algae wafers crushed or whole, every day.
• Blanched zucchini, cucumber and spinach, removed after a day.
• Driftwood in the tank for grazing.
• Clean water. Fry eat a lot and the food rots, so do frequent water changes.

Fry are safe with most peaceful community fish, but grow faster in their own tank with plenty of food.

Plan for the babies

One pair can produce a batch every few weeks, often 50 or more fry each time. Before you start, ask your local fish store if they buy or trade home-bred bristlenose, because they need room to grow to about 5 inches. If you don't want more, keep one bristlenose, or two of the same sex.

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