TankBud

Spiny monster pleco

Pseudacanthicus spinosus

Also known as L160, Coffee and cream cactus pleco

FreshwaterFish

Spiny monster pleco (Pseudacanthicus spinosus)

Care at a glance

Temperature
77–84°F
25–29°C
pH
6.0–7.4
Adult size
11.8 in
30 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
Lower Amazon tributaries, Brazil

Overview

The spiny monster pleco is a large, thorn-armored carnivore for a big, rocky tank. It is best kept by someone with a little experience.

Did you know

Every row of scutes along the spiny monster pleco's body carries backward-hooked thorns of hardened odontodes. Handling one with bare hands is a mistake most keepers make exactly once, and after that they reach for a net.

Caring for the spiny monster pleco

Give a spiny monster pleco a tank of at least 119 gal (450 L), with a sand floor and strong flow. Build large, secure stonework into a big cave an adult can back into, with open channels swept by current. The rockwork must be heavy and stable, since a fish this size and strength will shift anything that is not.

Keep the water clean and well oxygenated, at 77 to 84°F (25 to 29°C) and a pH of 6.0 to 7.4. Feed it as a carnivore, with sinking meaty foods such as prawn, mussel and bloodworm. Add quality carnivore pellets, and offer vegetables only occasionally.

Keep just one per tank, since like the rest of its genus it holds a cave and defends it against its own kind. It patrols the floor by night and is otherwise peaceful toward fish it does not compete with. Choose sturdy midwater tank mates rather than other bottom dwellers it would fight. It is bred only occasionally in aquariums, and captive spawning is hard.

Good to know

Pseudacanthicus spinosus is the type species of its genus, the cactus plecos of Loricariidae. The genus is named for the rows of sharp odontodes that stud the body. It carries the code L160, and its species name means spiny. Running a hand along its flank makes the reason obvious.

In the wild

The spiny monster pleco keeps to rocky runs in tributaries of the lower Amazon in Brazil. The water there is warm, clear and flowing.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The spiny monster 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 spiny monster pleco need?

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

What temperature and pH does a spiny monster pleco need?

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

What does a spiny monster pleco eat?

A spiny monster pleco is a carnivore that eats sinking meaty foods such as prawn, mussel and bloodworm. Give it quality carnivore pellets as well, with vegetables only occasionally.

How big does a spiny monster pleco get?

An adult spiny monster pleco reaches about 11.8 in (30 cm).

Related species