# Bulldog Pleco



## trenac (Jul 16, 2004)

One of my contacts at the LFS told me that they will be getting some of these guys in this week. He said the full name is "Bulldog Bushy nose pleco", but he did not know where the bushy nose came into play. He also said that they should not get over 2 1/2", came in various shades and make awesome algae eaters. 

I did some research and found... 

1) They grow from 3"-6" 

2) Their the same as Rubberlip/mouth Plecos

Knowing that LFS & Internet sources can be misleading, I'm asking you guys for the lowdown on these guys.


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## Osteomata (Jan 11, 2005)

I stronlgy suspect that there are a variety of species of fish being called rubber lip/bulldog plecos. 
The one I have is about 3 inches long, and does not appear to have grown much at all in the 6 months I have had him.


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## JanS (Apr 14, 2004)

Yes, if it is the same as the Rubbernose/Rubberlip, they are great little fish, Trena.
I guess they are very good algae eater, and are one of the smaller Plec's out there. 
They don't get bristles though, so I'm not sure if there's some confusion with the name the pet store has. There are a billion Plec's out there these days, so I just hate it when they call it something like what you named above - it could mean so many different things.


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## trenac (Jul 16, 2004)

Me too, Jan... I guess I will just have to wait and see what they look like next weekend. 

Hopefully they will also get some Zebra Otto's in that I asked for.


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## JaySilverman (Jun 19, 2005)

I've always known them ass bristle nose or bushy nose pleco. They max out at about 5 to 6 inches each. They grow quite slower then normal plecos though. You could also go for a nice clown pleco. They grow about the same size and are alot more beautiful. They are a bit pricey though.


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## Simpte 27 (Jul 16, 2004)

bristlenose/bushynose plecos are NOT the same as bulldog/rubberlip plecos. bulldog plecos don't get quite as big and don't eat as much algae. They are also not as hardy. Very sensative to flux in water parameters. I've kept both species before and found the bristlenose pleco better.
Bulldog...........








Bristlenose............


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## Gumby (Aug 1, 2005)

I agree with Simpte... They are a pretty sensitive pleco.

If you're going to get them, drip acclimation is an absolute must. In my experience, they eat about just as much algae as bristlenose do. I perfer them over bristlenose because I've never seen bulldog/rubbermouth plecos go after the leaves on swords. I've got a bristlenose in my tank that I really wish I could remove because he loves to destroy the leaves on my large Kleiner Bar Sword.


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