TankBud

Snowball pleco (L102)

Hypancistrus inspector

Also known as L102, Snowball plec

FreshwaterFish

Snowball pleco (L102) (Hypancistrus inspector)
The Wet Spot Tropical Fish · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature
75–82°F
24–28°C
pH
5.5–7.5
Adult size
5.9 in
15 cm
Minimum tank
63 gal
240 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Solitary
Swim level
Bottom
Diet
Omnivore
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Cave spawner · Medium
Rarity
Common
Family
Loricariidae
Origin
Upper Rio Negro basin (Brazil) and Casiquiare/upper Orinoco drainage (Venezuela)

Overview

The snowball pleco (L102) is a nocturnal catfish for the bottom of a mature, well-oxygenated tank. It is best with a little experience.

Did you know

The snowball pleco (L102) takes its common name from the round white or cream spots scattered across its dark body. The spots tend to be largest and boldest on young fish, and they often shrink and fade with age. An old adult can look much plainer than the juvenile you bought.

Caring for the snowball pleco (L102)

Give a snowball pleco (L102) a mature tank of at least 63 gal (240 L). Furnish it with soft sand or fine gravel, smooth water-worn boulders and driftwood.

Keep the water at 75 to 82°F (24 to 28°C), with a pH of 5.5 to 7.5. It is a rapids fish that needs high oxygen, so add brisk flow and strong aeration. It produces a heavy waste load, so stay on top of water changes.

Feed it as an omnivore that leans toward meat. Offer frozen bloodworm, daphnia and mosquito larvae, sinking dried foods and some vegetables. It is not a real algae eater, so do not count on it to clean the tank.

The snowball pleco (L102) is solitary, so keep it singly. It is mostly peaceful toward other tank mates, but males fight over caves. If you keep more than one, give each fish a cave and plenty of broken sightlines. Never mix it with other Hypancistrus such as zebra L046, L333 or king tigers, because they hybridize readily.

It is a cave spawner, and the male guards the eggs and fry. Breeding is achievable but takes some work.

Good to know

The snowball pleco (L102), Hypancistrus inspector, is a catfish in the family Loricariidae. Like other plecos, it has a sucker mouth and bony armor plates rather than scales.

In the wild

The snowball pleco (L102) comes from fast, oxygen-rich blackwater rivers. Its range covers the upper Rio Negro of Brazil and the Casiquiare and upper Orinoco drainage in Venezuela. These are warm, soft, slightly acidic waters running over rock and sand.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The snowball pleco (L102) is a mostly 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 snowball pleco (L102) need?

A snowball pleco (L102) needs at least 63 gal (240 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a snowball pleco (L102) need?

A snowball pleco (L102) is comfortable at 75–82°F (24–28°C) with a pH of 5.5–7.5.

What does a snowball pleco (L102) eat?

A snowball pleco (L102) is an omnivore that leans toward meat. It eats frozen bloodworm, daphnia and mosquito larvae, sinking dried foods and some vegetables, but it is not a real algae eater.

How big does a snowball pleco (L102) get?

An adult snowball pleco (L102) reaches about 5.9 in (15 cm).

How does a snowball pleco (L102) breed?

The snowball pleco (L102) is a cave spawner, and the male guards the eggs and fry. Breeding it is achievable but takes some work.

Related species