A minimum of 115 litres for a single adult.
Temperature: 24°C – 30°C (76°F – 86°F ).
ph: 6.5-8.5
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0-20
Kh: 3-10
20% to 30% weekly (with gravel vacuuming).
Smooth sand or fine gravel protects their sensitive underbellies and barbels. Driftwood is absolutely mandatory. They rasp on wood to extract essential dietary cellulose and fibre.
high-quality sinking plant-based pellets, vegetable-based wafers, and specialized wood-based gels and algae wafer disks.
Peaceful and shy toward midwater schooling fish but highly territorial toward other bottom-dwellers. Can be kept in groups only if the aquarium is large enough to allocate at least a 30x30cm territory per pleco, backed by more caves than fish. Tetras, Rasboras, hatchetfish, and peaceful community fish are ideal. Avoid long-finned or slow tank mates that nipping fish might target, or aggressive cichlids. Avoid keeping them with other plecos or Corydoras in small tanks due to resource aggression.