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Ghost pleco

Ancistomus snethlageae

Also known as L141, Snethlage's pleco

FreshwaterFish

Ghost pleco (Ancistomus snethlageae)

Care at a glance

Temperature
77–84°F
25–29°C
pH
6.0–7.4
Adult size
8.7 in
22 cm
Minimum tank
66 gal
250 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Solitary
Swim level
Bottom
Diet
Omnivore
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Cave spawner · Medium
Rarity
Rare
Family
Loricariidae
Origin
Tapajós and Tocantins basins, Brazil

Overview

The ghost pleco is a pale, heavy-bodied catfish for the bottom of a calm community tank. It is a step up from the easiest fish to keep.

Did you know

The ghost pleco's scientific name, Ancistomus snethlageae, honors Emilie Snethlage, a German-Brazilian naturalist. She led collecting expeditions deep into the Amazon in the early 1900s. She went on to direct a major Brazilian museum, at a time when very few women held such posts.

Caring for the ghost pleco

Give the ghost pleco a tank of at least 66 gal (250 L), with a sand or fine gravel floor. Add plenty of smooth rock and driftwood arranged into caves. It stakes out a cave or a shaded gap in the rockwork, and once its cave is chosen it is undemanding.

Keep the water warm, at 77 to 84°F (25 to 29°C) and a pH of 6.0 to 7.4. Give it brisk, steady flow and well-oxygenated water, and stay on top of water changes.

The ghost pleco is an easygoing omnivore. Feed sinking pellets, algae wafers and frozen foods such as bloodworm. It also grazes biofilm off wood and stone.

Keep one adult per tank. It is peaceful toward other fish but does not need or want company of its own kind. It grows fairly large, so pair it with calm mid-water community fish rather than tiny, nervous ones.

It is a cave-spawning egg layer, and the male tends the eggs. Breeding it is of moderate difficulty.

Good to know

Ancistomus snethlageae is a loricariid catfish, gray with faint darker spotting that dulls with age. It carries the L-numbers L141 and L215 in the trade.

In the wild

The ghost pleco comes from the Tapajós and Tocantins basins of eastern Brazil. These are clear, rocky rivers with warm water and a good current over stone and wood.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The ghost 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 ghost pleco need?

A ghost pleco needs at least 66 gal (250 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a ghost pleco need?

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

What does a ghost pleco eat?

A ghost pleco is an easygoing omnivore that eats sinking pellets, algae wafers and frozen foods such as bloodworm. It also grazes biofilm off wood and stone.

How big does a ghost pleco get?

An adult ghost pleco reaches about 8.7 in (22 cm).

How does a ghost pleco breed?

A ghost pleco is a cave-spawning egg layer, and the male tends the eggs. Breeding it is of moderate difficulty.

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