All fish / Loricariidae

Purus dwarf pleco

Panaqolus purusiensis

Also known as purus panaque, panaque purusiensis, purus tiger pleco, dwarf panaque

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This is a small panaque-type suckermouth catfish with a stocky, armoured body and dark bands on a brown to tan background. Keepers like it because it stays fairly small, has striking banding, and scrapes driftwood like the much bigger Panaque species do.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

12 cm

Temperature

24 to 28 °C

pH

6 to 7.5

Smallest tank

100 litres

Keep as

Singly or in a group with plenty of caves; males defend territory

Diet

Omnivore: wood-grazer needing driftwood, plus vegetables such as courgette and cucumber, algae wafers and some frozen foods

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

10 to 15 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Upper Amazon basin: Rio Purus drainage in Brazil and Peru

Breeding

It spawns in caves, and the male guards the eggs and wrigglers until they become free-swimming. Captive breeding is uncommon and needs mature fish, suitable caves and clean, warm, well-oxygenated water.

Good to know

Give it driftwood to graze and a sizeable, well-filtered tank, because it produces a lot of waste. Males can be territorial towards other bottom-dwellers, and similar banded Panaqolus species with L-numbers are often sold under mixed-up names.