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Gold spot sailfin pleco

Pterygoplichthys joselimaianus

Also known as L001, Joselimaianus sailfin

FreshwaterFish

Gold spot sailfin pleco (Pterygoplichthys joselimaianus)
Mark Barton · CC BY 3.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
77–84°F
25–29°C
pH
6.0–7.4
Adult size
15.7 in
40 cm
Minimum tank
119 gal
450 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Solitary
Swim level
Bottom
Difficulty
Easy
Breeding
Cave spawner · Hard
Rarity
Rare
Family
Loricariidae
Origin
Tocantins basin, Brazil

Overview

The gold spot sailfin pleco is a big, hardy pleco for a roomy community tank with large, calm fish. It is easy to keep.

Did you know

The gold spot sailfin pleco carries the code L001. When the German aquarium magazine DATZ launched the L-number system in 1988, this fish was in the very first batch. That is how it came to hold the number one slot.

Caring for the gold spot sailfin pleco

The gold spot sailfin pleco is sold as a spotted juvenile, so plan around its adult size from the start. Give it a big footprint of at least 119 gal (450 L), with driftwood, open sand and open floor to patrol.

It is not demanding about water and does well with forgiving mid-range chemistry. Keep it warm, at 77 to 84°F (25 to 29°C), with a pH of 6.0 to 7.4. Use strong filtration to handle the waste a fish this size produces.

It grazes algae and takes sinking wafers, pellets and vegetables. A hungry adult will strip a tank of soft plants.

Keep it singly. It is peaceful toward tank mates but has no need for others of its kind. In the wild these fish dig burrows in riverbanks to spawn. That is very hard to copy at home, so aquarium breeding is rare and rated hard.

Good to know

Pterygoplichthys joselimaianus is a loricariid, also sold as the joselimaianus sailfin. It wears the tall, many-rayed dorsal fin that gives the sailfin plecos their name, and its dark body is covered in gold spots.

In the wild

The gold spot sailfin pleco comes from the Tocantins basin in Brazil. It cruises slow to moderate stretches of warm lowland river.

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Tank mates

The gold spot sailfin 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 gold spot sailfin pleco need?

A gold spot sailfin pleco needs at least 119 gal (450 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a gold spot sailfin pleco need?

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

What does a gold spot sailfin pleco eat?

A gold spot sailfin pleco grazes algae and takes sinking wafers, pellets and vegetables. A hungry adult will also strip a tank of soft plants.

How big does a gold spot sailfin pleco get?

An adult gold spot sailfin pleco reaches about 15.7 in (40 cm).

How does a gold spot sailfin pleco breed?

A gold spot sailfin pleco spawns in burrows that it digs into riverbanks in the wild. That is very hard to copy at home, so aquarium breeding is rare and rated hard.

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