Their story
Every animal at Get To Know Animals is a rescue. Donna and Rob, the founders, give animals a second chance — there are no breeding programmes here.
Behind every smile is a story. Animals like Bristlenose Pleco often arrive because a home changed, a rescue needed space, or someone realised wild beauty deserves expert care. We promise warmth, the right food, enrichment and keepers who know each personality. When a child presses their nose to the glass and whispers ‘hello’, that second chance becomes a lifelong memory — for them and for Bristlenose Pleco.
Ancistrus is a genus of nocturnal freshwater fish in the family Loricariidae of order Siluriformes, native to freshwater habitats in South America and Panama. Fish of this genus are common in the aquarium trade where they are known as bushynose or bristlenose catfish. In the aquarium hobby they are often referred to as bushynose or bristlenose plecos instead, but this may lead to confusion as "pleco" usually is used for Hypostomus plecostomus and its allies and is often used as a catchall term for any loricariids remotely resembling that species. Adults often remember: Genus of fishes. At Get To Know Animals we turn those wild facts into daily care — the right heat, humidity, UV where needed, climbing or digging space, and food that matches what Bristlenose Plecos evolved to eat.
It costs over £35,000 every month to feed, heat and care for 300+ animals. Filters, heaters, water treatments, live plants and precise diets keep aquatic rooms alive 24/7 — quiet weeks at the till still mean full electricity and food costs. Adopting Bristlenose Pleco, sponsoring a meal, funding the wish list or joining Patreon isn’t ‘extra’ — it’s how Bristlenose Pleco eats next Tuesday when the weather is quiet and the till is slow.
You can help today: adopt Bristlenose Pleco, buy a treat, play Get To Feed Animals, or become a monthly patron. Every pound is love you can measure in full bowls, warm lamps and wagging (or flicking) tails.