Second hand cold water tank with a little stowaway....

Hi
I bought a second hand cold water tank yesterday, including the water.
Got home and noticed there was a little stowaway!

I have asked on a Facebook group and they said it's a young bristlenose pleco.

The tank is an upgrade and I want to use it for my tropical fish.

I would like to keep the pleco and wondered if I put a heater in the water and it warms up gradually, would it be ok?

Thank you

Bristlenose plecos are tropical fish and require a heater (and filter) regardless of the tank they're in, so yes. Please put a heater in as soon as you can!

(Will be adding to this, just wanted to get the first point out as quickly as I could since it's pretty vital to their survival)

How big is this tank?

*BNP = Bristlenose pleco

Bristlenose plecos are a type of catfish, specifically from the family loricariidae (armoured catfish). They are one of the smaller plecos known to the fishkeeping community, as they only grow up to around 6 inches maximum. They are a tropical species native to South America.

The male BNP* is identifiable by many hair-like bristles covering its head, which gives it its name. The female will also have these bristles, though they are generally smaller and only have them around their mouths.

Their tank size should be a minimum of around 20-30 gallons, and they must have driftwood and caves to live comfortably. They like dark, shaded areas so a large chunk of bogwood or a large cave structure would help out for these plecos.

They are generally herbivorous fish and will eat a wide range of food such as algae wafers, sinking pellets and blanched veggies. They are typically sold as "algae eaters/tank cleaners" but are, in fact, one of the heaviest poopers you will ever encounter and do not make good cleaner fish at all.

BNPs are a peaceful species and will not pick fights with fish. They are very hardy and adaptable, but keeping them in optimal conditions is vital to keeping them happy and healthy.


Can we see photos of this pleco?

Hi

I appreciate your advice.

I thought it very peculiar that she was in there!
In the fish shop I bought the tank from, there were 2 goldfish in the tank but I told the owner I didnt want the goldfish.

We have bought her food, and she's been eating. I will get a heater for her asap.

Thank you again

lizzie67 said:

Hi

I appreciate your advice.

I thought it very peculiar that she was in there!
In the fish shop I bought the tank from, there were 2 goldfish in the tank but I told the owner I didnt want the goldfish.

We have bought her food, and she's been eating. I will get a heater for her asap.

Thank you again

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No worries, I've edited my reply to give you some more information.

Hi

Here is a photo.

It's only about 1.5 inches long.

The tank is a Fruval Flex 34 litres.

lizzie67 said:

Hi

Here is a photo.

It's only about 1.5 inches long.

The tank is a Fruval Flex 34 litres.

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Wow, what a cutie!
You'll definitely need a bigger tank if you intend on keeping it, though. Do you plan on rehoming it?

PlasticGalaxy said:

Wow, what a cutie!
You'll definitely need a bigger tank if you intend on keeping it, though. Do you plan on rehoming it?

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Oh thank you! She is rather cute.

How big should the tank be?

I can't understand why she was in the small tank in the first place.

I would like to keep her although I notice she makes quite a lot of mess

lizzie67 said:

Oh thank you! She is rather cute.

How big should the tank be?

I can't understand why she was in the small tank in the first place.

I would like to keep her although I notice she makes quite a lot of mess

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They need a minimum tank size of around 25 gallons, so... a 3ft tank maybe? I know it sounds like a lot but the more room, the better. Plus then you can get her some friends.

@PheonixKingZ has a bristlenose pleco, so maybe he can help out on specifics since my area of expertise is the bigguns like common plecs and sailfins.

PlasticGalaxy said:

They need a minimum tank size of around 25 gallons, so... a 3ft tank maybe? I know it sounds like a lot but the more room, the better. Plus then you can get her some friends.

@PheonixKingZ has a bristlenose pleco, so maybe he can help out on specifics since my area of expertise is the bigguns like common plecs and sailfins.

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Thank you so much. I really appreciate your speed in replying and your advice.

lizzie67 said:

Thank you so much. I really appreciate your speed in replying and your advice.

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No worries! If you ever need help, feel free to make a new thread on whatever you need help with and there will be at least one person able to give advice usually!

Thank you, that's fantastic to know.

BNP’s do need a heater, and they do need a minimum tank size of 20 gallons. (A 20g long - a tank with dimensions of 30” x 12” x 12” [L x W x H])

You can buy a small heater, and put it in there for now, but you will need to upgrade soon.

He/she is really cute!

PheonixKingZ said:

BNP’s do need a heater, and they do need a minimum tank size of 20 gallons. (A 20g long - a tank with dimensions of 30” x 12” x 12” [L x W x H])

You can buy a small heater, and put it in there for now, but you will need to upgrade soon.

He/she is really cute!

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Awww thank you
I will be getting a heater first thing tomorrow morning.
The kids definitely want to keep her, so I will look for a larger tank.

I must say, she is producing rather a lot of poop

I do think it was meant to be as my daughter's fish died overnight and we found the stowaway later in the day!

I appreciate you help - thank you

lizzie67 said:

I must say, she is producing rather a lot of poop

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They do that!

PheonixKingZ said:

They do that!

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Great!
May I ask just one more question?
What is the best way to remove it and how often?

I'm a bit of a clean freak and I'm not too keen on mess