Longfin Black Bushynose Pleco (Ancistrus sp.)

The Longfin Black Bushynose Pleco (Ancistrus sp.) takes the hobby's favorite small algae eater and adds long, flowing fins in a dark, near black body. The extended dorsal, pectoral, and tail fins drape behind it as it glides across driftwood, which gives a hardworking cleanup fish a surprisingly elegant look. It stays small, stays peaceful, and eats algae off glass, wood, and rock, which is why a Bushynose is the pleco we recommend for almost every community tank. Browse the rest of our freshwater livestock and supplies and our full fish collection.

It stays small, unlike the pleco you are thinking of

The fish most people picture when they hear "pleco" is a Common Pleco, which reaches 18 inches or more. A Bushynose tops out around 4 to 5 inches, not counting the long fins, and is comfortable in a 20 or 30 gallon tank. The longfin trait is purely about looks: care, size, and diet are the same as our standard Bushynose Pleco, Bushy Nose Albino Gold, and Blue Eye Lemon Bushynose Pleco. The only extra care is protecting the fins, covered below.

Care Guide

• Driftwood is not decoration. Bushynose plecos rasp on wood constantly, and the fiber matters for their digestion. Malaysian Driftwood, CaribSea Scapers Select, or a few Cholla Wood branches all do the job.
• Protect the fins: long fins snag on sharp rock and rough decor and are the first place poor water shows up as fin rot. Choose smooth hardscape, keep up with weekly water changes, and keep fin nipping fish out of the tank.
• Tank size: 20 gallons for one, 30 or more for a pair or alongside other bottom dwellers. Floor space matters more than height.
• Water parameters: 73 to 81°F, pH 6.5 to 7.5, hardness 6 to 15 dGH. Adaptable and happy in ordinary tap water treated with a conditioner.
• Feeding: algae is a start, not a diet. Once the tank is clean they need real food: Xtreme Scrapers Sinking Wafers, Hikari Algae Wafers, or Repashy Morning Wood, plus blanched zucchini. Feed after lights out, since they do most of their work at night, and make sure faster tankmates are not stealing the wafers.
• Hiding spots: give it a cave or an overhang to rest under during the day. A Hikari Dark Rock Cave also doubles as a spawning site if you end up with a pair.
• How many: one male per tank unless it is large. Males ignore other species but will defend a cave against another male. A male and a female get along fine and will very likely breed.

Specifications

Compatibility

An easy fish to add to a peaceful community. It works the glass, wood, and rocks and ignores everything swimming above it, so it fits under calm fish like the Neon Tetra, Ember Tetra, and Honey Gourami, and bottom dwellers like the Skunk Cory. The Otocinclus Catfish pairs well, grazing soft film on plants while the pleco handles tougher growth on hardscape. Amano Shrimp and snails are safe.

Other plecos. Keep one male. Mixing colors with our Bushynose Pleco or Blue Eye Lemon Bushynose looks great, but two males will compete for the same cave. A male and a female is the pairing that works.

What to watch. Fin nippers such as tiger barbs and serpae tetras will go after those long fins. Large or aggressive cichlids will harass a small pleco, and a 1.5 inch fish is small enough to be bullied or eaten. Add it to an established peaceful tank rather than a rough one.

Recommended Foods & Supplies

• Malaysian Driftwood or Cholla Wood branches, the one thing not to skip
• Xtreme Scrapers Sinking Wafers everyday pleco staple
• Hikari Algae Wafers vegetable wafer for night feeding
• Repashy Morning Wood gel food with wood fiber
• Hikari Dark Rock Cave for daytime shelter and spawning

FAQ

How big does it actually get?
4 to 5 inches of body, with the fins trailing a bit beyond that. This is not the pleco that outgrows tanks. Common Plecos hit 18 inches or more, but Bushynose stay small for life.

Are the long fins delicate?
A little. They are healthy fins, just longer, so they tear more easily on sharp decor and show poor water quality sooner. Smooth hardscape, clean water, and no fin nippers keep them flowing.

Will it stay black?
It stays dark, but like all Bushynose it can lighten or show faint spotting when stressed, resting on pale sand, or during the day. The deepest color shows on dark wood in a settled tank.

When do the bristles appear?
Not yet at this size. Males grow the branched bristles across the snout as they mature, usually around a year old, while females stay mostly smooth. Buying young means you will not know the sex for a while.

Will it clean my whole tank?
It will do real work on algae, but it is a fish, not a filter. Once it has grazed what is available it needs sinking wafers and vegetables of its own, and a pleco left to live on algae alone slowly starves in a clean tank.