# Rubberlip plec a good sub for bristlenose?



## pandragon (Jul 10, 2014)

So I have a 29-30 g walstad/natural tank needing an algae eater to clean stubborn diatoms off the glass. I heard bristlenose plecos are good and stay pretty small, but my lfs doesn't carry them only regular/common plecos and rubberlip according to the website. I tried otos, which I fell in love with and morned when each one died off-some within days others weeks, until the last died just over 2 months in. The only places I have seen small bristlenose plecos are mail order only and very expensive with shipping and all. Will a single rubber lip be ok or is that too big for a 29/30g? I only have petsmart and petco close by and I don't know the latin name, jsut says rubberlip and common pleco. I know I don't want a common pleco, 2 ft of fish is insane.

Should I just save up for next day shipping charges for a small bristle nose or will a rubber lip be fine ?

I was wanting to have some mollies and guppies in there as well, so I don't want the pleco to be agressive when full grown either (or eat my swords or other plants for that matter).

Thanks for advice!!!


----------



## Shrimplett (Mar 21, 2013)

I had one and he was a cute little guy. I cant say how much he helped with algae for me since my tank had green spot algae and brush algae everywhere, but he would always actively clean the glass and bigger leaved plants in the early morning or when I wasn't watching. So I assume he was getting something. They are super cute, and I really don't see why one couldn't go in a 30gallon. There are a few different verities, I had L445. Its one of the smaller and cooler looking rubberlips. Stays about 5 inches max. Petco & Petsmart seem to have the L444 rubberlip more often. They are slightly blander to me, but they stay the exact same size as the other one. The scientific names for these are C. formosae, and C. aff.milesi. There is so many verities under this group of fish though, and each one has a different scientific name so its hard to say exactly which your LFS has for sure.

It should be fine with your fish. The only aggression I noticed was with other bottom dwellers like otocinclus and such. It shouldn't bother your plants either if you supplement with algae wafers and blanched zucchini.


----------



## h4n (Dec 23, 2005)

I had some back in the day,

I could see the trail of them cleaning up algae on the glass just like a bristle nose.

So i would say yes!


----------



## pandragon (Jul 10, 2014)

Thanks! I wanted to make sure they wouldn't get huge or anything like some.

I looked up these guys on planet catfish and noticed most stay under 7 inches, but some get around 10 inches like this guy here. I hope these guys don't get thrown in with the small rubberlip/rubbernoses or I will ahve to get a bigger tank! They look nearly identical to the other species.


----------



## h4n (Dec 23, 2005)

Ya I've never seen them that big actually.

But i also dont see that many of them anymore.

Everyone want bristle noses now a days


----------



## TropTrea (Jan 10, 2014)

Chaetostoma including the rubbernose are omnivorous and need a combination vegetable and meat diet to remain healthy. They are known algae eaters.

Ancistrus sp. commonly called bristlenose are also omnivorous however they have fonder preference for vegetable. I feed mine green beans and squash when iut is available.

Beware of some of the members of the Pleco family who need specialized diets. 
Panaqolus sp requires loads of wood in there diet. Hypancistrus sp. are more carnivorous than anything else as an example.

www.planetcatfish.com has some great references to what plecos, cats or similar fish will work best for you. It contains detailed descriptions of most species.


----------



## TropTrea (Jan 10, 2014)

h4n said:


> Ya I've never seen them that big actually.
> 
> But i also dont see that many of them anymore.
> 
> Everyone want bristle noses now a days


wehen I had my fish store Id have some people bring in some giants for me that out grew there 70 to 120 gallon tanks. I saw some that were over 18" but cannot tell you what species they were now. Yes some are very difficult to distinguish

Saturday I picked up 6 Ancistrus sp. "Super Red" that are only about 1 1/2" long. I got them eating green beans hand I'm hoping a year or two from now I can start breeding them.


----------



## h4n (Dec 23, 2005)

Great info!

Yes I got a few super red marbles.

Two are about 3-4" long


----------



## pandragon (Jul 10, 2014)

Thanks for more info. I have lots of drift wood and bottom feeder wafer things that are full of lots of stuff including algae and veggies plus I can give lots of left over veggies if need be. I know the common plecos get up to feet from what I have heard and some ancistrus get relatively big as well, but I think they are more rare and the 5 or so inch ones are more common, at least its the size I keep hearing about everywhere for ancistrus and the rubbernose/lip ones.

I have read a couple reviews about petsmart rubberlip/nose that did end up around 10 inches, but very few. If I end up getting one of the larger species, how long will it take to out grow a 30g? A 10 inch fish in a 12-13 by 30 by 18 or so inch tank is a bit big in terms of maneuverability let alone bioload.


----------



## TropTrea (Jan 10, 2014)

pandragon said:


> Thanks for more info. I have lots of drift wood and bottom feeder wafer things that are full of lots of stuff including algae and veggies plus I can give lots of left over veggies if need be. I know the common plecos get up to feet from what I have heard and some ancistrus get relatively big as well, but I think they are more rare and the 5 or so inch ones are more common, at least its the size I keep hearing about everywhere for ancistrus and the rubbernose/lip ones.
> 
> I have read a couple reviews about petsmart rubberlip/nose that did end up around 10 inches, but very few. If I end up getting one of the larger species, how long will it take to out grow a 30g? A 10 inch fish in a 12-13 by 30 by 18 or so inch tank is a bit big in terms of maneuverability let alone bioload.


Thee big wholesale shops that sell to the majority of pet stores usually sell the Pecos as a mixed lot by there size. The shop owner has no idea what species they actually are. Some of the larger wholesalers especially those with regular imports form South America will occasionally offer plecos labeled with a specific species or L number.

Then there are some local unusual mom and pop fish stores that work with small breeders. Many of these small breeders will be keeping one or strains of Pleco's in there basement fish rooms. Presently I'm working on starting several strains of Ancisterus mainly SF Super Red, SF Albino, LF Albino, and SF Blue Eye. I suspect it will take me at least two years before I'll have any oif these on a marketable level.

Do you have a local fish club? If so I would check with them. The Local Fish Clubs are very often groups where many hobby breeders get together. Most would rather sell fish very reasonably to other club members than to Fish stores. Many of the more beautiful Pleco's rarely ever make it to the fish stores as there is big private market for many of them.


----------



## pandragon (Jul 10, 2014)

Trop I totally agree that getting fish from a club or breeder would be ideal, but I live 3 hours away from anything and can't afford overnight shipping in order to guarantee best condition on arrival. I was wondering how fast they grow just in case I end up with one of the random large ancistrus or rubberlip varieties since no one around here has the L numbers or species posted on the tanks, though the common plecos, CAEs, ottos, and other pleco species tend to be placed in there own tanks most of the time. I know enough to decipher the common from the other two, and I know common plecos get really big while most rubberlip and ancistrus tend to stay relatively manageable in size for a 30g (according to this forum, planetcatfish, and other sites I have read through) there are a few of those L numbered species that look identical, or nearly, to the smaller varieties that can get around 10 or so inches. Knowing how fast they grow might help determine if I end up getting one of the larger varieties in time to return it for credit or exchange. I have been reading anywhere from these guys growing several inches in a month to a few years without much consistency and without any pictures to help with id corroboration (did they really have the species they claimed or did they have common variety?) I just want to make sure all my bases are covered in case I end up with some odd varient that grows larger than most.


----------



## TropTrea (Jan 10, 2014)

From what I'm seeing growth rate varies considerably. I have one 30 breeder with 6 bristlenose that were being fer Algea Wafers and at 9 months old they are just under 2". Then I have another simular set up with bristlenose only a different species that in the same time period are well over 3". 

About 3 months ago I got another species that were 3/4" when I got them but I have been feeding a rotation of green beans and zucchini squash they are already almost 3". 

In the past I never tried raising or breeding them. The ones I got averaged about 2" inches of growth per year after an initial growth spurt. They continued to grow up to a point then simply stopped. Some stopped around 5" while other continues untill I found a home for them with huge tank.

Dependent of water conditions, amount of space they get and there diet the growth rates will vary considerably.


----------



## pandragon (Jul 10, 2014)

It looks like they might get to be 4-5 inches in a year with a mixed diet. That is a good time frame to get a bigger tank if need be, which I want to do anyways but can't afford atm. I was worried they might might grow 5 inches in a a couple months and die if not put in a huge tank really soon or something like that.

Thanks trop, mind is put at ease a bit.


----------

