L-75 ( medium size)

Peckoltia sabaji · Peaceful · Intermediate care

$50.00
You save

The L-75 para pleco — a handsomely striped South American suckermouth at a settled, confident medium size. A hardy driftwood grazer and characterful bottom-dweller for larger community tanks.

Out of stock

Ask on WhatsApp
SKU: l-75-medium-size
Intermediate care Peaceful Nocturnal bottom-dweller; territorial about caves with other plecos Bottom dweller

At a glance

Species profile Peckoltia sabaji

Origin

Rio Negro, Orinoco and Essequibo drainages, South America

Family

Loricariidae (suckermouth catfish family)

Adult size

Up to 20 cm (8 in)

Diet

Sinking pellets and wafers, frozen meaty foods (bloodworm), plus some vegetable matter (Omnivore)

Temperament

Peaceful

Swimming level

Bottom

Minimum group

1+ (shoaling)

Lifespan

10+ years

Minimum tank

200 L (55 gal) for an adult

Water type

Freshwater

Size to scale

Natural range

Where it comes from — South America

Rio Negro, Orinoco and Essequibo drainages, South America

Water

Singapore tap water vs its needs

pH 6–7.5 tap 8
Temperature 24°–28° tap 29°
Hardness (dGH) 2–15 tap 3

Hardness: Soft to medium (2-15 dGH).

Adjusting pH the natural way — Singapore tap water (pH ~8.0) sits above this fish's ideal. Soften and gently lower pH the natural way — driftwood, catappa (Indian almond) leaves or other botanicals. Skip chemical "pH-down".

In the aquarium

How it lives in the tank

Swims in the bottom of the tank

Gensou's take 3/5

Sensitivity Index — Moderate

Adaptable, but happiest with stable parameters in a matured tank.

Our own read on how forgiving this species is of water changes — not a formal standard.

Keeping & care

What this fish needs

Special care — Provide driftwood, one cave per pleco and warm, highly oxygenated water with strong filtration; most active after lights out.

Family

About the Loricariidae family suckermouth catfish family

Loricariidae are the armoured suckermouth catfishes — the plecos — a huge South American family clad in bony plates with a ventral sucker-mouth for grazing surfaces and holding station in current. They range from the tank-friendly bristlenose (Ancistrus) and dwarf 'L-number' plecos up to the massive common pleco that outgrows most tanks. Most are peaceful and nocturnal and appreciate driftwood to rasp on, though diets vary from algae to wood to protein by species.

Give plecos driftwood and caves, feed to their actual diet (algae wafers, vegetables, or protein/wood by species), and always check adult size — many sold small grow far too large for community tanks.

Breeding

Cave-spawner (male-guarded)

Many smaller plecos, especially bristlenose, are cave-spawners that breed readily: the female lays a clutch inside a snug cave or pleco log and the male guards and fans it until the yolk-sac fry emerge. Provide correctly-sized caves, good feeding and a cooler water change to trigger spawning; larger and fancy L-number plecos are progressively harder and some are rarely bred.

Compatibility

Best tankmates

Ignores midwater fish; keep with larger peaceful community species and give bottom-dwelling tankmates separate territories.