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I know the topic of feeding BNs has come up lately, but I haven't seen if they eat wood or not? Do they need it for digestion? Do they eat it simply as food?

Need? Not sure about that. You're certainly right that it has been debated a lot recently. Check out the end of this thread http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/forums/Bottom%20Feeder%20Frenzy/50215.html
where Acid Rain talks about the functionality of different mouth shapes of different plecos, it's pretty interesting. My BN loves hanging out on and around the driftwood in my tank, but that could be cause it provides cover for her. Practically speaking, I start with the assumption that all plecos are better off with wood than without and work from there. This may not be true at all for BNs or other species, I'm not a biologist. I certanily dont see the harm, though, in giving your BN a bit of wood to chew on and hang out around - provided it doesnt take up too much tank space. As I said, just in terms of practicality, if it's going to be debated yes or no, why not cover your bases and give your BN a piece. I've never heard that wood will HARM them.

In terms of just wanting to know, well I can't really help you there, someone more learned than I should chime in. Heck, I'd be interested to know myself.

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Any bristlenose would benefit from having driftwood in its tank. They rasp away at it with their mouths, and it helps them with digestion. Also, it gives the fish a place to hide. However, driftwood is not essential to keep a BN, or any Ancistrus pleco for that matter. As I have mentioned on another thread, I keep a perfectly happy BN, in a tank without driftwood.

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Wood provides little, if any, nutrients. It is not a neccesity for any pleco, but fiberous vegetables should be fed.

My bristlenose has a small peice of wood to rasp on, and since I have had the BN it has completely "sanded off" the wood. It now has no bark, and before while it was rough to the touch, it is now very smooth and "polished" looking.
I think BN should have access to some wood or to a rougher fibrous food as mentioned before- such as broccoli, zuchinni, or such.


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Are the BNs actualy eating the wood or just marking a teroritory. I have often seen mine grazing over the wood but they could be eating the algae not the wood.

Keith

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Im not entirely sure Keith, however, the wood did have bark on it and was indeed very rough to the touch. All I did to it was sand off any sharp edges and popped it in just like that. (After soaking of course).
I will take a pic for you to see. It does seem also that there are some "track marks" or furrows that seem to indeed resemble a BN's tongue/ teeth whatever they have.
The wood is also seeming to diminish in diameter, so I would assume he is eating it. I dont think the Hillstream Loach eats wood, so Im pretty sure it must be the pleco.


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My BN love to munch on the wood in the tank. I,m not sure if he's/she's eating it or not, but he/she's just loves o stay there & hide from the lights.

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In one of my tanks the BN's have actually eaten through a piece of driftwood. I feed them 3 times a week with zucchini, golden italian squash, pumpkin, spinach, romaine lettuce, and carrots. the other days i feed them eartworm pellets, live earthworms, and shrimp pellets. So it isnt from a lack of food or hunger that they are munching on it.

Ive also noticed that i lose more juvenile BN's in tanks that dont have driftwood in them. In fact after losing 6 different ones in a guppy tank (not all put in together), i put in driftwood and havent lost anymore since then.

If they dont need the driftoowd then driftwood brings me good luck <g>.

Bdadawg

I only kept wood in with my albino BN fry. My current starry BNs have no wood in with them. In both cases, I have observed similarmortality rates amongst fry--very few. It must be that good luck then.

EDITontent

Last edited by Cup_of_Lifenoodles at 05-Dec-2004 12:08