TankBud

Basilisk pleco

Hypostomus basilisko

Also known as Basilisko hypostomus

FreshwaterFish

Basilisk pleco (Hypostomus basilisko)
V.D. · CC BY-SA 3.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
77–84°F
25–29°C
pH
6.5–7.8
Adult size
9.4 in
24 cm
Minimum tank
79 gal
300 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Solitary
Swim level
Bottom
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Hard
Rarity
Rare
Family
Loricariidae
Origin
Rio Verde, Paraguay basin, Brazil

Overview

The basilisk pleco is a large, heavily built pleco that grazes along the bottom of a big tank. It is a step up from the easiest fish.

Did you know

The basilisk pleco is named for the basilisk of myth, a crowned serpent whose title means little king in Greek. Its describers handed a plain brown catfish a royal epithet.

Caring for the basilisk pleco

Give a basilisk pleco a long tank of at least 79 gal (300 L). Adults are strong and take up a big footprint. A sand floor, large pieces of driftwood and some rounded stone suit it best. It grazes surfaces and rests under wood or rock, and it is most active in the evening.

Keep the water neutral to slightly hard, at 77 to 84°F (25 to 29°C) and a pH of 6.5 to 7.8. Run strong filtration and keep oxygen high to match a big fish with a big appetite.

Feed it well on algae wafers, blanched vegetables such as zucchini and sweet potato, and sinking pellets. Keep driftwood available for it to rasp.

Keep one to a tank, since it needs its own ground. It is peaceful with fish it cannot swallow and makes a sturdy companion in a robust community or South American tank. Breeding it is hard. Large Hypostomus rarely spawn in home tanks, and they need cave or burrow sites and a lot of space.

Good to know

Hypostomus basilisko is a solid, thick-bodied member of Loricariidae and one of the large Hypostomus. It was described in 2014.

In the wild

The basilisk pleco comes from clear rivers of the upper Paraguay basin in Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. It grazes rock and wood there in warm, moderately flowing water.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The basilisk 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 a basilisk pleco need?

A basilisk pleco needs at least 79 gal (300 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a basilisk pleco need?

A basilisk pleco is comfortable at 77–84°F (25–29°C) with a pH of 6.5–7.8.

What does a basilisk pleco eat?

A basilisk pleco eats algae wafers, blanched vegetables such as zucchini and sweet potato, and sinking pellets. Keep driftwood in the tank as well, since it rasps on the wood.

How big does a basilisk pleco get?

An adult basilisk pleco reaches about 9.4 in (24 cm).

How does a basilisk pleco breed?

Basilisk plecos are hard to breed. Large Hypostomus like this one rarely spawn in home tanks, and they need cave or burrow sites and a lot of space.

Related species