TankBud

Bloodred tiger pleco

Panaqolus claustellifer

Also known as L306, Claustellifer tiger pleco

FreshwaterFish

Bloodred tiger pleco (Panaqolus claustellifer)
The Wet Spot Tropical Fish · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature
77–84°F
25–29°C
pH
6.0–7.4
Adult size
3.1 in
8 cm
Minimum tank
42 gal
160 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Solitary
Swim level
Bottom
Diet
Omnivore
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Cave spawner · Medium
Rarity
Rare
Family
Loricariidae
Origin
Takutu drainage, Guyana-Brazil border

Overview

The bloodred tiger pleco is a small, wood-eating catfish for a calm tank full of driftwood. It is best with a little experience.

Did you know

The bloodred tiger pleco's species name, claustellifer, means keyhole bearer. It points to a small, keyhole-shaped brown mark on the snout between pale lines, not to the tiger striping most people notice first.

Caring for the bloodred tiger pleco

Give a bloodred tiger pleco at least 42 gal (160 L), with a good tangle of driftwood over a sand floor. The wood is its shelter as well as its food. Keep the current gentle. It hides among the wood by day and grazes after dark.

Keep the water soft to neutral, at 77 to 84°F (25 to 29°C) and a pH of 6.0 to 7.4. Wood-eaters produce a lot of waste, so back the tank up with strong filtration and regular water changes.

It actually eats the wood and the film that grows on it, so give it plenty of soft driftwood to rasp. Add sinking vegetable foods and the occasional protein treat.

Keep one, or a pair, since it holds its own patch of driftwood and defends a favored spot from other plecos. It is peaceful with tank mates, so a quiet community of small to mid-size fish suits it. Dedicated keepers have spawned it in narrow caves, where the male guards the developing brood. Breeding it is moderately difficult.

Good to know

Panaqolus claustellifer is a member of Loricariidae, marked with fine rust and cream bands. It was described in 2016. Like other Panaqolus, it has spoon-shaped teeth for scraping driftwood. It is also sold as L306.

In the wild

The bloodred tiger pleco comes from the Takutu drainage on the Guyana and Brazil border, part of the Rio Branco system. It lives among sunken trees and driftwood in warm, flowing water.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The bloodred tiger 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 bloodred tiger pleco need?

A bloodred tiger pleco needs at least 42 gal (160 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a bloodred tiger pleco need?

A bloodred tiger pleco is comfortable at 77–84°F (25–29°C) with a pH of 6.0–7.4.

What does a bloodred tiger pleco eat?

A bloodred tiger pleco eats wood, rasping soft driftwood and the film that grows on it. Add sinking vegetable foods and the occasional protein treat.

How big does a bloodred tiger pleco get?

An adult bloodred tiger pleco reaches about 3.1 in (8 cm).

How does a bloodred tiger pleco breed?

Bloodred tiger plecos spawn in narrow caves, and the male guards the brood as it develops. Dedicated keepers have bred them, and breeding is moderately difficult.

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