Bristlenose pleco
Ancistrus cirrhosus
Photo: The Last 99 · CC BY-SA 3.0 de
- Adult size
- 9 cm3 in
- Start with
- 1
- Tank length
- 76 cm30 in
- Lifespan
- 5–10 yrs
- Temperature
- 22–27 °C72–81 °F
- pH
- 5.5–7.8
- Hardness
- 1–15 dGH
- Diet
- herbivore
Offer wood, shelter, and vegetable foods rather than relying on algae.Offer wood, shelter, and vegetable foods rather than relying on algae.
Tank sizes
Good tankmates
Avoid with
- Alligator gar
Alligator gar may eat Bristlenose plecoAlligator gar may eat Bristlenose pleco
- Antenna ray
Antenna ray may eat Bristlenose plecoAntenna ray may eat Bristlenose pleco
- Arapaima
Arapaima may eat Bristlenose plecoArapaima may eat Bristlenose pleco
- Asian arowana
Asian arowana may eat Bristlenose plecoAsian arowana may eat Bristlenose pleco
- Australian pearl arowana
Australian pearl arowana may eat Bristlenose plecoAustralian pearl arowana may eat Bristlenose pleco
- Barred bichir
Barred bichir may eat Bristlenose plecoBarred bichir may eat Bristlenose pleco
- Brown bullhead
Brown bullhead may eat Bristlenose plecoBrown bullhead may eat Bristlenose pleco
- Bullseye snakehead
Bullseye snakehead may eat Bristlenose plecoBullseye snakehead may eat Bristlenose pleco
- Butterfly peacock bass
Butterfly peacock bass may eat Bristlenose plecoButterfly peacock bass may eat Bristlenose pleco
- Channel catfish
No shared temperature rangeNo shared temperature range
- Clown knifefish
Clown knifefish may eat Bristlenose plecoClown knifefish may eat Bristlenose pleco
- Common river stingray
Common river stingray may eat Bristlenose plecoCommon river stingray may eat Bristlenose pleco
Sources
| temperature | 22–27 | AqAdvisor (aqadvisor.com), retrieved 2026-10-04 · medium |
|---|---|---|
| ph | 5.5–7.8 | AqAdvisor (aqadvisor.com), retrieved 2026-10-04 · medium |
| gh | 1–15 | AqAdvisor (aqadvisor.com), retrieved 2026-10-04 · medium |
| origin | South America | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · low |
| notes | Offer wood, shelter, and vegetable foods rather than relying on algae. | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium |
| beginner friendly | false | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium |
| care level | moderate | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium |
| color palette | #6A5744 | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · low |
| activity | sedentary | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium |
| swim zone | bottom | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium |
| temperament | semi-aggressive | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium |
| fin nipper | false | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium |
| long finned | false | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium |
| territorial | true | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium |
| schooling | false | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium |
| schooling min | 1 | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium |
| diet | herbivore | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium |
| lifespan years | 5–10 | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · low |
| growth to adult months | 24 | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · low |
| length weight | {"a":0.006,"b":3} | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · low |
| planted safe | true | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium |
| min tank length | 76 | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium |
| body shape | pleco | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium |