Getting a Bristlenose pleco from Maidenhead aquatics

[Fishkeeper123]

You might have issues with this stocking, imo. Both panda garra and a BN pleco in a smaller tank, this could be a big issue with territory, plus panda garra and BN both get a decent size in their own right as well. You may definitely want to upgrade in the future

Adult domestic bristlenose size.
View attachment 355474

Because of their size and bioload, a 114 liter minimum is usually better for domestic bristlenose, unless you are breeding a pair in a species only setup. But a community, water parameters will be more forgiving in a larger tank. So, I'd be preparing to upgrade if you go with this fish, and you should be good. You'd want to monitor the garra with the pleco, they could fight over space in too small of a tank. Garra can be turds.


What are the dimensions of the tank? You have what most would call a 20 gallon, but there's a couple shapes of this size, and not all will be good at all. A long you could get away with it for a short while with an upgrade plan. Do plan on lots of water changes too. I do 75-90% on my own tanks every week, at bare minimum 50%, but more is better.

My tank size is 24height 12 inch 15 height. I’ve already had the discussion on tank sizes before and am planning to expand next year but can’t do so now. I’m concerned about the garras and Bristlenoses fighting if there is a problem I will give the garras a new home. Is there anything I could add to the tank to make it better suited I currently have 2 pieces of wood at least one is driftwood and 2 plants attached to the driftwood.

 

[Fishkeeper123]

This is what the tank looks like

 

[Fishkeeper123]

If I did get a 200l soon what should I have as the stocking. I would get a second hand tank so wouldn’t have to cycle the tank.
Could I have
•8 leopard danios
• 6 panda garras
• a bristlenose pleco( with a possibility of getting another to breed them)
• some centrepiece fish( I like honey gouramis but don’t want to kill all my fish if they have the iridovirus)
• another schooling fish

 

[seangee]

He sounds amazing I hope mine will live that long . How big was your tank and is that what I will have to do or will something like 50% every 2 weeks be possible or will I have to do it more often?

He was in a 200l tank. He moved there from a 450l tank in 2016.
Today the girl is in a 60l tank but it is very lightly stocked, just her and 9 lambchop rasboras. I will be moving them into the 200l in the next few days as I am reducing the number of tanks I have.

FWIW I agree with @CassCats about the size of the tank with Panda Garras

 

[GaryE]

But best piece of advice I could give... just avoid chain stores. Non chain local stores are bit better, but still have their issues. Could order online off like eBay from private breeders. I got my guppies from one, and couldn't be happier with my little guys

That's good advice above, but unless you know the reputation of the online seller, be careful. I know of too many online sellers who buy the same guppies or poorly raised fish as the chain stores do, and resell them. I like to see the fish I'm buying, or to really trust the seller I'm buying from now.

Now that I've seen your tank dimensions, I think you are about to make an accidentally cruel mistake. I would suggest no one ever buy a fish for an aquarium that they don't have yet. If life intervenes and you can't get the larger tank, quick growing Ancistrus and Garra will live in misery. You have no idea how often people say that they'll upgrade on forums, online and in life, and how rarely they actually follow through in spite of their best intentions.

You don't need an Ancistrus. You want one. But you don't have the space. You don't get a large dog in the hopes that someday you'll have room for it in your house. How big a fish is the day you buy it is meaningless. If you take proper care of it and have any skills at all, it will grow very fast.

 

[Fishkeeper123]

That's good advice above, but unless you know the reputation of the online seller, be careful. I know of too many online sellers who buy the same guppies or poorly raised fish as the chain stores do, and resell them. I like to see the fish I'm buying, or to really trust the seller I'm buying from now.

Now that I've seen your tank dimensions, I think you are about to make an accidentally cruel mistake. I would suggest no one ever buy a fish for an aquarium that they don't have yet. If life intervenes and you can't get the larger tank, quick growing Ancistrus and Garra will live in misery. You have no idea how often people say that they'll upgrade on forums, online and in life, and how rarely they actually follow through in spite of their best intentions.

You don't need an Ancistrus. You want one. But you don't have the space. You don't get a large dog in the hopes that someday you'll have room for it in your house. How big a fish is the day you buy it is meaningless. If you take proper care of it and have any skills at all, it will grow very fast.

Okay I will plan on getting a bigger tank before I get the bristlenose. My panda garras have been none stop fighting for the last hour what should I do? I am actually going to get a bigger tank and was planning to next year but will look to get one in the next month or so. I put my ideas on the stocking any thoughts?

 

[Fishkeeper123]

.

 

[GaryE]

I'll duck and pass that on to someone else - I have never kept that species.

Okay I will plan on getting a bigger tank before I get the bristlenose. My panda garras have been none stop fighting for the last hour what should I do? I am actually going to get a bigger tank and was planning to next year but will look to get one in the next month or so. I put my ideas on the stocking any thoughts?

 

[Fishkeeper123]

I did a bit of research and it’s the garras fighting over dominance but it stopped shortly after I sent the message and they are now fine. Pls can I have some help with the stocking for a 200l

 

[Fishkeeper123]

My tank size is 24height 12 inch 15 height. I’ve already had the discussion on tank sizes before and am planning to expand next year but can’t do so now. I’m concerned about the garras and Bristlenoses fighting if there is a problem I will give the garras a new home. Is there anything I could add to the tank to make it better suited I currently have 2 pieces of wood at least one is driftwood and 2 plants attached to the driftwood.

Sorry I gave the wrong dimensions 24 inches long 12 inches wide 15 inches high

 

[CassCats]

Okay so this tank is a stupid footprint, it's very limiting on stock options, for the current tank you have now. So most definitely would not add a BN in this tank

But they'd work in a 200 litre absolutely no problem. And good, get the 6 garra when you do upgrade, because as you are seeing, they bicker among their shoal. So they should ideally have others around to spread out that aggression and let them sort out their social hierarchy. Only 2, they'll fight more often and it's not as targeted. Luckily panda garra are the most common garra species in the hobby and much easier to get your hands on more.


Honey gourami rarely, if ever, have iridovirus that the dwarf gourami have. You'd be pretty safe with them, but honey gourami will require different water conditions than garra, who do best with increased water flow and oxygen, where gouramis aren't huge fans of flow and would be stressed.

So, I'd look at something that would be okay with a little extra flow.

Stocking I'd go:

15 leopard danios (they will provide a fantastic shoal in a 200 litre)
6-8 panda garra
1-2 BN pleco


There's few "centerpiece" fish suited for higher flow that don't already inhabit the bottom level, and with the garra you may be hard pressed for adding other bottom dwellers. I'd treat the plecos as your centerpiece in this setup and go for a nice pair of whatever morph you like best. BN plecos aren't super shy plecos, so you'll see them out and about more. I'd put higher priority on a larger shoal size for the danios because they'd provide you a ton of visual dynamics to the tank in a larger group. You could go way more than 15, but I feel 15 would be a nice beginner number for you.



As for cycling, if you move your filter, hardscape, media, plants all over to the new tank, you haven't lost the cycle you currently have and wouldn't need to re-cycle it. Just add the new fish in batches to build up your current cycle.



Now, if you are like many of us, you'll get that 200 litre, keep this current tank and get yourself a group of 3-6 honey gourami (1 male 2-5 females) and set it up for them and perhaps 6 trilineatus cories (false julii) if you like honey gourami. Then you'd have 2 tanks

 

[Fishkeeper123]

Okay so this tank is a stupid footprint, it's very limiting on stock options, for the current tank you have now. So most definitely would not add a BN in this tank

But they'd work in a 200 litre absolutely no problem. And good, get the 6 garra when you do upgrade, because as you are seeing, they bicker among their shoal. So they should ideally have others around to spread out that aggression and let them sort out their social hierarchy. Only 2, they'll fight more often and it's not as targeted. Luckily panda garra are the most common garra species in the hobby and much easier to get your hands on more.


Honey gourami rarely, if ever, have iridovirus that the dwarf gourami have. You'd be pretty safe with them, but honey gourami will require different water conditions than garra, who do best with increased water flow and oxygen, where gouramis aren't huge fans of flow and would be stressed.

So, I'd look at something that would be okay with a little extra flow.

Stocking I'd go:

15 leopard danios (they will provide a fantastic shoal in a 200 litre)
6-8 panda garra
1-2 BN pleco


There's few "centerpiece" fish suited for higher flow that don't already inhabit the bottom level, and with the garra you may be hard pressed for adding other bottom dwellers. I'd treat the plecos as your centerpiece in this setup and go for a nice pair of whatever morph you like best. BN plecos aren't super shy plecos, so you'll see them out and about more. I'd put higher priority on a larger shoal size for the danios because they'd provide you a ton of visual dynamics to the tank in a larger group. You could go way more than 15, but I feel 15 would be a nice beginner number for you.



As for cycling, if you move your filter, hardscape, media, plants all over to the new tank, you haven't lost the cycle you currently have and wouldn't need to re-cycle it. Just add the new fish in batches to build up your current cycle.



Now, if you are like many of us, you'll get that 200 litre, keep this current tank and get yourself a group of 3-6 honey gourami (1 male 2-5 females) and set it up for them and perhaps 6 trilineatus cories (false julii) if you like honey gourami. Then you'd have 2 tanks

Yeah I like the idea of the tank set up and will go for that then.

 

[Fishkeeper123]

Okay so this tank is a stupid footprint, it's very limiting on stock options, for the current tank you have now. So most definitely would not add a BN in this tank

But they'd work in a 200 litre absolutely no problem. And good, get the 6 garra when you do upgrade, because as you are seeing, they bicker among their shoal. So they should ideally have others around to spread out that aggression and let them sort out their social hierarchy. Only 2, they'll fight more often and it's not as targeted. Luckily panda garra are the most common garra species in the hobby and much easier to get your hands on more.


Honey gourami rarely, if ever, have iridovirus that the dwarf gourami have. You'd be pretty safe with them, but honey gourami will require different water conditions than garra, who do best with increased water flow and oxygen, where gouramis aren't huge fans of flow and would be stressed.

So, I'd look at something that would be okay with a little extra flow.

Stocking I'd go:

15 leopard danios (they will provide a fantastic shoal in a 200 litre)
6-8 panda garra
1-2 BN pleco


There's few "centerpiece" fish suited for higher flow that don't already inhabit the bottom level, and with the garra you may be hard pressed for adding other bottom dwellers. I'd treat the plecos as your centerpiece in this setup and go for a nice pair of whatever morph you like best. BN plecos aren't super shy plecos, so you'll see them out and about more. I'd put higher priority on a larger shoal size for the danios because they'd provide you a ton of visual dynamics to the tank in a larger group. You could go way more than 15, but I feel 15 would be a nice beginner number for you.



As for cycling, if you move your filter, hardscape, media, plants all over to the new tank, you haven't lost the cycle you currently have and wouldn't need to re-cycle it. Just add the new fish in batches to build up your current cycle.



Now, if you are like many of us, you'll get that 200 litre, keep this current tank and get yourself a group of 3-6 honey gourami (1 male 2-5 females) and set it up for them and perhaps 6 trilineatus cories (false julii) if you like honey gourami. Then you'd have 2 tanks

For food I currently don’t feed the garras as there is plenty of algae would they eat the same food as the bristlenose or would I not need to feed them any pellet kind of food.

 

[CassCats]

They'll do well given some supplemental food as well as the algae growth, but once a week they should have a meaty food like frozen mysis shrimp, bloodworns, etc. They'll take algae wafers. I'd pop in a couple for them and the bristlenose plecos. They'll eat the same foods.

If you can get yourself some Bacter AE, it's meant for shrimp but it's a powder that you add to the tank which feeds a biofilm for biofilm grazers to eat. Excellent for fish such as garra and herbivore plecos.

As with all fish, variety is best, rather than relying on just 1 food source

 

[Fishkeeper123]

Will do so when I get the new tank and new inhabitants.