Bristlenose Factory

10/11/2026

Looks like lack of accessible food may have been the reason for not many S. polli fry surviving when placed into a 15 gallon tank after free swimming. As I mentioned below I placed the last spawn in a 3D printed fry grow out system I purchased on the internet some time ago. Here we are about a week later and it looks like survival has been excellent. Pulled the almond leaf to shoot the video. I know it looks dirty but these little fish feed on organisms that grow on all the crud here. Clean pristine tanks are not what tiny fry need. Will keep them in here for another few weeks. They are currently being fed golden pearls in 5-50 micron size but will be ready soon to move up to the 200-300 size.

10/07/2026

The last swap meet of the year is just 10 days away. Won't be another one until March of next year. It is back in Arlington near the Cowboys stadium. There will be a lot of nice fish and other animals available. Remember to stop at the ATM and get some cash as lots of the vendors prefer it. See you all there.

10/05/2026

I have had tremendous success with S. petricola fry after they were free swimming. Very few losses were normal. The S. polli whites were a different story. Got good hatches but the fry survival was only about 25% when moved to a grow out tank. Got a batch of 250 or so late last week and decided to try the fry rearing system I had purchased a year or so ago. I put in an almond leaf from another tank that was well soaked. Added a few snails to help with extra food cleanup and to produce some p**p that little critters grow on for the fry to eat as well. Will leave them in here a few weeks and see if it makes any difference in survival rates. Sorry for the glare, couldn't get rid of it.

10/05/2026

Acquired this magnificent Synodontis polli white male this weekend in San Antonio and the FOTAS auction. A fish friend of mine had gotten from a pervious catfish raffle they always put on. Added him to my breeder tank and 2 of my smaller males immediately challenged him. They squabbled a bit and today everybody seems to be happy.

10/05/2026

Cooler temps and rain did the trick. Pulled fry from L519, albino green dragon and L144 blue eye tanks today. Expecting more as cooler weather is here.

Send a message to learn more

09/28/2026

How do you feed your fish the right amount of food? I used to get a pinch and drop in into the tanks. With each tank having different fish or different quantities was never sure how consistent I was on quantity though. I now use a table spoon so that I can more precisely give each tank what it needs. I feed a mix of small pellets as well as flake. Small fish get crushed flake, either spirulina of a mix of that as well as krill and worm flake. I measure this out into a small container and use the turkey baster to put water on the flake so that it will immediately sink. Everybody seems happier and getting what they need to flourish.

Send a message to learn more

09/28/2026

Brown bristlenose produced my first spawn since the hot summer hit us. It has really been a toasty one. We are expecting a nice front Wednesday with a good amount of much needed rain and high temps in the upper 70's to low 80's. Hoping this will get all the rest of the colonies to start producing as well.

Send a message to learn more

09/09/2026

The annual FOTAS convention is being help in Schertz October 2-4 sponsored by the Hill Country Cichlid Club. There will be speakers on fish topics and an auction on Sunday. This will bring hobbyists from Louisiana, Oklahoma as well as Texas. Should be a fun weekend to spend with a bunch of other fish geeks.

09/04/2026

Feeding the male bristlenose tank their zucchini. They really attack it. Get it 2-3 times a week.

09/04/2026

Our pups have a tough life. Just don't see how they can make it through the day!