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Bristle-nose Catfish - Ancistrus

Suckermouth Catfish - Armor-Plated Catfish Family: Loricariidae

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Ancistrus Cirrhosus
Syn: Ancistrus dolichopterus Syn: Ancistrus temminickii
Image copyright: Kathy Jinkings, British Aquatic Resource Centre
All rights reserved Snowflake Bristlenose
Pearl Sucker
Ancistrus hopolgenys Image copyright: Kathy Jinkings, British Aquatic Resource Centre
All rights reserved Ancistrus ranunclus Image copyright: Kathy Jinkings, British Aquatic Resource Centre. All rights reserved

   Looking like the proverbial dog that just stuck its mouth in a porcupine, the Ancistrus or Bristle-nose Catfish are a very interesting and colorful member of the Loricariidae family of catfish.

   The Ancistrus or Bristle-nose Catfish can be used successfully to help rid the aquarium of problem algae. They will also will cling to the glass. They stay much smaller than their cousin and much more common catfish, the Pleco or Plecostomus. Similar to the Plecostomus, it is a good idea to keep some wood in the tank since rasping algae from the wood provides a perfect place for more algae to grow maintaining a constant food source for the fish.

   Coming from fast flowing tributaries of the Amazon river, ancistrus species prefer well oxygenated water with some currents.

   The Ancistrus or Bristle-nose Catfish prefer a darker aquarium with pieces of wood or roots to form caves and hiding places. The aquariums in the photos above are set up just right. Also notice the vegetable matter placed with a weight in the tank with A. hoplogenys. We're not sure but it looks like celery or bunched lettuce. They are nocturnal and so prefer doing their work at night.

For more Information on keeping this fish see:
Guide to a Happy, Healthy Freshwater Aquarium

Distribution:
   The Ancistrus or Bristle-nose Catfish are found in th fast flowing tributaries of the Amazon River in South America.

Size - Weight:
   A. cirrhosis gets up to 13 cm (5 inches).
   A. hoplygenys is smaller at 8 cm (3 inches).
   A. ranunclus, no info found yet.

Social Behaviors:
   The Ancistrus or Bristle-nose Catfish generally get along well with other fish but may fight among themselves especially if two males are put together. Some Ancistrus species males have even been observed with their bristles tangled together from their rambunctious behaviour!

Sexual Differences:
   Most males of the ancistrus species have more and longer tentacles than the females, this is especially true of the A. hoplygenys.
   A. cirrhosis: The male has an antler-like bump on its' forehead while the female has a row of short tentacles.
   A. hoplygenys: The male is larger with barbs, the female is smaller without barbs.
   A. ranunclus: no info found yet.

Water Region: Top, Middle, Bottom:
   These fish will stay in the bottom of the aquarium, and sometimes on the sides clinging to the glass.

Acceptable Water Conditions:
   Hardness: 2-20° dGH
   Ph: 5.8 to 7.5
   Temp: 23-27° C

Breeding/Reproduction:
   Recommended water conditions: 5-10° dGH, 6.5-7.0 pH
   A. cirrhosis lays eggs in clusters in the hollows or roots. The fish in the top picture (above) is a male who is spawning with a female in the woodwork. The male will them guard the eggs and fans them to keep them aerated. The fry will hatch after about 5 days and will attach themselves to flat surfaces like the sides of the aquarium. They have a yolk sac which is consumed after another 14 days or so at which time you can feed them pulverized green flake food or other baby food.
   A. hoplygenys is similar to A. cirrhosis except it has not happened as frequently and is therefore considered harder to accomplish.

Availability:
   The Ancistrus or Bristle-nose Catfish is readily available.

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Latest Comments
I own about 8 Bristle Nose Fish, 4 are white and 4 are brown. We have had them for a while. They are cute fish and they keep the tank clean. I noticed they had 1 baby in there and I have not seen it again. I want to know how to breed them, my brother has heaps and he has done a great job breeding them. Can any 1 help me out please. Lesley 2009-10-22
I got a male and female bristle nose catfish in a tank along with 18 goldfish ranging from 6 inches to 1/2 half inch and they are doing great. I know that they won't breed in such a tank, but they have survived for 1 year and are 4 inches and 5 inches and wide, respectively. They were 3 and 4 inches when purchased for 10 bucks each. So anyone that says a these type of fish won't survive in temperatures hoovering in the mid 60's to 72 ought to try it, turns out they are VERY hardy fish. I was very pleaseantly surprised! fishrule 2009-08-07
Hi, well I've now got another male and female bristly. Well I've got them in a 35 ltr tank all alone and as soon as I put them in there they started to sit on each other. And before when in 90 ltr tank they didn't go near each other, tho they were with various other species. So will post again soon and let yous no what happens. They have pump and air block, cpl of small plants, two large stones, and also a cave of which they both have been in the cave together. I have noticed an air bubble under it to which there wasn't when placed in tank, as air block is at least 5 inchs behind cave. Bye for now, haz. haz 2009-04-30
Hi, the other day when cleaning my fish tank from the Slime and Gunk, I picked up one of the bits of scenery and out popped about 20-30 small catfish! I pondered on this for a while, mainly because I've had only 1 catfish for about 1/2 a year strangely enough! And so I thought to myself... I wonder who mated with my bristle nose, and raising these new pussy-fish will be so much fun! Jarrod Simpson 2009-03-28
I had a male and female bristly, and they bred. Had about 100 babies. Very fun fish to own, very hard to find when small, lol. Get one, they are most fun. haz 2009-02-07
Some of the coolest comments:
excellent and interesting fish. i bought four babys and they grew into two breeding pairs which have laid nine batches of eggs over the past twelve months. i've had over a hundred young which survived from the eggs and have given many away. they are easy to breed and seem to be quite hardy with only the very young ones dying now and again. i feed algae wafers as they clean the tanks of natural algae. they are crazy about cucumber and they will eat plants if you don't provide enough food. they will strip broad leaved plants in the aquarium by rasping at the leaves. so to say they leave plants alone is a little untrue as they only seem to ignore them when well fed. i use bog wood in my tanks which also keeps them happy and is supposed to help with digestion in some way. the information about them being nocturnal is not so accurate as the females and youngsters seem to be quite active when the lighting is on with only the adult males wanting to stay hidden. i love these fish along with clown loaches. ivor whitehouse 2005-10-28
If you dont have a Pleco in your tank, you dont know what you are missing. I love them. They are great to watch and you can get so many different kinds, sizes and colours, I have 4 of them. 2 Bristlenosed, 1 Veiltail, 1 Royal and soon to get a Zebra Pleco. They are a great edition to any tank and they dont eat your plants or bully other fish, even the larger Plecos. A must have fish. mark 2004-03-08

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Author: David Brough. CFS.