Pongo characin

Parodon cf. pongoensis

Also known as Parodon pongoensis, Pongo darter

FreshwaterFish

Pongo characin (Parodon cf. pongoensis) — The Wet Spot Tropical Fish · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature: 72–79°F (22–26°C)
pH: 6.0–7.5
Adult size: 3.9 in (10 cm)
Minimum tank: 30 gal (112 L)
Temperament: Mostly peaceful
Social behavior: Shoaling
Swim level: Bottom
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: No record
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Andean foothill streams of Peru
Family: Parodontidae

Overview

The Pongo characin is a hillstream-style grazer that clings to rock in fast water and works best in a shoal, so keep five or more together. It spends its time on the bottom, propped on its fins and scraping algae and biofilm from stone, and it needs strong current and high oxygen to stay healthy. It is peaceful with tankmates but busy and quick, suited to a tank of around 112 liters with open, rocky ground and brisk flow. Pair it with other fish that enjoy cool, moving water rather than still, warm tanks. It grazes aufwuchs but will also accept algae wafers, vegetable-based foods, and small frozen items once settled.

In the wild

This characin lives in fast Andean foothill streams on the Peruvian side of the upper Amazon, clear water tumbling over rock and gravel with plenty of oxygen. It grazes the thin algae and biofilm coating the stones. Recreate that with warm but well-oxygenated water from about 22 to 26 C and a slightly acidic to neutral pH between roughly 6.0 and 7.5. A hillstream layout of smooth boulders, pebbles, and sand with strong flow from a powerhead or oversized filter fits it, and bright light helps grow the algae film it feeds on.

Good to know

Parodon pongoensis is a scrape-toothed characin of the family Parodontidae, reaching around 10 centimeters, with a slim body and an underslung mouth of spade-shaped teeth for rasping rock. It was described from a brook near the Pongo de Manseriche, a river gorge in Peru. Imported fish match it closely but not certainly, so the trade sells them as cf. pongoensis. There is no aquarium breeding record, and stock is wild caught.

Did you know

The fish is named after the Pongo de Manseriche, a dramatic gorge where the Maranon River carves through the last Andean ridge before spreading out into the Amazon lowlands.

Tank mates

Pongo characin is a mostly peaceful, shoaling species that keeps to the bottom. These picks match on water type, temperature, pH, size and temperament.