Calico BN?

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aclockworkorange

Dovii
MFK Member
Jun 24, 2010
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Rose City
I recently picked up a "calico" bristlenose from my lfs... He is orange with black markings, calico colored (:naughty:). I believe these are albino BN that have a slightly different gene that shows some coloration? Yes?
Also, how do they breed them?
 
They breed just like normal bristlenose, in a cave. Males protect the eggs until they hatch and are free swimmers.
Pretty variant though. I keep them as well.
 
That's not how genetics work. A picture would be very helpful. I believe you just have a different variety of bristlenose. Albino is strictly "lacking pigmentation" so calico is not a variant of albino.
 
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Not my picture, but there it is.
 
Looks almost like a hypomelanistic strain. If so, it's possible the gene behaves the same way as the albino gene, but is a different mutation altogether.
Anyone here breed these guys, that can shed some light?
 
If it's a recessive trait, I would either find two of the same or cross it out with whatever other type you can find and line breed the fry of that pairing back to the original parent. Then, from that group, you will find many marbled and you can either keep the genepool strong by outcrossing again or set up several sibling pairs and keep the strongest of the offspring.
 
Could just be a multi-allele gene. In a typical gene you have 1 allele that can give you say black or white. In a multi-allele it is a sort of gradient that moves from darker to lighter. If it is a 3 allele gene, all three coding for black would be a black, 1 white would make it lighter, and so forth. It could also be a case of incomplete or co-dominance, where a heterozygous individual (one with a black gene from one parent and an albino gene from another) gets a mix of these genes.
 
I was told from the wholesaler I worked at when I bought him that breeding two calico BN will usually get regular ol BN.
 
I'm thinking about getting a few more and growing them out to see if I can get a pair. What do you guys think? What's a BN's growth rate anyway?

This is my first pleco BTW so pardon my ignorance. :)
 
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