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Encyclopedia / Catfish & Plecos / Flash pleco
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Variations

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Flash pleco

Panaqolus albivermis · Hypancistrus sp. L204, L204, L 204, L-204

Peaceful, territorial around caves, and best in a species tank with high flow.

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14 cmBody length, without tail ✓
25–29 °CTemperature ✓
6–7.5pH ✓
UnknownSmallest tank ?
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Tank mates
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Not recommended
  • They need different temperatures (25–29 °C vs 16–24 °C). No setting suits both.
Not recommended
  • They need different temperatures (25–29 °C vs 18–24 °C). No setting suits both.
Not recommended
  • White cloud mountain minnow needs cool water and makes a lot of waste, while Flash pleco is tropical.
  • They need different temperatures (25–29 °C vs 14–22 °C). No setting suits both.
With conditions
  • Only a narrow temperature range suits both: exactly 25 °C.
With conditions
  • Only a narrow temperature range suits both: 25–26 °C.
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible

249 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 ?Moderate
Diet Omnivore
Lifespan ?Unknown
Size in shops 3–6 cm
Growth Slow

Behavior

Peaceful, territorial around caves, and best in a species tank with high flow.

  • cave
  • current

Food

Algae wafers, blanched vegetables (courgette, cucumber), and driftwood to rasp; add some frozen or sinking protein.

Tap a food to see what it is.

Male or female

Males have a broader head and odontodes (bristles) on the rear of the body, behind the gill covers and on the pectoral-fin spines; these are much shorter in females.

Health

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

Breeding

Cave spawner · Hard

Cave spawner; plenty of water changes are the usual trigger. The female lays in the male's cave and the male guards the eggs alone. Fry graze soft wood and take pleco tablets once the yolk is used up.

Pairing

Grow out 6-8 juveniles and let a pair form; keep the group in a well-oxygenated, stable tank.

Setup

100-200 L tank with strong flow, many caves sized to the fish (PVC or ceramic tubes), and very clean, warm water.

What starts it

Cool water changes, increased flow and a seasonal drop in temperature, plus rich protein feeding.

Eggs

Up to about 70 eggs per clutch, guarded by the male in his cave. Hatch time not given in sources checked.

Raising the fry

Fry stay in the cave until the yolk is gone, then feed on sinking algae wafers, blanched veg and crushed flake. Keep nitrate low.

Common mistakes
  • Too few caves
  • Warm, stagnant water
  • Moving the male while he guards eggs
Full breeding guide, day-by-day plan and simulator →

Where it lives in the wild

RegionSouth America – Orinoco basin, Venezuela
Rivers and lakesMiddle Orinoco River
HabitatFast, warm, rocky river stretches
Native rangeAbout 300 km across
See it on the world map

The story of the flash pleco

A small Panaqolus from the Río San Alejandro (Ucayali drainage) in Peru, described in 2013. Juveniles are black with bold white stripes that break up into thin yellowish lines and spots with age (albivermis means 'white worm'). Like other Panaqolus it grazes wood, so driftwood is part of its diet.

This undescribed Hypancistrus became known in the hobby under the trade code L204 and the name 'flash pleco'. Like its relatives it hides among rocks in fast water and comes out to feed after dark. It has not yet received a formal scientific name.

  • The 'L-number' code system was started in 1988 by the German aquarium magazine DATZ to label undescribed plecos.
  • Hypancistrus plecos are omnivores that need meaty food as well as vegetable matter.
  • Males guard the eggs inside a cave until the fry hatch.

Sources

12 facts checked with sources