Common pleco

Hypostomus plecostomus

Also known as suckermouth catfish

FreshwaterFish

Common pleco (Hypostomus plecostomus) — "Pleco (Hypostomus sp.)" by Peter O'Connor aka anemoneprojectors is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/. · by-sa

Care at a glance

Temperature: 72–86°F (22–30°C)
pH: 6.5–7.5
Adult size: 15.7 in (40 cm)
Minimum tank: 85 gal (320 L)
Temperament: Mostly peaceful
Social behavior: Solitary
Swim level: Bottom
Difficulty: Easy
Breeding: No record
Rarity: Very common
Origin: Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana
Family: Loricariidae

Overview

These are solitary, mostly peaceful fish that need a big tank, around 320 liters or more once grown. They stay on the bottom and are happiest with hiding spots and driftwood to gnaw on. Keep them warm, roughly the low to high 20s C, with a pH near neutral. They eat algae when young but need real food too, like algae wafers and vegetables, and they produce a lot of waste, so strong filtration helps.

In the wild

Common plecos come from rivers and streams across Brazil, French Guiana, and Guyana, where they graze on surfaces and wedge into cover during the day. They handle a wide range of conditions, which is part of why they are so common in the hobby. A tank with driftwood, rockwork, and good filtration matches what they want. They sit on the bottom and rasp at wood and biofilm.

Good to know

This is a suckermouth catfish in the Loricariidae family, covered in bony armor plates rather than scales. It is one of the larger options people buy small without realizing the size, reaching about 40 cm as an adult. It has no established captive breeding record in home tanks, and like other loricariids it uses its sucker mouth to hold position and feed.

Did you know

People buy these as a cleanup fish and are caught off guard when a 5 cm baby turns into a 40 cm adult. Older plecos also lose much of their interest in algae and lean harder on prepared and vegetable foods.