Clown pleco

Overview

The clown pleco (Panaqolus maccus) is a small, beautifully striped catfish that stays around 8–10 cm — a rare pleco that genuinely fits a mid-sized tank for life. Its defining trait is that it eats wood: it rasps on and digests driftwood, so a piece of soft wood is essential rather than optional. Peaceful, secretive and long-lived, it is a characterful choice for keepers who can give it the driftwood and hiding spots it needs.

Tank & water

A single clown pleco suits 75 litres (20 gallons) or more. Keep it warm at 23–28 °C with a good filter and well-oxygenated water.

• Driftwood is essential: provide soft driftwood to rasp on — it is both food and shelter.
• Caves and cover: they are shy, so add caves and shade.
• Wood makes mess: rasped wood and waste mean regular maintenance is important.

Feeding

The clown pleco is a wood-grazing herbivore. Alongside driftwood, feed sinking algae wafers and blanched vegetables — courgette, cucumber and de-shelled peas — with only occasional protein. See the fish food hub and our best fish food picks. Feed in the evening, as it is most active after dark. The driftwood does more than shelter the fish: rasping on soft wood provides fibre its digestion depends on, so keep at least one good-sized piece in the tank at all times and replace it as it slowly wears down.

Tankmates

Peaceful and reclusive, the clown pleco suits calm communities — tetras, rasboras, corydoras, gouramis and cherry shrimp. It largely keeps to itself among the driftwood. Give it space from other territorial plecos; it coexists calmly with the bristlenose in a larger tank and with peaceful loaches like the kuhli.

Frequently asked questions

The clown pleco is a small, striking, long-lived catfish for keepers who provide plenty of driftwood. Give it wood, caves and warm, clean water and it will settle in for a decade or more.