Snow white ancistrus

[jonnyc88]

Saw this rare breed and immediatly fell in love. I'm thinking of getting just one but now sure if my tank is big enough.
It's about 32" long and 15" wide (about 38 US Gal). I think they grow to about 8"?

I also don't have any driftwood in the tank, although it's a planted tank with swords and ferns etc.
I have decoration which has shelters but won't accomodate a 6" fish, does bristlenose plecs require tunnels to hide in?

Also. are they compatible with Bamboo shrimp, other corydoras and odessa barbs?

 

[Gypsum]

Lucky you. The snow white ones are so pretty.

You should aquire some driftwood. They're not full-on woodeaters like plecos in the Peckoltia family, but they need some wood to help their digestion. It will probably want a cave of some sort, although that somewhat depends on the fish and its sex. Males pretty much require caves, but females, generally speaking, aren't as bothered. I rarely see my female in a cave. When she wants to rest, she either sits on the side of the U4 filter or under one of the logs. She loves the logs.

Tankmates should be fine unless the pleco is a longfin morph. Then you might have problems with the barbs nipping its fins.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Lucky you. The snow white ones are so pretty.

You should aquire some driftwood. They're not full-on woodeaters like plecos in the Peckoltia family, but they need some wood to help their digestion. It will probably want a cave of some sort, although that somewhat depends on the fish and its sex. Males pretty much require caves, but females, generally speaking, aren't as bothered. I rarely see my female in a cave. When she wants to rest, she either sits on the side of the U4 filter or under one of the logs. She loves the logs.

Tankmates should be fine unless the pleco is a longfin morph. Then you might have problems with the barbs nipping its fins.

They also like to hide in the driftwood.

Lucky find! Hope you can get it before someone else snags it.

 

[jonnyc88]

Lucky you. The snow white ones are so pretty.

You should aquire some driftwood. They're not full-on woodeaters like plecos in the Peckoltia family, but they need some wood to help their digestion. It will probably want a cave of some sort, although that somewhat depends on the fish and its sex. Males pretty much require caves, but females, generally speaking, aren't as bothered. I rarely see my female in a cave. When she wants to rest, she either sits on the side of the U4 filter or under one of the logs. She loves the logs.

Tankmates should be fine unless the pleco is a longfin morph. Then you might have problems with the barbs nipping its fins.

Thanks for the reply, I’m just thinking about it and want to ensure my tank is suitable before committing. It’s rare to find Snow Whites and it reflects in the price

I’m thinking if single female, will that be fine?

I have no experience with driftwood so will need to do some research. What sort of prep do I need? Do I need to boil the wood? I guess I need to add the driftwood before the fish?

Do they grow to the size of the tank as I’ve read this somewhere. I don’t think my tank would be suitable for an 8” fish as most of my fish are about 2” max.

They are currently about 1.5”.

 

[jonnyc88]

Link below is where I saw the fish (UK).
Looks like the fish have long-ish fins, I would say similar to my peppered corydoras. The barbs leave them alone though.

I saw a video and they are sooooo cute.

Snow White Ancistrus Catfish - Ancistrus sp. The Trop Company

The Bristlenose can be the ideal plec for the smaller community aquarium as it is a good algae eater and only grows to 6

www.tropco.co.uk

 

[PheonixKingZ]

I have no experience with driftwood so will need to do some research. What sort of prep do I need? Do I need to boil the wood?

If you buy it from your LFS, chances are it’s already “pre-treated” which means all it needs is a quick scrub in hot water and it’s good to go in your tank.

I don’t suggest boiling it, this can break down the food fibers, leading to a shorter life.

Note: I may need to be soaked in either the tank or a bucket of water for a while, until it gets waterlogged enough to sink on its own.

 

[jonnyc88]

If you buy it from your LFS, chances are it’s already “pre-treated” which means all it needs is a quick scrub in hot water and it’s good to go in your tank.

I don’t suggest boiling it, this can break down the food fibers, leading to a shorter life.

Note: I may need to be soaked in either the tank or a bucket of water for a while, until it gets waterlogged enough to sink on its own.

Thanks, due to the lockdown I’ll most probably source it online. Not many LFS around me that sells driftwood. I’ll do more research and decide.

The Snow White is so cute though

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Thanks, due to the lockdown I’ll most probably source it online. Not many LFS around me that sells driftwood. I’ll do more research and decide.

The Snow White is so cute though

Ok sounds good. Just see what you like the look of and get that.

I know right? So cute...

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Link below is where I saw the fish (UK).
Looks like the fish have long-ish fins, I would say similar to my peppered corydoras. The barbs leave them alone though.

I saw a video and they are sooooo cute.

Snow White Ancistrus Catfish - Ancistrus sp. The Trop Company

The Bristlenose can be the ideal plec for the smaller community aquarium as it is a good algae eater and only grows to 6

www.tropco.co.uk

Is that the same as the L144 Pleco? I had my eye on one at my LFS for some time - it was to expensive for me and it was gone when I had the money for it.

 

[CassCats]

Snow whites are the white albino version of the albino standard BN pleco (most are golden albino). So not L144.

Theyre gorgeous, id love to find those in store here once I'm ready to take in a new bristlenose.

They wont outgrow your tank, and its also sort of false that fish grow to their tank size. Their body may stop growing (called stunting) but it causes a lot of internal problems and can lead to fatal complications, so best to not follow this practice.

A BN pleco only gets 4-6 inches, they stay small and are easier to care for than the giants due to easier accommodation.

They will be fine with your current stock and tank size, only get 1 male per tank, and be sure you keep good oxygen in the tank.

 

[Gypsum]

I use mopani wood because it sinks immediately.

The one in the picture isn't a longfin, so it will be fine. Longfins look like this: