Iquitos tiger pleco

Panaqolus changae

Also known as L226, Chang's tiger pleco

FreshwaterFish

Iquitos tiger pleco (Panaqolus changae) — 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: 3.9 in (10 cm)
Minimum tank: 42 gal (160 L)
Temperament: Peaceful
Social behavior: Solitary
Swim level: Bottom
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: Medium
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Itaya and Nanay basins, Peru
Family: Loricariidae

Overview

This is a compact, wood-rasping tiger pleco, best kept singly since it does not seek out its own kind and can be scrappy over a favorite piece of wood. It is peaceful toward other fish and keeps to the shade by day, coming out to feed after dark. The heart of its care is real driftwood, which it rasps and feeds on constantly, plus vegetables and the occasional sinking wafer. Keep it with small, calm community fish. Plan on a tank of at least 160 liters, packed with driftwood and shaded caves.

In the wild

It lives in the Itaya and Nanay basins near Iquitos in Peru, warm blackwater tributaries stained by tannins and littered with sunken wood. Recreate that with abundant driftwood, a dim tank, leaf litter, and soft, warm water. Keep it around 25 to 29 C with a pH of 6.0 to 7.4, and give it gentle, clean flow.

Good to know

Panaqolus changae is a loricariid that reaches about 10 centimeters, marked with fine ochre and brown pinstripes, and sold as L226. It is a wood-rasper with the spoon-shaped teeth of its genus. The species is named for Fonchii Chang, a Peruvian ichthyologist. It is a cave spawner of moderate breeding difficulty, and the male guards the eggs.

Did you know

It honors Fonchii Chang, a Peruvian ichthyologist who drowned during fieldwork in 1999 at the age of thirty-six. Several fish species now carry her name, this small striped pleco among them.