Life span of bristlenose, candy L15 and clown L162

[blim]

I bought three plecos more than a year ago. The bristlenose was the biggest, more than 2 inches, followed by the candy and the smallest was the clown, less than 1.5 inches. The bristlenose always chased away the other two and the clown being the smallest has always been pushed when it went near the other two or during feeding.

A year later, the candy caught up and is longer and stronger than the bristlenose. I think it is at least 3 inches. The clown hardly grows. Last week found the bristlenose died, the remaining body was white and I saw the candy next to the death body.

Was the bristlenose died of old age or killed by the candy? If the candy killed the bristlenose, he could have killed the clown too.

What's the life span of the 3 plecos I have. I am thinking of getting another clown as it looks cute.

[Quixotic]

Not sure what your bristlenose species is, but L15 and L162 can grow up to 10cm SL (standard length). It is difficult to quantify the lifespan of fishes, but judging from the potential size, a good guess would be that L15 and L162 can potentially live up to somehwere in between 5 to 10 years.

I think your bristlenose could live for at least a few years as well, so I very much doubt it died of old age. Given limited information about your setup, it is diffcult to tell what happened to your bristlenose.

However, as I understand it, when plecos grow older, they will also tend to be more territorial, so many hiding places and/or a larger tank will be necessary. Just some food for thought.

[blim]

Thanks.

I can't remember L number but think it was a Ancistrus sp. It was black with very tiny white dots on the body. I believe it was a female. The length was about 10cm before it died.

[illumnae]

10cm is usually the max length of a bristlenose isn't it?

[Quixotic]

Thanks.

I can't remember L number but think it was a Ancistrus sp. It was black with very tiny white dots on the body. I believe it was a female. The length was about 10cm before it died.

All bristlenoses are from the genus Ancistrus. Your bristlenose should be able to live ranging from 5 to 10 years (or more). So something could be amiss, but since it has passed on, don't think it matters much anymore.

For your new aquisitions, generally more plecos would equate to requiring more hiding places. It would be best to ensure that there are a few caves/hiding places for each one of them.

10cm is usually the max length of a bristlenose isn't it?

The quantifier "usually" is the general assumption. However, there are a few species that grow larger than 10 cm. Do a search in PlanetCatfish, http://www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/search.php, where Family Name = Loricariidae and Genus name = Ancistrus will give you sizes of the species.

[blim]

I didnt know they can live so long. Thanks for the advice.