Red bruno pleco

Hypostomus soniae

Also known as L137, Blue-eyed red pleco

FreshwaterFish

Care at a glance

Temperature: 77–84°F (25–29°C)
pH: 6.0–7.2
Adult size: 7.9 in (20 cm)
Minimum tank: 79 gal (300 L)
Temperament: Peaceful
Social behavior: Solitary
Swim level: Bottom
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: Hard
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Rio Tapajós, Brazil
Family: Loricariidae

Overview

The red bruno pleco is a colourful Hypostomus with rust-red fins and pale blue eyes, a peaceful but substantial fish that wants space and clean water. It is solitary and best kept one to a tank, since it can be territorial toward other plecos. It stays on the bottom and ignores midwater tankmates, so pair it with roomy community fish rather than delicate nano species. As an omnivore with a big appetite it needs driftwood to graze plus blanched vegetables, sinking wafers, and some meaty frozen foods, backed by strong filtration and frequent water changes for its heavy waste. Allow a tank of around 300 liters.

In the wild

Hypostomus soniae comes from the clear waters of the Rio Tapajos in Brazil, grazing over rock and submerged wood. Furnish the tank with driftwood and rounded stones that offer cover and grazing surface, over sand, with open lanes to patrol. Keep it warm at 25 to 29 C and in the soft to neutral band, around pH 6.0 to 7.2, and hold water quality high with strong filtration and regular changes. Good flow and oxygen suit a fish from a clear, briskly moving river.

Good to know

Hypostomus soniae is a member of the large pleco genus Hypostomus, within Loricariidae, reaching around 20 centimeters and sometimes more. It stands out from its mostly plain brown relatives with cinnamon-red fins and striking pale blue eyes, which is why the trade named it twice, as the red bruno and the blue-eyed red pleco, under the code L137. Like most big Hypostomus it is rarely bred in aquaria, and captive spawning is considered hard.

Did you know

Most Hypostomus are plain brown and easy to overlook. This one breaks the pattern so thoroughly, with red fins over pale blue eyes, that the trade gave it two separate common names for the very same fish.