The Blue Eyed Pleco is a rare and expensive type of pleco that can be an eye-catching addition to your aquarium. Native to the Magdalena Valley in Columbia, this species was once more common in aquariums. Political instability has made accessing this fish extremely difficult. Some can still be found and bought by hobbyists, but …
Blue Eyed Pleco (Panaque cochliodon): Ultimate Care Guide Read More »
The Common Pleco is a popular Pleco type that can be found in many aquarium fish stores. The common pleco is a popular choice for several reasons: they are rather hardy fish. They’re also relatively easy to care for, and their behaviors and personalities make for a source of entertainment. There is a lot of …
Common Pleco (Hypostomus Plecostomus): Ultimate Care Guide Read More »
The Zebra Pleco (Hypancistrus zebra) is a type of Pleco whose natural habitat is the Rio Xingu in Brazil, one of the largest clearwater basins in the Amazon. Because of the construction of dams in their natural habitat, the fish is classified as endangered in the wild. Common names include Zebra Plecostomus, Imperial Pleco, and …
Zebra Pleco (Hypancistrus zebra): Ultimate Care Guide Read More »
Vampire Pleco (Leporacanthicus galaxias), also known as Galaxy Pleco, is a type of pleco that has a dark black body with white or yellowish spots. They are native to fast-moving freshwater rivers in Brazil and they prefer an environment with strong currents. They also prefer plenty of rocks and driftwood as hiding places. This fish …
Vampire Pleco / Galaxy Pleco (Leporacanthicus Galaxias): Guide Read More »
A striking addition for larger aquariums, the Royal Pleco is a pleco species native to South America. Royal Plecos feature eye-catching striped patterns and tough skin plates instead of scales. One of the few species with an ability to digest wood, this fish needs to be provided with lots of driftwood with other foods such …
Royal Pleco (Panaque nigrolineatus): Ultimate Care Guide Read More »
Candy Striped Pleco is a dwarf Pleco native to the Amazon River in South America. They are often confused with other types of plecos with similar appearance, such as Clown Plecos. This fish features a beige to dark brown base color with cream-colored stripes. This species eats algae on wood and hardscape features but won’t …
Candy Striped Pleco (Peckoltia vittata): Ultimate Care Guide Read More »
Clown Plecos (Panaque Maccus) are a great addition to any aquarium for both novice and expert fish-keepers alike. Provided they are kept in the right conditions they are quite unproblematic to look after, and even better, they provide a nice aesthetic touch to your tank. Furthermore, they are fun to watch as they snack on driftwood at the bottom of the tank, and are also an amicable tank mate for many other species.
The Rubber Lip Pleco (Chaetostoma milesi) is a freshwater fish native to South America. It is part of the largest family of armored suckermouth catfish, the Chaetostoma genus. Rubber Lip Plecos have a large sucker mouth, eyes near the top of their head, and a tapering body. They typically have grey colored body, but it can have tan coloration as well. They have spots on their face, which can resemble freckles. These spots can also extend down their body. On the lower half of their body, they can have striped pattern as well. Rubber Lip Plecos are one of the smaller species of Plecos, since they only reach 5-7 inches (13-18 cm) in size. In comparison, other species of Plecos are known to grow much larger.
Sultan Plecos (Leporacanthicus joselimai, L264) have greyish cream colored bodies with black spots. They have powerful sucker mouths that they use to hold onto surfaces. Males and females are much easier to determine from one another when they have reached maturity. The males tend to have larger and broader heads, larger dorsal fins, and brighter coloration. You will want to make sure that you have correctly identified your Pleco so that you are able to provide the correct care for them. Juveniles will have white tips on their dorsal fins and tail fins that will fade as they age.
The Snowball Pleco (Hypicanistrus Inspector, L102) is an armoured suckermouth catfish part of the Loricariidae family. Its gorgeous white polka dot pattern gives the fish the appearance of being covered in little snowballs, hence its distinctive name. Some Snowball Pleco sport yellow spots as well, adding to the species’ beauty. Comparing the male and females, the former will sometimes show a reddish tint to their armour and more prominent odontodes, which resemble little teeth on their fins. These plecos have the characteristic flattened belly, downturned mouth, and torpedo outline of other catfish, with splayed pectoral and pelvic fins.
