How much bigger should we expect it to get & can we add?

So our Albino BNP (Whitey) is now about 2.5 inches tip to tail (measured while eating this morning). There are small bristles that have shown up on the upper lip, but not a face-full. But from what I understood they were supposed to set to 4-5 inches. We have had Whitey in the tank for about 4 months... not sure how big she was when we got her/him. I am hoping we haven't stunted her/his growth at all, but I expected it to grow more quickly. There are vegetables in the tank at least every other day, it eats the cory's wafers and I think snacks on the blood worms on days where we feed them (once weekly).

It is a 34 gallon tank... I would really like a male BNP - could I add another one (current stocking is in my signature we are going to finish out the cardinal school after the ICH treatment is done)? How do I go about finding an older BNP so I can know it is a male? Where does one find breeders, etc? My local pet stores (both chain and other) only seem to have them super small and young.
aliray - looking at you for this!
Thanks all!

 

I bought my male ABN from Imperial Tropicals in Lakeland Fla. They also sell on Ebay which is where I saw them. Look up their sight or look on Ebay and see what they have .They sold different sizes. If he has bristles starting to grow than my guess is he is a male. Also keep in mind that two males in the tank will eventually get aggressive with each other if the tank isn't big enough for each to stake out their own territory. Alison... Look on Ebay live fish for sale.

 

How much bigger do you think Whitey will get? If he turned out to be a male, I would not want to get another one (unless I got another tank)... I just want a male so much, and I have been thinking that Whitely is starting to look like a girl with the bristles just along the upper "lip".

 

How much bigger do you think Whitey will get? If he turned out to be a male, I would not want to get another one (unless I got another tank)... I just want a male so much, and I have been thinking that Whitely is starting to look like a girl with the bristles just along the upper "lip".

Do you have a picture of Whitey?

 

I will try... you know how they can be...
Check back in a couple of hours...

 

The males bristles appear on the upper lip first and then spread. My ABN Lucky is now 51/2 inches from the tip of his nose to the end of his tail. He cuddled up to my 6 inch thermometer which is how I got to measure him. He turns tail and runs whenever he spots a ruler...Whitey is still a youngster. Looking forward to the picture. Alison

 

My four inch brown bn has started growing some serious bristling everywhere on his face - my three and a half inch albino has no bristles, I have figured if they grow bristles at a smaller size they are likely to be male. My brown bn started with just some lip bristles so it is likely that you have a male at the size it is growing bristles. They can get up to 6 inches with some monster sized ones occasionally at 6.5 or even 7 inches, but it is less likely to be a monster.

 

Okay, so I got a photo... and looking at it, maybe the bristles are more all over than I thought. But of course I can't seem to get it from my husband's phone to fishlore because his phone doesn't have the app... I will continue to work on it...




Did that work?
Lord (or Lady) Whitethorn, aka Whitey.

 

Lord Whitey is going to have to be his new name .And you may now call him SIR.. Alison

 

That's a male!!!!
While the females may get some bristles along the lips they would not be that big!

 

Congrats and look at the money you are going to save. You already have one. Alison

 

He's 2.5 inches and already has bristles! That's not fair haha. My males started growing at 3 inches and he's in a 60g!