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Encyclopedia / Catfish & Plecos / Clown pleco
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Variations

1 kinds · tap one for a closer look

Clown pleco

Panaqolus maccus · L104, L162

Peaceful.

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9 cmBody length, without tail ✓
23–28 °CTemperature ✓
6.8–7.6pH ✓
57 LSmallest tank ✓
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Tank mates
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Not recommended
  • White cloud mountain minnow needs cool water and makes a lot of waste, while Clown pleco is tropical.
  • They need different temperatures (23–28 °C vs 14–22 °C). No setting suits both.
Not recommended
  • Giant gourami eats animals up to about 10 cm. Clown pleco only grows to 9 cm.
Not recommended
  • They need different temperatures (23–28 °C vs 10–22 °C). No setting suits both.
With conditions
  • Only a narrow pH range suits both: 6.8–7.
With conditions
  • Only a narrow pH range suits both: 6.8–7.
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible

292 species in our list are a good match.

Facts checked against sources on 16 Oct 2026. ✓ means a source backs it; ? means no reliable source yet. See sources

Care and water

Hardness ?Unknown
Group size ?Can live alone
Temperament ✓Peaceful
Swims at ?Bottom
Care level ?Easy
Diet Herbivore
Lifespan ?Unknown
Size in shops 3–4 cm
Growth Slow

Behavior

Peaceful.

  • wood

Food

Driftwood, vegetables, wafers.

Tap a food to see what it is.

Male or female

Mature males grow noticeable odontodes (bristles) along the back and longer cheek odontodes in the breeding season, and have a small pointed genital papilla; females have a large, rounded papilla.

Health

Common problems. Tap one to see the signs. This is a guide, not a diagnosis.

Breeding

Cave spawner · Hard

Cave spawner: give several spawning caves (PVC or slate) among driftwood.

Pairing

Keep a group of 4-6 with wood and caves. Pairs form slowly.

Setup

A 20 gallon (75 L) tank with wood and small tubes, 24-28 C.

What starts it

Warm clean water and fresh wood. Males guard a cave.

Eggs

10-30 eggs; hatch in 4-8 days.

Raising the fry

Male guards the eggs. Feed baby brine shrimp and veg. Fry grow slowly.

Common mistakes
  • No wood in the tank
  • Not enough hiding places
  • Poor diet
Full breeding guide, day-by-day plan and simulator →

Where it lives in the wild

RegionOrinoco basin – Venezuela & Colombia
Rivers and lakesRio Apure and other Orinoco tributaries
HabitatSlow rivers with submerged wood
Native rangeAbout 500 km across
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The story of the clown pleco

A small (under 9 cm SL), peaceful wood-eating pleco that needs driftwood in the tank and suits community tanks. Its name maccus is Latin for clown or buffoon.

Scott Schaefer and Donald Stewart described the clown pleco in 1993, originally in the genus Panaque. It had already reached aquarists under L-numbers such as L104 and L162. Its small size and striped pattern make it a popular wood-grazing pleco for community tanks.

First described by Scott A. Schaefer & Donald J. Stewart in 1993.

  • It stays under 10 cm.
  • It eats wood and needs driftwood.
  • It was traded as L104 and L162.

Sources

11 facts checked with sources