TankBud

Red fin thresher pleco

Aphanotorulus emarginatus

Also known as Squaliforma emarginata, L011, L035, L108

FreshwaterFish

Red fin thresher pleco (Aphanotorulus emarginatus)
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
13.4 in
34 cm
Minimum tank
119 gal
450 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Solitary
Swim level
Bottom
Diet
Omnivore
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Hard
Rarity
Rare
Family
Loricariidae
Origin
Orinoco and Guiana Shield rivers

Overview

The red fin thresher pleco is a big, active, cruising pleco shaped like a request for a longer tank. It patrols the bottom and lower water, and it suits a keeper with a little experience.

Did you know

The red fin thresher pleco's old genus name, Squaliforma, means shark-shaped, and the thresher in its common name is a shark too. It is really a mild suckermouth grazer doing a convincing impression of a predator built for open water.

Caring for the red fin thresher pleco

Give the red fin thresher pleco at least 119 gal (450 L), in a long tank with open swimming room. Lay a sand floor with some rounded stones and wood for cover, and leave clear lanes to cruise. Space and current matter more than any single decor choice.

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 current and high oxygen, so filter heavily and keep the water clean and briskly moving.

Feed it as an omnivore that leans to vegetables. Offer blanched zucchini, spinach and algae wafers, with modest protein from sinking pellets and occasional frozen foods.

The red fin thresher pleco is solitary and best kept one to a tank, since adults are territorial toward their own kind. It is peaceful toward other fish and suits spacious communities of robust midwater species. It is large and riverine and seldom bred in aquariums, so captive spawning is rated hard.

Good to know

The red fin thresher pleco, Aphanotorulus emarginatus, is a member of the family Loricariidae with a long, slender, streamlined frame. It reaches the trade under several codes, including L011, L035 and L108.

In the wild

The red fin thresher pleco ranges through big rivers of the Orinoco and Guiana Shield. It roams flowing, highly oxygenated water over sand scattered with rock.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The red fin thresher 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 thresher pleco need?

A red fin thresher 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 thresher pleco need?

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

What does a red fin thresher pleco eat?

A red fin thresher pleco is an omnivore that leans to vegetables. It eats blanched zucchini, spinach and algae wafers, plus a modest amount of protein from sinking pellets and occasional frozen foods.

How big does a red fin thresher pleco get?

An adult red fin thresher pleco reaches about 13.4 in (34 cm).

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