Morning all.

The End of the year for one of my Bristle nose fish has ended badly. This bristle nose has over the last couple of weeks

started losing I think her colour as this fish was rather medium in size compared to my other bigger ones and had no whiskers and had started getting real pale. Does anyone have an idea why this may have happened, I do weekly water changes and all other fish in 160litre tank look fine including about 6 other bristle nose, 11 tetras, 1 rainbow, 2 dwarf and 3 loaches. Will do water tests and water change today. Any ideas what happened and how I can prevent this happening again in the future.

Thanks so much. :smot:

Is she otherwise acting normally? Females do not have bristles. Some have short spikes around the mouth but others do not. BNs also change colour, get pale, look patchy - all is normal for them.

This Bristle nose had passed away this morning. :digH:

Morning all.

The End of the year for one of my Bristle nose fish has ended badly. This bristle nose has over the last couple of weeks

started losing I think her colour as this fish was rather medium in size compared to my other bigger ones and had no whiskers and had started getting real pale. Does anyone have an idea why this may have happened, I do weekly water changes and all other fish in 160litre tank look fine including about 6 other bristle nose, 11 tetras, 1 rainbow, 2 dwarf and 3 loaches. Will do water tests and water change today. Any ideas what happened and how I can prevent this happening again in the future.

Thanks so much. :smot:

Sounds like a dominance issue to me.

Sorry to hear that. How many hiding spots do you have? If, as rabbit suggests, it was a dominance issue, you need to make sure there are places for fish to hide if they start on the next smallest BN.

I have never had dominance problems with BNs. They will fight over food but never hurt each other.

Definitely do a test of all your perams - I find they can be a bit sensitive to water chemistry. I've also found sometimes BNs just drop dead :dunno: I've never had any hurt each other, but I had two die within the same week without any water chemistry issues or anything. Make sure they have enough hidey places. They're also BIG poop machines so can mess around with your bioload.

May I suggest upping the loach school? Most loaches prefer to be in groups of 5+

Definitely do a test of all your perams - I find they can be a bit sensitive to water chemistry. I've also found sometimes BNs just drop dead :dunno: I've never had any hurt each other, but I had two die within the same week without any water chemistry issues or anything. Make sure they have enough hidey places. They're also BIG poop machines so can mess around with your bioload.

May I suggest upping the loach school? Most loaches prefer to be in groups of 5+

Bristlenose have to be one of the least sensitive fish to water parameters....... low oxygen is the only thing they have majors with. Your idea of aggression in ancistrus is off, while they can have visual marks most is on the underside or mouth area often out of view, in confrontation they corner and physically belt the other with there tail and odontodes. Pale colour is a way of displaying it's sub-dominance but come dark being nocturnal animals they often will be relentless in killing the other regardless of it having stood down. They also have sensitive intestinal tracts another reason for the so called unexplained deaths, obviously not relevant in this case.

OK, Enough

Have just been doing a water change and a penguin Tetra has just floated to the top.. GGRRRR

Confused now, Ammonia PH and Nitrate all looking good Temp good and cats safely watch from outside.

Really hoping that is it, any more ideas all appreciated will get some more hiding places for the Bristle noses.

We may lack hideing places.

Have a great new year all

Cheers :digH:

This Bristle nose had passed away this morning. :digH:

How hot is your tank? The only time I have had issues with bn is when the weather warmed up and the tank got too hot.

Oops sorry missed that bit.