TankBud

Butterfly pleco (L168)

Dekeyseria brachyura

Also known as L168, Demini Butterfly Pleco, Butterfly Plec

FreshwaterFish

Butterfly pleco (L168) (Dekeyseria brachyura)
The Wet Spot Tropical Fish · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature
77–84°F
25–29°C
pH
5.5–7.0
Adult size
5.5 in
14 cm
Minimum tank
40 gal
150 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Solitary
Swim level
Bottom
Diet
Omnivore
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Hard
Rarity
Rare
Family
Loricariidae
Origin
Rio Negro basin, including the Rio Demini, in Amazonas, Brazil.

Overview

The butterfly pleco (L168) is a flat, disc-shaped pleco for a peaceful community tank with soft, moving water. It is best kept by someone with a little experience.

Did you know

The butterfly pleco (L168) can change color quickly to match its surroundings, a trick that is unusual among plecos. On pale sand it shows bold dark bands on a cream body. On dark substrate it can turn almost solid black within minutes.

Caring for the butterfly pleco (L168)

Keep the butterfly pleco (L168) in a tank of at least 40 gal (150 L), with driftwood and shaded hides. It needs soft, clean, oxygen-rich water with good flow to stay healthy. Hold the temperature at 77 to 84°F (25 to 29°C) and the pH at 5.5 to 7.0.

It is an omnivore that leans on vegetable matter. Keep algae wafers, blanched greens and driftwood available for grazing, and offer protein only now and then.

The butterfly pleco is a peaceful, solitary fish that is safe with community tank mates. Keepers use its color as a mood read. A stressed fish often blanches or darkens far faster than it changes for camouflage. Breeding it is hard.

Good to know

The butterfly pleco (L168) was described as Dekeyseria brachyura, in the family Loricariidae. It is sometimes placed in the genus Zonancistrus.

In the wild

The butterfly pleco (L168) comes from the Rio Negro basin in Amazonas, Brazil, including the Rio Demini. It lives in soft, acidic streams and tributaries stained with tannins, where the flow runs moderate to strong. There it grazes biofilm and algae off wood and rock and takes some meaty food.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The butterfly pleco (L168) 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 butterfly pleco (L168) need?

A butterfly pleco (L168) needs at least 40 gal (150 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a butterfly pleco (L168) need?

A butterfly pleco (L168) is comfortable at 77–84°F (25–29°C) with a pH of 5.5–7.0.

What does a butterfly pleco (L168) eat?

A butterfly pleco (L168) is an omnivore that leans on vegetable matter, such as algae wafers and blanched greens. Keep driftwood in the tank for grazing, and offer protein only now and then.

How big does a butterfly pleco (L168) get?

An adult butterfly pleco (L168) reaches about 5.5 in (14 cm).

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