# sexing young bristlenose plecos???



## Pleco

Hi,
I am planning to breed brown Bristlenoses. How do you sex them? They're really small so the bristles haven't shown up yet.


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## lohachata

they are not sexable until they grow the bristles.....
unless.....................


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## Guest

I have female bristlenose plecos. Yeah you can't sex them until they are mature. Male brisltenose have the bristles on their nose, females don't.


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## Pleco

lohachata said:


> they are not sexable until they grow the bristles.....
> unless.....................


So you think I should buy your plecocaine lol. Do you make it?


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## Charlie1

I think lohachata means to get them tested on to see what gender... which is a lot of money and not worth it. They become sexually mature typically about six months... so you just have to wait until then.


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## lohachata

you are right charlie....actually i meant that the only other way to sex them would be to have an expert check their vents or to disect them......
i sell Plecocaine but i don't make it....it is an excellent food for young growing fish and for priming females for spawning....
i also have a breeding pair of albino bushynose for sale if anybody is interested......lol


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## Pleco

They are actually in a pet store. Lol. And when you say for sale, do you mean the regular bushies? Not the longfins? And also male and female?

PS, at PetSuppliesPlus they have pufferfish?!?!?!?!?!? Weird....


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## Charlie1

Yes, freshwater, brackish, or saltwater puffers are all available in the fish industry.


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## lohachata

standard fin albino bushynose...no long fins for sale right now.....as i stated they spawned and the eggs just hatched......i think they are a male and female..what do you think ??


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## Pleco

lohachata said:


> standard fin albino bushynose...no long fins for sale right now.....as i stated they spawned and the eggs just hatched......i think they are a male and female..what do you think ??


Uh, maybe. I probably have to ask my parents and my dad said that I have to get a bigger tank first. I certainly am interested though. Are you attending the GAAS meeting?


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## lohachata

what size tank do you have ? mine are breeding in a 15......all they need is a heater....a good sponge filter.....a piece of driftwood and a nice little cave......they are then ready to rock n roll...

no , i'm afraid i won't be going to the GAAS meeting...i can barely make it to the cleveland meetings..lol...


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## Pleco

lohachata said:


> what size tank do you have ? mine are breeding in a 15......all they need is a heater....a good sponge filter.....a piece of driftwood and a nice little cave......they are then ready to rock n roll...
> 
> no , i'm afraid i won't be going to the GAAS meeting...i can barely make it to the cleveland meetings..lol...


There's Cleveland meetings? Cool. I have all of those, with a 10 gallon tank. I don't have a sponge filter though. I have a Tetra PF10 power filter though. When you say "rock n roll", do you mean they're ready to spawn? And why a sponge filter?


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## lohachata

since they just spawned it will be a few weeks before they are ready to go again...but fatten them up for a couple of weeks and do things right and they will readily spawn again...
a sponge filter is what you need...you don't want your fry to get sucked up into the power filter....find a sponge filter with fine pore foam.....
you know ; that just got me to thinking(now my head hurts).....i have boxes full of power filters and parts..i can't even remember how many canister filters i have..but the only filters i am using are sponges and undergravel.....i think i'll have to get busy and start cleaning everything up and get ready to sell some...


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## Pleco

How much do you want for a sponge filter and the plecos?

Are you safe? (Just checking...)


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## lohachata

yes ; of course i am safe..besides ; if you buy the fish we could probable meet somewhere halfway and you could pay for them at that time..
i think that $50.00 would be a fair price...$40.00 for the pair of plecos and $10.00 for the filter....the filter is an API Pro IV...
you can tell your dad that i will provide full I.D. and contact information....
and if you want you can check my feedback on aquabid.
not to mention the fact that i have been on fishforums for the past 7 or so years...and a number of folks here could vouch for me...


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## Pleco

lohachata said:


> yes ; of course i am safe..besides ; if you buy the fish we could probable meet somewhere halfway and you could pay for them at that time..
> i think that $50.00 would be a fair price...$40.00 for the pair of plecos and $10.00 for the filter....the filter is an API Pro IV...
> you can tell your dad that i will provide full I.D. and contact information....
> and if you want you can check my feedback on aquabid.
> not to mention the fact that i have been on fishforums for the past 7 or so years...and a number of folks here could vouch for me...


yeah, I'd have to check on that price. I don't really know what they usually cost, so I'd have to take your word for it. How big are they now?


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## lohachata

they are both a little over 4".......let me know if you want them or not as i already have a couple of people interested....
currently my feedback rating on aquabid is 562 and 100% positive.....

http://www.aquabid.com/cgi-bin/auction/vfb.cgi?1&1&vfb&Lohachata


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## Pleco

it's not showing your new post....can you repost it?


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## lohachata

hmmmmmm...what isn't it showing ? the link i posted is for my feedback rating at aquabid..and it comes up when i connect...so i am not sure what you are talking about.


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## Fishnut2

Pleco,

I can vouch for lohachata. I've known him at least 10 years, and have met him several times at OCA. I can also vouch for him being an excellent cook. (Thanks for the invite John!) If you're only 11 years old, you should be going with an adult anyway...who's going to drive? I've also been a moderator here with John, since Shaggy bought this site from Mark (AquaBoards). Not only can you totally trust him, but you can trust his fish, used equiptment, and any fish food you buy from him.

Rich


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## Fishnut2

Back to the original question, on sexing young BN. The best method I've found is shining a flashlight, from directly over thier head. You'll see an orange spot on the males. It's a LOT easier to see on albinos then on browns, but both color morphs will have them. You'll still need a 3-4 month old fish.

The bristle method is very reliable, but you'll need older, more mature fish with that method. Females can still have bristles...but it will be limited to the mouth area. More like a moustache. If the bristles run past the nose area and on to the forehead, you have a male.

Hope this helps. If I find a pic with some M/F combinations...I'll post them for you. I used to have a pic of a trio of albinos, that I took to show the difference.


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## Fishnut2

Here you go. It looks like 5 fish, due to the reflection of the glass. It's actually a proven trio with 1M and 2F. The male has a nice rack, but look at the orange spot on his forehead.


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## Pleco

Fishnut2 said:


> Pleco,
> 
> I can vouch for lohachata. I've known him at least 10 years, and have met him several times at OCA. I can also vouch for him being an excellent cook. (Thanks for the invite John!) If you're only 11 years old, you should be going with an adult anyway...who's going to drive? I've also been a moderator here with John, since Shaggy bought this site from Mark (AquaBoards). Not only can you totally trust him, but you can trust his fish, used equiptment, and any fish food you buy from him.
> 
> Rich


My dad drives me...what's the OCA? I have a young brown. And thanks for the help


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## lohachata

OCA Extravaganza.................this is a show put on by the OCA..Ohio Cichlid Association every year on the weekend before Thanksgiving...people from all over the US and Canada come to buy and sell fish...mostly cichlids and catfish..world renown hobbyists come to speak...
it is held at the Holiday Inn in Strongsville Ohio on rt 82....people rent rooms and sell fish and plants and foods and equipment out of them...there is a really great competition with some of the most awesome fish you will ever see....
on saturday there is a hardgoods auction where you can get tanks and other equipment.
on Sunday there is the fish auction with 800-1000 or more bags of fish.....i got some pretty good deals there this year...one of them being 8 gorgeous Double Dark Black angels for $11.00.....a breeding pair of Neolamprologus Helianthus for $14.00..
bags full of Neolamprologus Brichardi and Neolamprologus Pulcher also...

it is only a 20 minute drive for me but i get a room from thursday to monday and sell my foods out of the room....

this year i am hoping to be able to go to the catfish convention as well.....


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## Pleco

lohachata said:


> OCA Extravaganza.................this is a show put on by the OCA..Ohio Cichlid Association every year on the weekend before Thanksgiving...people from all over the US and Canada come to buy and sell fish...mostly cichlids and catfish..world renown hobbyists come to speak...
> it is held at the Holiday Inn in Strongsville Ohio on rt 82....people rent rooms and sell fish and plants and foods and equipment out of them...there is a really great competition with some of the most awesome fish you will ever see....
> on saturday there is a hardgoods auction where you can get tanks and other equipment.
> on Sunday there is the fish auction with 800-1000 or more bags of fish.....i got some pretty good deals there this year...one of them being 8 gorgeous Double Dark Black angels for $11.00.....a breeding pair of Neolamprologus Helianthus for $14.00..
> bags full of Neolamprologus Brichardi and Neolamprologus Pulcher also...
> 
> it is only a 20 minute drive for me but i get a room from thursday to monday and sell my foods out of the room....
> 
> this year i am hoping to be able to go to the catfish convention as well.....


You did not just say Catfish Convention. Where is it?


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## Guest

I can vouch for loha with his fish food. My fish love it! My fish go crazy when I feed them. When you order from him, the stuff gets to you within a week. He is really good about that.


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## lohachata

the catfish convention is also huge...amazing speakers ...even more amazing fish....
usually held in hernden virginia....2012 convention was around mid october...around the same time next year...


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## Fishnut2

Pleco,

You have some awesome clubs in Ohio that hold events too. John mentioned OCA (Cleveland), but Cinci and Lordstown/Youngstown have really fun auctions with some great people!


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## lohachata

oh...i forgot to mention the GLCS..Great Lakes Cichlid Society.....they have about 3 auctions a year...all kinds of great fish plants and hardgoods..and usually pretty big auctions too..it is held in the Euclidian Room at the old Euclid square mall..
OCA will be having another auction in February..not a show..just an auction..

i have to force myself to stay away from the auctions because i am aware that i am weak and will spend way too much money......lol

fishnut.....i am really glad to see you active here again...i have missed you buddy..
oh...while we're here....i have some C. Oipoquensis..they are laying but only a few eggs here and there...i have been leaving them in the tank and no fry yet...am thinking adults are eating the eggs and/or fry...are they noted for small spawns and eating the eggs like the bigger guys ?

thanks..


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## weedkiller

see what i miss out on living in uk


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## Fishnut2

John,

The spawns will always be smaller then aneus or paleatus spawns...but should get bigger then what you have now, as the fish mature. Try pulling the parents next time they spawn. I'm sure you have a spare tank (or two) sitting empty. On smaller spawns (and smaller eggs) sometimes it's easier to move the parents. I'll move the parents with extremely large spawns as well.


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## Fishnut2

Weedkiller,

You have what I consider, the best catfish guy there is...in the UK. Look up Ian Fuller. He has been one of the featured speakers at OCA and the Catfish convention. There's a lot of clubs,auctions,and great fish people in the UK. Go to www.aquarank.com for some UK sites.


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