TankBud

Red fin cactus pleco

Pseudacanthicus pitanga

Also known as L024, Pitanga cactus pleco

FreshwaterFish

Red fin cactus pleco (Pseudacanthicus pitanga)
Imperial Tropicals · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature
77–84°F
25–29°C
pH
6.0–7.4
Adult size
13.8 in
35 cm
Minimum tank
119 gal
450 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Solitary
Swim level
Bottom
Diet
Carnivore
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Hard
Rarity
Rare
Family
Loricariidae
Origin
Rio Tocantins, Brazil

Overview

The red fin cactus pleco is a large, spiny pleco that patrols the bottom of a big tank by night. It is a step up from the easiest fish.

Did you know

The red fin cactus pleco takes its species name, pitanga, from the Tupi name for the Surinam cherry. That small tropical fruit ripens to a deep red, and the fish's fins settle to almost exactly that color.

Caring for the red fin cactus pleco

Give a red fin cactus pleco a tank of at least 119 gal (450 L), built around heavy, stable stonework. The rock should form a big cave system with caves large enough for an adult. Set it over sand, with open channels swept by current. Make the rockwork solid and secure, since this heavy fish shoulders decor around as it moves.

Keep the water warm, at 77 to 84°F (25 to 29°C), with a pH of 6.0 to 7.4. It needs strong flow and clean, well-oxygenated water.

Feed it as a carnivore, with sinking meaty foods such as prawn, mussel, bloodworm and quality carnivore pellets. Offer vegetables only now and then.

The red fin cactus pleco keeps its temper for its own kind, so keep just one per tank. It is calm toward fish it does not compete with, but it defends its patch fiercely against other plecos and bottom dwellers. Choose robust midwater tank mates and nothing that wants the same floor. Like others in its genus, it is bred only rarely, and captive spawning is rated hard.

Good to know

The red fin cactus pleco is one of the cactus plecos of the family Loricariidae. They are named for the rows of sharp odontodes that make the body rasp like sandpaper. It carries the trade code L024.

In the wild

The red fin cactus pleco lives among the rocky runs and caves of the Rio Tocantins in Brazil. The water there is warm, clear and flowing.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The red fin cactus 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 a red fin cactus pleco need?

A red fin cactus pleco needs at least 119 gal (450 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a red fin cactus pleco need?

A red fin cactus pleco is comfortable at 77–84°F (25–29°C) with a pH of 6.0–7.4.

What does a red fin cactus pleco eat?

A red fin cactus pleco is a carnivore. It eats sinking meaty foods such as prawn, mussel, bloodworm and quality carnivore pellets, with vegetables only now and then.

How big does a red fin cactus pleco get?

An adult red fin cactus pleco reaches about 13.8 in (35 cm).

Related species