Spotted tiger pleco

Care at a glance

Overview

The spotted tiger pleco is a small, community-friendly Peckoltia that settles quickly. It suits a keeper with a little experience.

Caring for the spotted tiger pleco

Give a single adult spotted tiger pleco a tank of at least 42 gal (160 L). Furnish it with driftwood and rock arranged into caves and shaded gaps, over sand. It wants cover to feel secure, and adults claim a home stone.

Keep the water warm and clean, at 77 to 84°F (25 to 29°C) and a pH of 6.0 to 7.4. It is adaptable about exact chemistry. Give it moderate flow, enough to keep the water fresh and oxygenated.

Feed it as an omnivore, with sinking pellets and wafers and blanched vegetables such as zucchini. Add regular frozen foods like bloodworm.

The spotted tiger pleco is solitary, so keep one to a tank. Keep a small group only in a larger tank with a cave for each. It works the bottom by night and is peaceful toward midwater tank mates.

Breeding it is of moderate difficulty. A male holds a narrow cave, and the female lays her eggs inside. He guards the clutch until the fry can fend for themselves.

Good to know

Peckoltia brevis is a member of the family Loricariidae, with dark saddles across a tan body. Its species name, brevis, is Latin for short.

In the wild

Peckoltia brevis lives among wood snags and rock in tributaries of the upper Amazon, in Brazil and Peru. The water there is warm and gently flowing.

Common questions

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