My algae eaters don't work anymore. =(

[ladyjai]

5-6 SAE, not plecos...

[Komar]

I think Ladyjai was referring to the SAEs, but not the plecos.

[Black]

So bristlenoses can be alone?

[Komar]

Absolutely. Plecos aren't a schooling or shoaling fish. Some plecos also get territorial, namely adult males.

I have two together in a 45 gallon tank. They get along fine, though they are quite young, and I suspect I have a male and a female. Your tank is more than big enough to house several bristlenoses, so don't worry either way.

[Black]

Is it hard to know what sex they are?

[Komar]

It's only hard to tell when they are little. This link seems to have some good info:

http://www.aqualandpetsplus.com/Catf...ristlenose.htm

My two bristlenose plecos are about 2" long. One has bristles, and the smaller one does not. The size difference isn't that much between the two, so I figure the smaller one is a female. I could be wrong, but I've been keeping a close watch on them to see if my suspicions change.

I also moved them back into my 45 gallon tank; I had them in a 20 gallon tank for several weeks. Hopefully the bigger tank will promote faster growth.

The guy who runs the website (see the link above) told me that bristlenose plecos are more playful in small groups, incidentally. As long as the tank is big enough that they can each take over some territory when they mature, this is probably true.

Black, how many bristlenose plecos did you end up getting?

[Black]

Two, and I think they are both female. They eat alot, but I'm toying with the idea of getting some more of them.