TankBud

Polka dot pleco

Spectracanthicus zuanoni

Also known as L020, Zuanoni pleco

FreshwaterFish

Care at a glance

Temperature
79–86°F (26–30°C)
pH
6.0–7.2
Adult size
5.1 in (13 cm)
Minimum tank
79 gal (300 L)
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Solitary
Swim level
Bottom
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Hard
Rarity
Rare
Origin
Rio Xingu, Brazil
Family
Loricariidae

Overview

The polka dot pleco is a small to medium Spectracanthicus, dark with bold cream spots, and a solitary, territorial fish for its size. Keep one to a tank, or a small group only if every fish has its own cave and space, since crowding without shelter leads to injuries. It stays on the bottom among rock and is peaceful toward midwater tankmates. Feed it as an omnivore that leans vegetable: algae wafers and blanched courgette or cucumber, plus sinking pellets and occasional meaty frozen foods. It needs warm, fast, oxygen-rich water, so filter strongly and allow a tank of around 300 liters, which gives a single adult ample room.

In the wild

Spectracanthicus zuanoni comes from the Rio Xingu near Altamira in Para, Brazil, living in fast, clear, oxygen-rich water among rock and boulder. Recreate that with a scape of stacked smooth stone forming caves and shaded gaps, set over sand and swept by strong current. Keep the water warm at 26 to 30 C and around pH 6.0 to 7.2, clean and turbulent, driven by heavy filtration or a circulation pump. High oxygen is as important as warmth in the rapids it calls home.

Good to know

Spectracanthicus zuanoni was described in 2014 and honours the Amazon ecologist Jansen Zuanon. A member of Loricariidae, it is a modest fish, reaching only about 13 centimeters, patterned in bold cream dots on a near-black ground and carrying the trade code L020. It has been spawned in aquaria, but only under demanding conditions of warm, fast, highly oxygenated water and caves, so breeding is rated hard.

Did you know

The name honours Jansen Zuanon, a Brazilian ecologist who has spent decades studying Amazon fishes. It is fitting that a spotted rapids-dweller from the Xingu should carry the name of someone who worked to understand exactly those waters.

Tank mates

Polka dot pleco is a peaceful, solitary species that keeps to the bottom. These picks match on water type, temperature, pH, size and temperament.

Check the full mix in the stocking calculator

Common questions

What size tank does a Polka dot pleco need?

A Polka dot pleco needs at least 79 gal (300 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH do Polka dot pleco need?

Polka dot pleco are comfortable at 79–86°F (26–30°C) with a pH of 6.0–7.2.

How big do Polka dot pleco get?

An adult Polka dot pleco reaches about 5.1 in (13 cm).

Where to buy

Some links may not be the exact species or variety.

…or ask your local fish store.

Appears in

Freshwater fish · Plecos · Community fish · Bottom dwellers

Keeping Polka dot pleco?

Track water tests, reminders and stocking fit.

Sign in or Track your tanks →

Planning tankmates

See how Polka dot pleco fits a stocking plan. Open the stocking calculator

Add to your site

Show this species on your own site: a shortcode for WordPress, or an HTML embed for anywhere else.

WordPress shortcodeAbout the plugin
HTML embedAbout the embed

Related species