TankBud

Brown pleco

Hypostomus plecostomoides

Also known as LDA038, LDA042, Plecostomoides

FreshwaterFish

Brown pleco (Hypostomus plecostomoides)

Care at a glance

Temperature
77–84°F
25–29°C
pH
6.0–7.5
Adult size
10.2 in
26 cm
Minimum tank
79 gal
300 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Solitary
Swim level
Bottom
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Cave spawner · Hard
Rarity
Rare
Family
Loricariidae
Origin
Orinoco basin, Colombia and Venezuela

Overview

The brown pleco is a big, plain, hard-working catfish for a roomy tank of robust fish. It grazes wood and other surfaces and rests under cover, coming out more in the evening. It is best kept by someone with a little experience.

Did you know

The brown pleco's species name, plecostomoides, states the obvious, since it means resembling Plecostomus. Plecostomus is the old genus name for the common pleco this fish looks so much like.

Caring for the brown pleco

Plan for the brown pleco's adult size with a long tank of at least 79 gal (300 L). Furnish the tank with big pieces of wood and a sand floor, and give it brisk, well-oxygenated flow.

Aim for soft to neutral water at 77 to 84°F (25 to 29°C) and a pH of 6.0 to 7.5. It is a large, messy grazer, so run a strong filter and change water regularly.

Feed algae wafers, blanched vegetables and sinking pellets. Add driftwood as well, since wood is part of its natural diet.

Keep one brown pleco to a tank, since adults are large and need room to themselves. It is peaceful and mixes well with robust community fish too big to be seen as food. Breeding it is hard, since large Hypostomus seldom spawn indoors. They need burrow or cave sites and plenty of room.

Good to know

Hypostomus plecostomoides is a large member of the family Loricariidae. Carl Eigenmann described it in 1922.

In the wild

The brown pleco comes from the Orinoco basin in Colombia and Venezuela. It lives in and around driftwood in flowing stretches of river.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The brown 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 brown pleco need?

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

What temperature and pH does a brown pleco need?

A brown pleco is comfortable at 77–84°F (25–29°C) with a pH of 6.0–7.5.

What does a brown pleco eat?

A brown pleco eats algae wafers, blanched vegetables and sinking pellets. It also needs driftwood in the tank, since wood is part of its natural diet.

How big does a brown pleco get?

An adult brown pleco reaches about 10.2 in (26 cm).

How does a brown pleco breed?

A brown pleco needs burrow or cave sites and plenty of room to spawn. Breeding it is hard, since large Hypostomus like it seldom spawn indoors.

Related species