Baby Bristles

[starsplitter7]

I did a water change on July 10th on my 20 gallon, and then went out of town for a short vacation. Got home today, and I am the very proud, happy owner of at least 17 baby Bristlenose catfish. They are 1/2 inch long and look like perfect minitures of the parents. I do not see yolk sacs. I am not sure of the species, but I have some cool BNs. This species tops out between 3-4" and is black with spots. Very nice Bristles. I watched these guys behaving oddly about two weeks ago. Lots of activity in an easy going tank, lots of shoving between the males and lots of fanning in the caves -- one for every fish in the tank. I thought maybe they were making babies, but I wasn't sure. I am super excited about this, because they are my first egg babies. I am not a fish breeder. I picked these guys up about 2 years ago -- sold as regular Plecos for $2 each. They were small and Bristleless, and so I didn't know if I had males or females. I have four males and one female.

They live with 2 Skunk loaches (yasuhikotakia-morleti), 3 Gold Tetras and 1 betta in a 20. I know that is too small, but they seem to thrive together. I know Skunks have a bad reputation, but I have had these guys about 3 years without a problem -- I should have more, but I can't find them locally.

My questions:
1.) Should I leave the babies in the tank with the adult fishes? They have been in there a week I guess (how old are 1/2 Bristles?), 1/2 long, and appear in good health. I am worried my intervention would cause more harm than good.
2.) I have a Q-tank that is empty, cycled and contains snails. Should I move them to the Q-tank? It is a 10.
3.) What should I feed the 1/2 inch fry? They are all sucking on the glass. (I will be looking in the filters to make sure no one got sucked up.)
4.) Should I move them when they are older to give them more space?

I will be looking for a good home for these guys in the near future. Luckily I have joined our local aquarium club.

[helen nightingale]

Tanja, thats fantastic

the fish club i used to go to was a good place for selling on fish that people had bred or didnt want any more, so hopefully the excess you have will easily find good homes

[starsplitter7]

I am really excited. But I need some advice on how to care for them, so they will make it to adulthood. I can't believe they are so big and look like fish. They look exactly like their parents.

[NancyD]

Congrats! Many people feed zucchini to baby BNs parboiled or microwaved a bit to soften it.

[starsplitter7]

Great. I will start with zucchini. I was advised to move them, so I will try to do that today. Does anyone have any advise on how I peel them from the glass without hurting them? Thanks.

[starsplitter7]

Does anyone know how old 1/2 inch baby BNs are? These ones have color and spots like their parents, fins are formed and no yolk sac. I think that's pretty amazing.

[starsplitter7]

I just spent the last two hours moving the bristles. Not easy. I counted 56, plus there are quite a few in the original tank. I sucked them up in the hose and gently dropped them in a bucket. Then I drip acclimated them for about an hour. All look good except for one I think I hit with the net when I fished them out. I feel terrible.

They are in the Q tank with some artificial plants and lots of smooth stones. It is in a window and I hope to produce some natural algae for them and supplement their diet with algae wafers and zucchini. They are now scattered around the tank, sucking on the glass and rocks. I threw in two algae wafers to see if they will go for them.

I put a net over the intake valve, and I took the old charcoal out of the filter.

When I was looking for them in the original tank I discovered that they weren't all out of the nest. Unfortunately, I disturbed them and the male watching them. I hope it won't be a major problem. I am sure they are all over the tank. I can see four on the glass of the original tank, but I have a feeling there will be more. I will pick up some zucchini this evening. Some of the fry were much smaller than the 1/2 inch. So I assume the 1/2 inch ones hatched first. I am amazed at how diligent the male is in his care.

Now the males are chasing each other again. But it is very mild. These guys are very easy going and none of them have ever had so much as a torn tail fin. They are all flawless.

[Jim Powers]

Congratulations!!
Fifty six!!! Thats great! How about some pics!

[starsplitter7]

I thought 56 for a first litter wasn't bad. And I counted 12 in the main tank, so I have at least 68. These guys are great. Very small BN and spotted. I have posted pictures of the adults before looking for an ID. My camera isn't good enough to get pictures of the fry. But I will try.

I hope someone will come along and give me some advice. I have never had egg fry hatch and survive. I am worried that I will do something wrong, not get them fed or overfed or dirty water, and get them stuck in the filter. I have 8 tanks right now, so as they grow I will distribute them and eventually give them to people in the aquarium tank. These are such lovely fish and I want to do right by them.

[wasserscheu]

Great, Congrats Tanja - Babytime is very much fun.

I bought my female in 1/2 size. She ate everything, various veggies are great, try raw and blanched, melons are taken sometimes. I know fellows that keep 40 in their tank (various generations), so it seems to work. The father keeps faning the eggs and defends the cave. The coconut-shell heas become ground thin from the inside and its only the BN-lady scrabing on it from the inside. I had put it in with the "hairs" on the outside shell (found that looking good), the BN ground those off quickly too and poloshed the surface.
Unfourtunately my female produces piles of "digestion-leftover" )) so many waterchanges will be needed. Mine cleans the pipes regularily, so I assume that the bacterial-slime-coat on surfaces is part of their diet too.

[starsplitter7]

Thanks Wolf.

Nice to see you here. I have a coconut hut, but no one uses it in this tank. I did find extra bbaies in there too. They all like a decoration that has lots of nooks on the inside, and I guess is a good baby hiding place. I have even seen two males sharing the cave and the female with them sometimes too. I am amazed that I don't see predation, but everyone ignores the fry. I moved 56 fry, but I have found another 20 in the tank. I won't move any more until they have time to grow. I want to make sure that if I lose the fry in the new tank, I have more in the original tank. I'll try to post pictures.

[loachmom]

68 babies!!! Congratulations! What a nice surprise!!

[palaeodave]

68?! What on Earth will you do with them all?!

[starsplitter7]

Thanks for all the kind words.

I would imagine that since this is our first litter I will lose some. And people in my fish club are interested, so I am hoping they will be able to help me out. The BN are really nice. Pretty with great bristles and small. Excellent algae eaters. I can spread a few out in my tanks. I have 8 tanks running right now. But I am hoping that I will find homes for these wonderful critters. I know some people with ponds.

[adampaulson]

Wow, I have baby bristlenoses! I don't know what made me look under the bogwood, maybe because I hadn't seen my male marble bristlenose for a few weeks, but there they were! Loads of 'em!

Dad's guarding a hollow where I could see a fair few tiny bristles, some golden coloured and some darker. Mum is a run of the mill black bristlenose and I thought those two didn't get on. How wrong I was.

Now I know where my plants have gone...

If they all survive, and there's a fair chance they will as the tank is populated with cories, swordtails, guppies and danios so hardly dreadful predators, how long do you reckon before they all scoff the rest of my plants? :laugh:

Any ideas on what to do now? I've been feeding two pleco tablets daily for a while now, it seems everybody likes them, but should I give them more? Any advice most welcome.