TankBud

Rhino pleco

Pterygoplichthys scrophus

Also known as L056a rhino, Chocolate rhino pleco

FreshwaterFish

Rhino pleco (Pterygoplichthys scrophus)

Care at a glance

Temperature
77–84°F
25–29°C
pH
6.0–7.4
Adult size
12.6 in
32 cm
Minimum tank
119 gal
450 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Solitary
Swim level
Bottom
Difficulty
Easy
Breeding
Hard
Rarity
Rare
Family
Loricariidae
Origin
Marañón and Ucayali basins, Peru

Overview

The rhino pleco is a large, peaceful sailfin that patrols the bottom of a big tank. It is a hardy fish and easy to keep.

Did you know

The rhino pleco has raised ridges above its nostrils, right where a rhinoceros carries its horn. A bony crest runs back along the skull, and that profile gives the fish its name. The face looks less like a fish than something drawn on a cave wall.

Caring for the rhino pleco

The rhino pleco grows to furniture size, so plan for a tank of at least 119 gal (450 L) from the start. It is undemanding about decor but appreciates large driftwood and some cover over sand, with open room to move.

Keep it warm, at 77 to 84°F (25 to 29°C), with a pH of 6.0 to 7.4, a broad range it tolerates well. Water quality and volume matter more than fine-tuning chemistry. Its appetite and waste load call for strong filtration.

It eats mostly plant matter. Feed algae wafers, sinking pellets and blanched vegetables such as zucchini, with driftwood to graze.

The rhino pleco is solitary and best kept one to a tank. It ignores midwater tank mates and suits large, robust communities. Sailfin plecos spawn in burrows dug into riverbanks, which home aquariums cannot provide, so captive breeding is rated hard.

Good to know

The rhino pleco, Pterygoplichthys scrophus, is a sailfin pleco of the family Loricariidae. It carries the tall, many-rayed dorsal fin the sailfin group is known for.

In the wild

The rhino pleco comes from the Marañón and Ucayali basins of Peru. It lives in slow rivers and floodplain lakes over soft bottoms, in calm, slightly murky water.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The rhino 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 rhino pleco need?

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

What temperature and pH does a rhino pleco need?

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

What does a rhino pleco eat?

A rhino pleco eats mostly plant matter. Give it algae wafers, blanched zucchini and other vegetables, sinking pellets and driftwood to graze.

How big does a rhino pleco get?

An adult rhino pleco reaches about 12.6 in (32 cm).

How does a rhino pleco breed?

Like other sailfin plecos, the rhino pleco spawns in burrows dug into riverbanks. Home aquariums cannot provide those burrows, so captive breeding is rated hard.

Related species