Hello all,

Was just browsing and realised there was a section for new members

I'm Dominic and i'm a newly evoked bristlenose/pleco fanatic I posted a topic yesterday but thought why not bring it up again :P

Was just wondering how to determine the sex of my King Tiger pleco as I have future intentions of finding it a breeding partner

Also, I currently have him/her placed in a tank with 2 juvenile common BS which seem to be harrassing it for the spot between 3 rocks I have placed in the tank. It's displaying dominancy over the BS when they invade it's territory. Is this behaviour due to the limited amount of hiding spots there are in the tank or is it a sign of aggression?

Kind regards,
Dom.

Hi Dominic and welcome to the forum

Hey Mate, welcome to bristlenose world.

and yes, they are all fighting over the hiding place. throw in a few more rocks and def get some driftwood in there. not only does it make the tank better looking but it will reduce aggression.

hello dominic welcome to bristlenose world im from sydney to

thanks for all your warm welcomes jim, doug and laykoo.
Thanks for your help doug, i made some new hiding spots using the drift wood i already had sitting in there and some new pieces i bought today. The BN took to it quite quickly and they haven't been stressing the pleco from what i've seen so far
Just another general question: is sand or stones better to have at the bottom of my tank because i'm getting some mixed messages from different aquarium owners who can't seem to give me a definite answer

good afternoon dominic and welcome to the best BN site online

the issue regarding sand, gravel, pebbles, and stones or bare bottom is a big topic and not one person usually as the same answer..

I have tried bare bottom many years ago, and it seems to effect the pleco and BN in a negative way if you ask me...

so I usually have sand substrate in most tanks, however as I am moving later in the year right now I only have sand in my breeding tank, in all my other tanks I have fine grade super washed gravel.....

I do a water change evry other day and each time I just stir about a third of the sand up, so hopefully after a week all the sand has been stirred at some point to avoid any harmful gases forming.

I also have one apple snail in each tank now just to aid in substrate movement

I am sure curby, Doug and Moo all have their own thoughts and will help you too

it comes down to personal choice. I use gravel (about 3mm) in my display tank and i use a smear of sand in my breeding tanks

people dont like sand as it can build up bad gas if its not turned over often enough. Gravel doesnt generally have that issue but some would argue it doesnt look as good.

Hi n Welcome Dominic

wow, thanks again for all the help! Never realised the effect that sand could have on the tank

Much appreciated and hopefully I can continue to keep my fish happy and heathy