Can or will a Bristlenose suck off slime coat?

**gronlaura** · 02-06-2013, 10:33 PM

I read in another post to not put a bristlenose in a community tank as they can/will suck the slime coat off the other fish.

Can this happen? Everything I have read says they are great community tank fish.

**madagascariensis** · 02-06-2013, 10:44 PM

They can, but may not. It depends almost entirely from environmental conditions. A well fed bristlenose( lots of algae wafers and vegetables and algae) will remain herbivorous while one that is starved will resort, out of hunger, to the slime coats of other fish. Even if one bristlenose who has started sucking slime coat gets fed well again, they sometimes still will continue with their habit, so prevention is better than cure.

**gronlaura** · 02-06-2013, 10:54 PM

What if I don't have a lot of algae - just a little on the very top of my driftwood, closest to the light? Will feeding algae wafers and veggies suffice?

**dizzydezzy** · 02-07-2013, 12:00 AM

Veggies and algae wafers should be fine to keep your BN fed, and I believe that they would have to be pretty starved to try the slimecoat thing... They would first eat every scap of algae in the tank, and then move onto live plants if any are available... and only suck on other fish as a last resort.

**talldutchie** · 02-07-2013, 04:25 AM

It has been reported in a very few cases. Always starvation and cramming such a fish a tight tank was the root cause. These fish will stay out of other fishes' way and not attack unless provoked severely.

Mine eat wafers:

DSC_6921 by j_wijnands, on Flickr

Broccoli:

DSC_6816 by j_wijnands, on Flickr

Cauliflower:

**Dennis Bissett** · 02-07-2013, 08:06 AM

As long as they're well fed (wafers and fresh veggies,) they have no need to go near other fish, apart from scaring them off the wafers or veggies, which mine do on a regular basis (its hilarious watching a 2 inch bristlenose telling a 6 inch goldfish to bugger off)

**talldutchie** · 02-07-2013, 10:44 AM

I've got my Bristlenose competing for the wafers with green neons and shrimp. The neons are fun, one will attempt a nibble, get chased off and two others grab a quite bite.

**gronlaura** · 02-07-2013, 03:11 PM

Thanks for the info. I'm getting a little green spot algae on my driftwood, so I'm thinking maybe I can add a BN cat. Tank has been cycled since mid January, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites and 5-10 nitrates, pH 7.2, water temp 77.

Tank stocking: 75 gal

9 neon dwarf rainbow
5 scissortail rasbora
10 gold pristella tetra
2 zebra danio

It is too early to add a BN? I know they shouldn't be added until the tank has been up and cycled for a while. Also, is it better to get a baby (like maybe 1 1/2 inch) or a little larger one? If I need to wait to add him/her, that's fine.

**talldutchie** · 02-07-2013, 04:27 PM

A BN is an animal with it's own needs and behaviour. It is not a solution to green spot algae. If you want to handle that you need to tweak your lighting a bit and maybe add a few more plants. Even then, green spot is part of an aquarium and can be removed easily from the glass.

Having said that, bristlenose are interesting fish that will occupy the bottom which is empty in your tank and are great fun to watch. Only advantage I can see about getting them a bit bigger is that you can sex them and maybe do a little breeding.

Your tank is reasonably stocked, the only obvious error I can see is 2 zebra danio.

**gronlaura** · 02-07-2013, 05:21 PM

Originally Posted by talldutchie

A BN is an animal with it's own needs and behaviour. It is not a solution to green spot algae. If you want to handle that you need to tweak your lighting a bit and maybe add a few more plants. Even then, green spot is part of an aquarium and can be removed easily from the glass.

Having said that, bristlenose are interesting fish that will occupy the bottom which is empty in your tank and are great fun to watch. Only advantage I can see about getting them a bit bigger is that you can sex them and maybe do a little breeding.

Your tank is reasonably stocked, the only obvious error I can see is 2 zebra danio.

No green spot on the glass, just the driftwood.

The danio are 1 survivor from tank cycling and a small friend I added to keep Mr. Survivor happy (all 6 were going back to my LFS after cycling). Lost 5 danios in the first 24 hrs and didn't want to try 4 more to make a school. Couldn't catch the survivor, so he got a small danio friend. They're both doing fine.

Is it okay to add one now or do I wait a bit more? Are 2 better than 1 or is just adding 1 okay?