TankBud

Atabapo butterfly pleco

Dekeyseria picta

Also known as L052, Butterfly pleco L052

FreshwaterFish

Atabapo butterfly pleco (Dekeyseria picta)

Care at a glance

Temperature
77–84°F
25–29°C
pH
4.8–6.5
Adult size
5.5 in
14 cm
Minimum tank
53 gal
200 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Solitary
Swim level
Bottom
Diet
Omnivore
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Cave spawner · Medium
Rarity
Common
Family
Loricariidae
Origin
Rio Atabapo and Orinoco blackwaters

Overview

The Atabapo butterfly pleco is a peaceful pleco for a blackwater tank, and one of the fastest color-changers in its family. It flips between pale banding and near-solid dark within a minute, depending on mood and substrate. It is best with a little experience.

Did you know

The Atabapo butterfly pleco is its own darkroom, printing stripes on a black substrate and erasing them on white sand.

Caring for the Atabapo butterfly pleco

Give an Atabapo butterfly pleco at least 53 gal (200 L), set up as a blackwater layout. It is a solitary bottom dweller that needs open sand to sit on and wood to graze.

Keep the water soft and acidic, at 77 to 84°F (25 to 29°C) and a pH of 4.8 to 6.5. It is less tolerant of hard water than most plecos. Feed vegetable-based sinking foods with some frozen protein.

It is peaceful with other fish and safe in a community tank, and it does not bother plants. It is a cave spawner, and breeding it is moderately difficult.

Good to know

Dekeyseria picta has a flattened, almost leaf-like profile, quite unlike the usual bristlenose shape. Its switch between a banded and a plain phase is under nervous control rather than slow pigment migration, so it happens in seconds. It also goes by L052 in the trade.

In the wild

Dekeyseria picta lives in the blackwaters of the Rio Atabapo and the wider Orinoco. The water there is very soft, acidic and tannin-stained, over sand and submerged wood.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The Atabapo butterfly pleco is a peaceful, solitary species that keeps to the bottom. These picks share a community profile with it, are safe together in both directions, and overlap on water type, temperature and pH.

Check the full mix in the stocking calculator

Common questions

What size tank does an Atabapo butterfly pleco need?

An Atabapo butterfly pleco needs at least 53 gal (200 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does an Atabapo butterfly pleco need?

An Atabapo butterfly pleco is comfortable at 77–84°F (25–29°C) with a pH of 4.8–6.5.

What does an Atabapo butterfly pleco eat?

An Atabapo butterfly pleco eats vegetable-based sinking foods with some frozen protein. It also grazes on wood, so keep some in the tank.

How big does an Atabapo butterfly pleco get?

An adult Atabapo butterfly pleco reaches about 5.5 in (14 cm).

How does an Atabapo butterfly pleco breed?

Atabapo butterfly plecos are cave spawners, laying their eggs in caves. Breeding them is moderately difficult.

Related species