Galaxy panaqolus

Panaqolus albomaculatus

Also known as LDA31, Mustard spot pleco

FreshwaterFish

Care at a glance

Temperature: 77–84°F (25–29°C)
pH: 6.0–7.2
Adult size: 5.5 in (14 cm)
Minimum tank: 53 gal (200 L)
Temperament: Peaceful
Social behavior: Solitary
Swim level: Bottom
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: Medium
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Upper Amazon, Ecuador and Peru
Family: Loricariidae

Overview

This is a solitary wood-rasping pleco, so keep one per tank rather than a group, since adults squabble with their own kind but leave other fish alone. It spends the day tucked into driftwood or a cave and comes out to graze once the lights dim, so it fits a calm community of small to mid-size fish. The key to keeping it is real bogwood: it rasps and eats wood constantly and needs a lot of it, which also means heavy filtration for the waste it produces. Round out the diet with sinking wafers and vegetables such as courgette, cucumber, and sweet potato, and go easy on protein. Give it a tank of at least 200 liters with shade and plenty of hiding places.

In the wild

In the wild it lives in warm, flowing tributaries of the upper Amazon in Ecuador and Peru, where sunken branches and leaf litter pile up along the banks. Recreate that with a dim tank full of driftwood, some smooth rock, and soft to neutral water kept warm, around 25 to 29 C with a pH of 6.0 to 7.2. Steady gentle flow and clean, well-filtered water keep it in condition, and floating plants help cut the bright light it dislikes.

Good to know

Panaqolus albomaculatus belongs to the Loricariidae, the suckermouth armoured catfishes, and reaches about 14 centimeters. Like others in its genus it has spoon-shaped teeth built for scraping wood, and its dark body is scattered with pale mustard to off-white spots, which is why the trade sells it as the mustard spot pleco or LDA31. It is a cave-spawning egg layer, with the male guarding the clutch, and breeding is of moderate difficulty.

Did you know

Because it grinds through so much wood, its droppings come out looking like wet sawdust. The fish gets through large amounts of timber and puts out nearly as much waste, which is exactly why a strong filter is not optional with this species.