CARE GUIDE for Keeping Snow White Bristlenose Plecos

First of all, we should say that they are not so easy to keep as common bristlenoses. Personally, I had problems with keeping Snow White Bristlenoses. We lost a lot of them before learning how keep them properly.

I guess the best thing is to list all the main points according to their priority. So, let’s start:

Temperature.

To my mind, the optimal temperature is 75F ( 24C) - 78F (26C). For us, it was rather difficult because we keep most plecos at 86F (30C) and it is quite hot in our facility. For this purpose, we had to place all the bristlenose plecos on the bottom shelf and remove cover glasses from the tanks. That way, we managed to keep the temperature at about 78F (26C). So if it is as hot in your room as in ours, you can use this technique.

Soil.

The soil is a very important factor. As you know, on our farm we keep plecos in aquariums without soil, But at first we had continuous difficulties with keeping Snow White Plecos without any substrate. Eventually, we realized that the optimal soil to be used is the sand with 2-3 mm particles. We try to place sand in the aquarium with a thin layer of up to 1 cm.

Feeding.

Feeding is another aspect we had to adapt to. Currently, we are feeding Snow White Plecos with our food paste. By the way, you can buy it on our website. And we also add  nettle or spinach leaves. First, we rinse the leaves into boiling water, so that they get softer and bristlenose enjoy eating them. Food is to be in the aquarium 24/7. It is important to clean up uneaten odd and replace them with a fresh one.

Filtration.

Since it is necessary to feed very often, filtration in the aquarium must be highly efficient. At the same time, I do not advice to make a strong flow of water in the aquarium, especially if you keep Snow White long fin plecos. It is also important to ensure that there is enough biological filtration media. We use about 4 liters of ceramics filter media for a 30-gallon aquarium.

Bottom cleaning.

In our aquariums, where we grow young fish, we clean the bottom 3 times a week. We use a syphone because it is a good way to clean sand. This way it is not sucked in with water.

Plants and Driftwood.

I also consider ii should be use for snow white britlenoses. Plants and driftwood arrange enough hiding places. It is good for the fish growth, since in the aquariums with no caves fish often conflict with each other.

Water Changes

We try to do water changes 3 times a week but up to 20% at a time. These fish do not like more dramatic water changes. It is preferable to exchange water more often but in  less quantity.

Generally, these are the key principles to focus on to keep these fish successfully.

Water hardness, рН are not so critical, as these fish feel good in a wide range of water hardness and рН.

AAlso we make video with our CARE GUIDE for Keeping Snow White Bristlenose Plecos