# Bristlenose Pleco Crossbreeding



## gimlid (Apr 23, 2010)

Hi Pleco Fans
I was talking with Ibenu the other night about cross breeding BN plecos. does anyone know what types can crossbreed with others? 
We were talking about a 144 crossing with and Albino BN. I was curious which eye colour would be more recessive.
It really got me thinking though.
Love to hear any member feedback on this.


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## ibenu (Apr 21, 2010)

Calico LF and L144.. If its possible and could be done in a few generations, could you imagine a blue eyed LF calico? the red with the blue would look stunning!!

I forgot to show you my smoky longfin albino downstairs.. Wish I new more about line breeding to figure out how to secure that!!! Watching this thread with interest!

Lisa


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## Adz1 (Apr 21, 2010)

yes almost all bristle nose will cross.
though you don't get a new color just a few each of types crossed.
i used to get L-144 and silver tips from a pair of silver tips i had in the past.


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

The Albinos, "L144", and common BNP's are likely all from the same stock originally, with maybe a few wilds mixed in from time to time. Nobody really has any true type L144. There was a huge long discussion about this on planetcatfish. The ones that are commonly sold as L144's now are much more attractively than the original that was logged as L144.

To answer the originally question though, I suspect all Ancistrus species can interbreed, although I haven't heard of anyone trying with the L183 with the commons, etc.


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## Smiladon (Apr 23, 2010)

If you cross breed albino with anything else, you can expect half of them to be most likely a regular BNP.

Albino just means that they lack the genes for the color while L144's original color is the pale yellow that we see.

calico + L144 would be interesting though


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## Mferko (Jun 8, 2010)

the gene for albinism is recessive, if you cross an albino with anything else none of the f1 generation will be albinos at all (unless it had the recessive albino gene, in which case half of the offspring would be albinos). however if you then breed those f1's with each other you can expect 1/4 of them to be albinos, breed 2 of those albinos together and you are guaranteed all their offspring are albinos.
hope that helps.

as for which are capable of crossbreeding i have no idea im a pleco noob, but i know my genetics


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## ibenu (Apr 21, 2010)

albino/albino+albino/albino= albino You can breed Albinos and get all albinos. The long fin gene has been hardy to breed true from what I have read. But the albino pleco gene has been secured across so many lines it's rare to beed two albino plecos and get and browns when you get stock from wholesalers. (as they dont have the time nor desire to be breeding albinos that do not breed true) But If you bough albinos from other forum members that were from mixed lineage (smiladon you referring to that?) I can see where you would get mixed/disappointing results.


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## Mferko (Jun 8, 2010)

ibenu said:


> albino/albino+albino/albino= albino You can breed Albinos and get all albinos.


thats what i said


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## Smiladon (Apr 23, 2010)

ibenu said:


> albino/albino+albino/albino= albino You can breed Albinos and get all albinos. The long fin gene has been hardy to breed true from what I have read. But the albino pleco gene has been secured across so many lines it's rare to beed two albino plecos and get and browns when you get stock from wholesalers. (as they dont have the time nor desire to be breeding albinos that do not breed true) But If you bough albinos from other forum members that were from mixed lineage (smiladon you referring to that?) I can see where you would get mixed/disappointing results.


I wasn't referring to that at all, instead I was stating what Mferko said: "if you cross an albino with anything else none of the f1 generation will be albinos at all "

I agree if it is albino/albino + albino/albino = albino/albino

what I was stating was 
albino/albino + calico/calico [or any other type] != albino
because the offspring will be albino/calico and albinism is a recessive gene, so the babies will look like calicos.
Take two of those calicos and breed them and you can get some albinos etc (Mferko explained it better  ... sorry if I am confusing you )

my point is that if someone is looking into cross-breeding, then leave albinos out of the list as it wont help.


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## gimlid (Apr 23, 2010)

My thought is that the blue eyed gene from an L144 would likely be recessive the way it is in mammals. 
My guess then is that the L144/L144 + albino/albino would give a light coloured fish ,perhaps even calico, with regular black eyes.
Maybe we can find out soon.
I found a seller with a large number of 144 for sale and a "generous" donor gave me about 20+ baby BN and calico BN and I think some albino too.


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## charles (Apr 21, 2010)

Here is my experience:

SF calico m / LF albino F = 100% silver tip with some LF some SF. There were no calico, no albino in the batch of 50+ babies.

And they were the only 2 plecos in the tank.


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## gimlid (Apr 23, 2010)

charles said:


> Here is my experience:
> 
> SF calico m / LF albino F = 100% silver tip with some LF some SF. There were no calico, no albino in the batch of 50+ babies.
> 
> And they were the only 2 plecos in the tank.


I suspected recessive genes would basically just disappear. I wasnt aware that the calico colour would be that recessive.
That likely means that the 144 cream colour and blue eyes would disappear.
Should be interesting to find out. I will start breaking up pairs pretty quick.


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## ibenu (Apr 21, 2010)

Is it possible to crossbreed 2 different strains of Bristlenose PLecos? - Aquaria Central

This guy bred a starlight with an albino and got orange patches.. seems some strains would be more likely to be influenced by the albino gene than others?

It's interesting that some mutations (lf calico) the calico will occur if both parents are F3 or better, and you still will not get the LF with every one...

With all these albino discus showing color but pink eyes, there is a method that we could emulate if we had access to the knowledge.. I would love to know how to fix the now very dark LF albino pleco I have downstairs....

So In short the starlight pleco may be an intersting place for you start as far as what you could get when working with albinos.. The starlights are BN also I believe...


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## Cyril (Aug 10, 2010)

I have that cross going right now..the babies came out dark with spots all over and a white strip on the tails and fin....no albino was in the batch


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## Smiladon (Apr 23, 2010)

Cyril said:


> I have that cross going right now..the babies came out dark with spots all over and a white strip on the tails and fin....no albino was in the batch


Thats very interesting. Could you share more details with us please?


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## Mferko (Jun 8, 2010)

do a cross of those babies and you should have 1/4 of their offspring as albino


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## Cyril (Aug 10, 2010)

The father is a ''black or blue eye'' what ever you want to call it L144 the mother is a regular albino bristle nose plecos all the babies came out dark with fine spots all over and a strip of white on the tip of their tails and a bit on the fins


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## gimlid (Apr 23, 2010)

want to sell the male 144 !!


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## Cyril (Aug 10, 2010)

got couple of them


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## gimlid (Apr 23, 2010)

Cyril said:


> got couple of them


PM your price Burbanks kinda far tho


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## Smiladon (Apr 23, 2010)

Cyril said:


> The father is a ''black or blue eye'' what ever you want to call it L144 the mother is a regular albino bristle nose plecos all the babies came out dark with fine spots all over and a strip of white on the tip of their tails and a bit on the fins


Want to share some pics?


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## ibenu (Apr 21, 2010)

So&#8230; anybody else seen this yet in the ABN, now that its been a couple years?


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## megansp0424 (8 mo ago)

Im new to a tank , let alone this bristlenose..he is preparing his cave for eggs. But i only have 6 barb striped glofish and 2 bala sharks in w/ him?? Help- what do i do & expect ....and THIS IS POSSIBLE??? Lol i feel like a mad scientist hahah.is this OK or nuh?


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## megansp0424 (8 mo ago)

O sorry geres a pic of i call him my Big Guy...


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