Breeding Bristlemouth Catfish (Ancistrus Multispinis) In The Aquarium

Location

This freshwater fish lives in streams and tributaries of Upper Amazon River in Peru.

Body description

Colour of the body is brown-olive with yellow spots. The fish has wide pectoral and pelvic fins and high dorsal fin. This species has a sucker-mouth. This fish also has defensive spikes on both sides of the head. There is another version of this fish with elongated pelvic, dorsal and caudal fins. You can recognize the sex of the fish when it is sexually matured. Male has a fleshy, long and bushy tentacles on his head which look like antlers. Females may have the tentacles but they are small and they are only around the mouth.

Temperament and behaviour

This is quiet, friendly and peaceful fish. It is mostly active in the evening and at night so you should feed them then. The fish hides in the dark places during the day. This species should be kept with other similar size and peaceful fish. Males are territorial towards each other, so you need a large aquarium if you want to keep few male. This species eats algae and other type of food.

Aquarium decoration

The aquarium should have plants with wide leaves, dimmed light, soft substrate and a lot of hiding-places among rocks, caves, roots. You need an effective filtration system and a partial water exchange performed regularly. The fish are sensitive to water conditions and fluctuations of water parameters. You shouldn’t use a net to move the fish because you could damage it.

Breeding

This is an oviparous species. You can breed it in the general or breeding tank. You can stimulate fish to spawn by increasing of the water temperature, reducing water pH and water hardness, abundant feeding and bigger (about 50-70%) partial water changes every few days. Male chooses place where female will lay eggs, cleans it and protects against intruders. This place is often in a pot, shell coconut, pcv pipe or cave. Male invites female. She goes into the nest and lays eggs there. Male immediately fertilizes them after female lives the nest. Male takes care and protects the nest, eggs and larvae. He can stay in the nest for several days. The eggs hatch after 4-5 days. The larvae are in the nest until they can consume supplies of their yolk sacs. The fry starts to swim and feed about week later. The fry is sensitive to water parameters.