[Kimfishepet]

Found these little guys in my tank last night. Unless they came in on some plants, which we faucet rinse pretty good...they must be Bristlenose babies but they don't look like I thought they would. This tank only has shrimp, snails, and a female long fin albino bn and a male sf super red bn. I did see them getting frisky a few weeks ago but lacking a suitable cave, I thought they failed. These guys are a different color and bigger than I thought I would see too, but maybe it was a spawn before the one I noticed. I am stumped! More pics in replies

 

[Kimfishepet]

Here is one for size reference

 

[Kimfishepet]

And one more

 

[alaskajeff]

That looks like an Otto to me.

 

[AquaAurora]

I'd say it probably is a BN fry, upper body/head seem to large in proportion to lower body to be otto (but I could be wrong)
Google search results Bn fry:
http://www.cichlids.com/uploads/tx_usercichlids/user_pics/753/01_DSCF0330_1_.JPG
http://www.pets4homes.co.uk/images/...rge/bristlenose-pleco-fry-1-52fa63efc0e2e.JPG

added: gratz on the surprise baby(s)

 

[Imaginary1226]

Yup they are bn fry. I have some in my one tank right now. Didn't your male stay in the cave for awhile at any point?

 

[jrh]

Look like my bn fry. They start off looking like tadpoles, then have a more well-developed head and fins as they get older.

According to what folks told me, the male will be ready to take on another batch of kids within a few days of the last batch being free swimming.

So you may be in for quite a few unless you catch the male and separate him.

A normal bottle trap worked for all my adults, and many of the fry. Some others I've sucked out with a turkey baster. The remaining stubborn ones, I think I'm just going to have to let get older and try the bottle trap again.

 

[Kimfishepet]

Thanks everyone! He tried to get in the output if a sponge filter that wasn't blowing bubbles but we didn't have a proper cave for him. There did end up being a little clump of orange eggs that fell from them trying so we situated them at the bottom in a PVC pipe because it was night and that was the best I could think of but they were gone the next day. I was hoping to breed them when they were big enough but I didn't realize it was so close to happening. There are a couple of caves in there now but I got the one inch ones since he seemed intent to squish in such a small place so now I think they look too small. I guess we will see.

 

[alaskajeff]

I'd say it probably is a BN fry, upper body/head seem to large in proportion to lower body to be otto (but I could be wrong)
Google search results Bn fry:
http://www.cichlids.com/uploads/tx_usercichlids/user_pics/753/01_DSCF0330_1_.JPG
http://www.pets4homes.co.uk/images/...rge/bristlenose-pleco-fry-1-52fa63efc0e2e.JPG

added: gratz on the surprise baby(s)

Wow ! It sure does ! Hard to tell the difference when they are that young. I have never had one that small. Learn something new everyday !

 

[Kimfishepet]

Jeff I thought maybe they were Otos too, at first!

 

[Virto]

First pic does look like an otto, but there's no mistaking the underside. BN fry, for sure. Trust me - I still have 15 or so to get rid of.

 

[jrh]

I don't know if my plecos are smaller than usual or not, but mine are fine using a 3/4" tube as a cave.

And Virto, I managed to get all the adults out of the community tank, but there's still some fry that won't fall for the bottle trick. Then I tried using a turkey baster to suck them out, but they just hold on tight, then swim into the plant jungle when the turkey baster ran out.

Any more tips for getting fry out of a community tank?

I owe aqualady 1 of my males, but the weather's been down in the single digits this week for both of us, so I haven't shipped him yet.

Thanks, and sorry for the partial hijack. Virtos discussed the wonderful world of unexpected bn pleco fry before.

James

 

[susankat]

If you put some pvc pipe in there with one end having a cap you should be able to pull a few out each day as they go into it. Just put the net or palm of your hand over the open end and lift out. That's how I catch all mine.

 

[Italionstallion888]

I built this to catch my babies/juvies. Stick an algae wafer in, stick and bamboo into the substrate and wait. Works like a champ.

 

[AquaAurora]

I built this to catch my babies/juvies. Stick an algae wafer in, stick and bamboo into the substrate and wait. Works like a champ.

Nice DIY trap!

 

[Italionstallion888]

thank you, I had a bunch of convict juvies in my 55g, being overly planted it was a pita to try and catch them all without destorying the scape. I caught all 15 of them in 30 min period using it. Stuck it in the new tank and let them swim out on their own stress free. It also floats so I can use it for my top swimmers as well.

 

[jrh]

That's craft plastic mesh and zip ties?

 

[Italionstallion888]

Yup, that was version 1.0

We built larger ones to catch catfish on the lake. I just made it smaller lol

 

[jrh]

*sigh* It's clear I have another batch of fry that hatched more recently than the others. I got what should have been the last male out about a week ago, so hopefully these are the last baby bn in the community tank.

I'll get the materials for the mesh trap on Monday and give it a try.