All fish / Loricariidae

Titan Pleco

Panaque titan

Also known as l418, titan panaque, shampupa panaque, panaque l418, titan royal pleco, パナクエ・タイタン, 泰坦皇冠豹

A large, heavy-bodied wood-eating pleco from the western Amazon, plain dark grey-brown with a tall dorsal fin, a lyre-shaped tail and the spoon-shaped teeth typical of Panaque. It was only scientifically described in 2010 and appeals to keepers who want an unusual, robust royal pleco relative.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

30 cm

Temperature

24 to 29 °C

pH

6 to 7.5

Smallest tank

500 litres

Keep as

Keep singly or in a very large tank with plenty of caves

Diet

Herbivore: bogwood, which it rasps, plus vegetables such as courgette, cucumber and sinking algae wafers

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

10 to 15 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Ecuador and Peru (upper Napo and Marañón basins, western Amazon)

Breeding

A cave spawner in which the male guards the eggs, but captive breeding has not been reliably reported and is unlikely in home aquariums.

Good to know

Grows large and produces a great deal of waste, so it needs a big tank with strong filtration and plenty of driftwood. Males are territorial towards other plecos and bottom dwellers.