# Bristlenose pleco and mbuna



## CHK (Jan 12, 2007)

Hi all,

I lost my 3 inch long female BN pleco last evening  . She was in the 55g with 20 mbuna for about 6 months. I think she was doing well, but last month I saw that she was getting weak with ragged fins etc.

Last evening, I saw one eye was cloudy and an open wound spot. I got her out quickly to Q tank, added melafix and salt, but she expired later that night. Really bummed. All her fins were ragged though. How many of you guys kept BN pleco successfully with mbuna? Any encountered problems like mine before?

CHK


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## chapman76 (Jun 30, 2004)

Yes and yes to both of your questions.

While I have been fortunate enough to have all of my bristlenose plecos (6 of them) live well in all of my cichlids tanks (mbuna, haps, tangs, vics, etc), I have heard many stories of them being picked to death. Many have had their eyes bitten out. It's really a bit or miss thing from what I've gathered.

I've kept "normal", albino, calico, and long finned varieties with mbuna and they've all worked. Though I do keep the long finned in with fry/juvies just to help minimize the risk to her.


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## cichlidaholic (Dec 7, 2005)

I've never had any issues keeping BN plecos with mbuna, but I've always added them early on at the same time the mbuna were introduced to the tank.

Since she was in there for 6 months, I'd really be concerned over whether it was aggression or disease that caused her death.

Cloudy eye usually indicates one of 3 things...Injury, poor water quality, or a bacterial infection. An open wound is also open for interpretation.

You noting that she seemed weak and had ragged fins a month ago strongly suggests illness. Perhaps the cichlids picked on her _because_ of her weakened state.

Kim


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## quiksilver (Mar 2, 2007)

did you have a place the pleco could rest without the other fish getting to it?


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## bma57 (Sep 16, 2007)

I had a little rubber lip pleco lose an eye and take a beating. I promptly moved him to my daughter's little community tank. I have since gotten a female BN and she does great. They don't pick on her and she's not afraid to headbutt the cichlids if they invade her space. It's worked out so well that I'm seriously considering adding a second.


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## Boomr99 (Dec 19, 2007)

How much salt did you add to the QT tank? Salt's not really good for plecos.
Don't throw salt in the wound.


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## CHK (Jan 12, 2007)

Most apologetic for "ignoring" this thread. I had forgot to set the "watch topic for replies" and been so busy lately with my work that I barely came on here... I thought my topic was basically not replied to 

Perhaps chapman76 has a point, probably a hit and miss thing because I had 2 in the tank - the smaller female and the larger male. The male's doing just fine although the mbuna have been working on his bristles, he had a lot more bristles when I bought him.

Kim: I did actually consider a disease, but the rest of the fish did look fine and I did constant monitoring. The open sore was at the front tip of the lip, looking like it was the result of an impact. Only one of the eyes was cloudy and looking swollen - also suggesting injury.

She did have a place to hang out, but I wasnt sure what happens at night when she comes out to feed. I added 1 tbps per 5 gallon of salt and she died real soon after. Do you think salt killed her?

Thanks guys!


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## FLYFISH509 (Dec 11, 2005)

If you added that much salt at one time, it was probably the last straw. When adding salt, escpecialy with Pleco's you need to introduce it slowly, over a few days, with 1 tbs to 5 gal's being about the max you would want.


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## hollyfish2000 (Aug 23, 2007)

Just a question -- your male is "fine" but the malawis are eating his bristles?? Doesn't sound like fine to me . . .


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## CHK (Jan 12, 2007)

Hmmm... thanks guys, if salt is bad for plecos, I might have did it in early 

As for the male, its growing fast, fins look good. So, pretty much everything short of his bristles (pun intended  ). When I got him, he had many second order branching to his bristles, but now he only has ones that are at most of the first order, much like the letter "Y".


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