TankBud

Volkswagen pleco

Panaque schaeferi

Also known as L203, L90C, Titanic panaque

FreshwaterFish

Volkswagen pleco (Panaque schaeferi)

Care at a glance

Temperature
77–84°F
25–29°C
pH
6.0–7.4
Adult size
23.6 in
60 cm
Minimum tank
264 gal
1,000 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Solitary
Swim level
Bottom
Diet
Omnivore
Difficulty
Difficult
Breeding
Hard
Rarity
Rare
Family
Loricariidae
Origin
Upper Amazon, Peru

Overview

The Volkswagen pleco is a giant, wood-eating catfish for a very large tank. It is only for experienced keepers.

Did you know

The hobby names the Volkswagen pleco after a car, and the joke undersells it. It is thought to be the largest of the wood-eating plecos. It kept growing well past its cute juvenile stage long before science formally described it in 2010.

Caring for the Volkswagen pleco

The Volkswagen pleco is a huge fish that needs a tank of at least 264 gal (1,000 L). Fill it with large driftwood over a sand base, as both food and cover.

Keep the water warm and soft to neutral, at 77 to 84°F (25 to 29°C) and a pH of 6.0 to 7.4. Give it strong flow with high oxygen. It is a messy fish with a heavy waste load, so run very strong filtration and do frequent water changes.

It lives on the bottom, rasping at driftwood and grazing surfaces, and it needs a lot of wood to gnaw. Add sinking vegetables, algae wafers and some protein foods.

It is peaceful toward other fish but best kept singly, since adults can be territorial with their own kind. Give it big, calm tank mates rather than anything small enough to be bothered by a fish this large. Breeding it in home tanks is hard, given its size.

Good to know

Panaque schaeferi is an armored catfish in the family Loricariidae. It rasps wood with spoon-shaped teeth, but it feeds mainly on the microorganisms and film on the bark. It does not digest the wood itself, and its droppings look like sawdust.

In the wild

The Volkswagen pleco comes from big rivers of the upper Amazon, especially the Solimoes and its tributaries in Peru. It grazes and gnaws submerged wood from fallen trees there.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The Volkswagen 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 Volkswagen pleco need?

A Volkswagen pleco needs at least 264 gal (1,000 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a Volkswagen pleco need?

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

What does a Volkswagen pleco eat?

A Volkswagen pleco needs a lot of driftwood to gnaw. Feed it sinking vegetables, algae wafers and some protein foods as well.

How big does a Volkswagen pleco get?

An adult Volkswagen pleco reaches about 23.6 in (60 cm).

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