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Imperial ranger pleco

Pterygoplichthys punctatus

Also known as Punctatus sailfin pleco

FreshwaterFish

Imperial ranger pleco (Pterygoplichthys punctatus)
The Wet Spot Tropical Fish · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature
77–84°F
25–29°C
pH
6.0–7.4
Adult size
13 in
33 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
Madeira basin, Brazil and Bolivia

Overview

The imperial ranger pleco is a big, hardy sailfin pleco with a well-earned janitor reputation. It is easy to care for.

Did you know

The imperial ranger pleco, like other sailfins, carries ten or more rays in its big dorsal fin. A common pleco has only about seven or eight, so counting the rays tells the two apart.

Caring for the imperial ranger pleco

Plan around the imperial ranger pleco's size from the day you buy the small, spotted juvenile. Give it a large tank of at least 119 gal (450 L), with driftwood, open sand and open floor.

It is undemanding about water 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, since a fish this size is a heavy feeder and a heavy waste producer.

It grazes algae and takes vegetables, sinking wafers and pellets. A big adult can flatten soft plants.

Keep it singly, since it has no need for its own kind. It is peaceful with tank mates and suits large, calm community fish. In the wild it spawns in burrows dug into riverbanks. That is very hard to set up at home, so breeding is rated hard.

Good to know

Pterygoplichthys punctatus is a loricariid, also sold as the punctatus sailfin pleco. It is light brown to gray and covered in small dark spots.

In the wild

The imperial ranger pleco comes from the Madeira basin of Brazil and Bolivia. It works slow, warm stretches of lowland river.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The imperial ranger 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 an imperial ranger pleco need?

An imperial ranger pleco needs at least 119 gal (450 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does an imperial ranger pleco need?

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

What does an imperial ranger pleco eat?

An imperial ranger pleco grazes algae and takes vegetables, sinking wafers and pellets. It is a heavy feeder, and a big adult can flatten soft plants.

How big does an imperial ranger pleco get?

An adult imperial ranger pleco reaches about 13 in (33 cm).

How does an imperial ranger pleco breed?

An imperial ranger pleco spawns in burrows dug into riverbanks in the wild. That is very hard to set up at home, so breeding it is rated hard.

Related species