Lemon Blue Eye Bushynose Pleco (Ancistrus sp.)

Add a vibrant pop of color and a dedicated cleaning crew member to your aquarium with the Lemon Blue Eye Bushynose Pleco. This stunning color morph of the hardy Ancistrus family is highly sought after for its brilliant, solid yellow-gold body and captivating, deep blue eyes. Unlike common plecos that outgrow most home tanks, the Lemon Blue Eye stays a manageable size, making it the perfect centerpiece scavenger for hobbyists of all levels.

Quick Care Overview

• Origin: South America (Amazon River Basin)

• Care Level: Easy/Beginner

• Maximum Size: 4–5 inches

• Lifespan: 5–12 years

• Minimum Tank Size: 20–30 gallons

Detailed Care & Habitat

Environment & Water Parameters To keep your Lemon Blue Eye Pleco thriving, provide a habitat that mimics the flowing waters of South America. They require plenty of hiding spots using driftwood, rock caves, or PVC pipes. Driftwood is particularly essential, as they graze on it to aid their digestion.

• Temperature: 72°F to 80°F

• pH: 6.5 – 7.5

• Water Flow: Moderate

Feeding & Diet While they are world-class algae eaters, these plecos should not rely on tank algae alone. They are omnivorous with a preference for plant-based foods.

• Primary: High-quality sinking algae wafers and spirulina pellets.

• Fresh Treats: Blanched zucchini, cucumber, canned green beans, and spinach.

• Protein: Occasional frozen bloodworms or brine shrimp.

Tank Mates The Lemon Blue Eye Bushynose is incredibly peaceful and thrives in a community setting. They ignore most mid-water and surface-dwelling fish.

• Ideal Mates: Tetras, Rasboras, Guppies, Corydoras, and Dwarf Cichlids.

• Caution: They are generally safe with shrimp, though they may accidentally knock over smaller snails while grazing. Avoid large, aggressive tank mates that might outcompete them for food.

Breeding One of the most rewarding aspects of this species is how easily they breed in captivity. Males develop the signature fleshy tentacles (bristles) on their snout, while females have few to none.

• Provide a "breeding cave" just slightly larger than the male.

• The male will guard the eggs and fan them with his fins until they hatch.

• Raising fry is relatively simple with crushed algae flakes and specialized fry food.

Why Choose the Lemon Blue Eye Pleco?

• Exceptional Algae Control: Constantly grazes on glass and decor.

• Stays Small: Won't outgrow a standard 29-gallon aquarium.

• Vibrant Aesthetics: The "Lemon" yellow provides a beautiful contrast against green plants and dark substrates.

• Plant Safe: Unlike other pleco species, they rarely damage healthy live plants.

PLEASE READ BEFORE ORDERING

• The photos shown on fish product pages are representations of adult fish and are NOT the actual fish that you will be receiving. 
• Please visit our “Ordering/Shipping fish” page prior to checking out to familiarize yourself with our process.
• We ship fish exclusively using overnight shipping with either FedEx or UPS. We will not ship fish with lesser expensive shipping services like “Ground” or “Priority Mail”. This is to ensure the safety of the fish. 
• Unless specified, all fish are sold as unsexed.