Banded Leporinus
Leporinus fasciatus
Anostomidae
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About
The banded leporinus is a 30 cm river fish sold as a 5 cm bar of yellow and black, and every reason it fails in a community tank arrives later. FishBase records 37 cm total length, and Seriously Fish puts the smallest sensible home at a 210 x 60 cm base. It comes from fast, rocky stretches of the Amazon and Orinoco, swims hard all day and genuinely needs that length. Two habits come with the size. It nips fins. Seriously Fish never mentions the habit, but the retailers who actually sell the fish do: LiveAquaria writes that it is 'usually quite peaceful with other species, though it may nip fins'. Hobby experience is consistent that long trailing fins are what it goes for, so angelfish, gouramis and fancy goldfish are the wrong company. And it eats plants: soft-leaved species vanish and tough ones are shredded, which is not vandalism but the normal behaviour of an omnivore whose wild diet is fruit, seeds and aufwuchs. Anostomids are also prodigious jumpers, and a leporinus will find the one gap in a lid you were sure was closed. One last thing before you count stripes on a shop label: Seriously Fish warns that several species in the genus look alike and that this one is frequently confused with Leporinus affinis, separated on the scale rows above the lateral line (6-7½ against 8-9) and on the bars themselves, eight to ten broad inclined bars against eight transverse bands. It also travels under the name eight-banded leporinus.
Care
Plan a river tank, not a community tank: a 210 x 60 cm base, strong flow, high oxygen, smooth rounded rock and bogwood, and no plants you would miss. Keep one specimen or a group of six or more — two to five is the worst possible number, because the whole pecking order then lands on the weakest fish. Never house it with long-finned or slow-moving tankmates. Fish under about 6 cm are eventually eaten. A heavy, fully closing lid is not optional. Feed a vegetable-led diet and avoid high-protein staples.
Diet
Vegetable-led benthic omnivore. Blanched courgette, spinach and cucumber, spirulina flakes and vegetable pellets, with bloodworm or earthworm only occasionally. High-protein foods are best avoided.
Tankmate compatibility
Possible with care (336)
Avoid (82)
Computed by the AquaSage engine for a spacious reference tank — always check the full verdict for your exact setup in the calculator.
Telling males from females
There is no reliable way to sex this species by eye. That is the honest answer, not a gap in our data.
All the methods, with diagramsSimilar species
Same category and the closest water parameters — if this species isn't quite it, start here.
Sold in Lithuania
These Lithuanian shops listed this species in their public catalogue (checked August 8, 2026). Stock moves — ask before you travel.
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Frequently asked questions
- What tank size does a Banded Leporinus need?
- A Banded Leporinus needs an aquarium of at least 700 litres (184.9 US gallons) with a footprint at least 210 cm (82.7 in) long — for this species, swimming length matters as much as raw volume.
- What water parameters does a Banded Leporinus need?
- Banded Leporinus does best at 20–28 °C (68–82.4 °F), pH 5.5–7.5 and a general hardness of 2–20 °dGH.
- Is the Banded Leporinus suitable for beginners?
- Banded Leporinus is a demanding species best attempted with some experience — it needs stable, closely watched conditions to thrive.