What tank size does a Clown Pleco need?

A Clown Pleco needs an aquarium of at least 75 litres (19.8 US gallons) with a footprint at least 60 cm (23.6 in) long — for this species, swimming length matters as much as raw volume.

What water parameters does a Clown Pleco need?

Clown Pleco does best at 22–28 °C (71.6–82.4 °F), pH 6–7.8 and a general hardness of 2–15 °dGH.

Is the Clown Pleco suitable for beginners?

Clown Pleco sits in the middle of the difficulty scale — manageable for a careful beginner who has done the reading, but it has specific needs worth researching first.

Species library

Clown Pleco

Panaqolus maccus

Loricariidae

FishDifficulty: ●●●○○Data: well-established

Clown Pleco — Panaqolus maccus — 📷 source not recorded

About

The clown pleco is a small, wood-eating loricariid catfish from the Apure and Caroni river basins of Venezuela and Colombia, where it lives among submerged driftwood tangles. Nocturnal and undemanding, it stays under 10 cm and suits established community tanks, but it genuinely requires soft driftwood to rasp as a dietary staple. It is peaceful toward tankmates yet territorial with other plecos, so provide a cave of its own and plenty of shaded hiding places.

Care

Give a mature tank with soft driftwood to graze, caves for shelter, gentle to moderate flow and soft, slightly acidic to neutral water. Peaceful and largely plant-safe, but house one per tank unless caves and space are generous, as it is territorial with other plecos. Feed after lights-out.

Diet

Obligate wood-rasper: driftwood is a dietary requirement, not just decor. Round out with sinking algae/spirulina wafers and blanched vegetables, and offer protein only sparingly.

Tankmate compatibility

Gets along with (79)

African Butterfly Cichlid Agassiz's Cory Angelfish Bamboo Shrimp Banjo Catfish Betta (Siamese Fighting Fish)Black Neon Tetra Black Phantom Tetra Black Ruby Barb Blackline Rasbora Bleeding Heart Tetra Blood Parrot Cichlid Bloodfin Tetra Blue Velvet Shrimp Bolivian Ram Brichard's Teleogramma Bristlenose Pleco Bronze Corydoras Cherry Barb Cherry Shrimp Chinese Algae Eater Chocolate Cichlid Cockatoo Dwarf Cichlid Congo Tetra Diamond Tetra Dwarf Chain Loach Dwarf Flag Cichlid Dwarf Gourami Dwarf Neon Rainbowfish Elephantnose Fish Emerald Cory Emperor Tetra Featherfin Squeaker Glowlight Tetra Golden Dwarf Cichlid Golden Pencilfish Golden Tetra Golden Wonder Killifish Harlequin Rasbora Head-and-Tail-Light Tetra Honey Gourami Keyhole Cichlid Kribensis Lemon Tetra Little Corydoras Moonlight Gourami Otocinclus Peaceful Betta Pearl Gourami Penguin Tetra Pictus Catfish Polka Dot Loach Purple Emperor Tetra Pygmy Corydoras Rainbow Shark Red Whiptail Catfish Red-Tail Shark Rosy Tetra Scissortail Rasbora Serpae Tetra Siamese Algae Eater Silver Tip Tetra Skunk Cory Sparkling Gourami Sterbai Corydoras Striped Kribensis Striped Raphael Catfish Sveni Eartheater Thai Micro Crab Thick-lipped Gourami Threadfin Acara Threadfin Rainbowfish Three-spot Gourami Tiger Barb Upside-down Catfish Vampire Shrimp Venezuelan Cory X-ray Tetra Yoyo Loach

Possible with care (141)

Acei Cichlid African Butterflyfish Agassiz's Dwarf Cichlid Altum Angelfish Amano Shrimp Assassin Snail Auratus Cichlid Black Skirt Tetra Bladder Snail Blue Acara Blue Dolphin Cichlid Blue Tiger Shrimp Boesemani Rainbowfish Borleyi (Redfin Hap)Borneo Sucker Brevis Shell Dweller Buenos Aires Tetra Buffalohead Cichlid Bumblebee Cichlid Bumblebee Goby Butterfly Hillstream Loach Cardinal Tetra Celebes Rainbowfish Celestial Pearl Danio Checkerboard Cichlid Checkered Barb Chili Rasbora Chocolate Gourami Clown Killifish Cobalt Blue Zebra Cochu's Blue Tetra Colombian Ramshorn Snail Congo Dwarf Cichlid Convict Cichlid Crystal Red Shrimp Cylindricus Cichlid Demasoni Cichlid Denison Barb Discus Doctor Fish Dogtooth Cichlid Dojo (Weather) Loach Dwarf Orange Crayfish Dwarf Pea Puffer Dwarf Petricola Catfish Dwarf Rasbora Electric Blue Ahli Electric Yellow Lab Ellioti Cichlid Elongate Mbuna Ember Tetra Endler's Livebearer Even-spotted Synodontis Festivum (Flag Cichlid)Figure-8 Puffer Firemouth Cichlid Five-bar Cichlid Flame Tetra Forktail Rainbowfish Freshwater Clam German Blue Ram Ghost Shrimp Glass Catfish Glowlight Danio Gold Barb Golden Julie Green Discus Green Neon Tetra Guppy Heckel Discus Hongi Cichlid Jack Dempsey Japanese Trapdoor Snail Jewel Cichlid Johanni Cichlid Julii Cory Kenyi Cichlid Kissing Gourami Kuhli Loach Lambchop Rasbora Least Killifish Lemon Cichlid Leopard Danio Livingstoni Macmasteri Dwarf Cichlid Maingano Cichlid Malaysian Trumpet Snail Marble Hatchetfish Marlieri Cichlid Medaka Ricefish Multifasciatus Shell Dweller Mystery Snail Neon Tetra Nerite Snail Ocellatus Shell Dweller Odessa Barb Panda Corydoras Paradise Fish Paraguay Eartheater Peacock Cichlid Pearl Danio Peppered Corydoras Platy Port Cichlid Powder Blue Cichlid Rabbit Snail Rainbow Cichlid Ramshorn Snail Red Empress Red Rainbowfish Red Zebra Cichlid Redhead Cichlid Regan's Julie Reticulated Hillstream Loach Rosy Barb Rubber Lip Pleco Rummynose Tetra Rusty Cichlid Salt and Pepper Cory Salvini Cichlid Saulosi Cichlid Scarlet Badis Severum Similis Shell Dweller Spotted Hoplo Star Sapphire Strawberry Rasbora Sulawesi Cardinal Shrimp Sunshine Peacock Swordtail T-Bar Cichlid Taiwan Reef Cichlid Turquoise Rainbowfish Uaru (Triangle Cichlid)Umbrella Dwarf Cichlid Venustus (Giraffe Cichlid)White Cloud Mountain Minnow Wrestling Halfbeak Zebra Danio Zebra Mbuna Zebra Pleco

Avoid (51)

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

What works for this species, most reliable first.

Bristles and cheek spinesStrong · from about a year
Male plecos grow odontodes — spiny growths on the cheeks and along the leading pectoral rays. Bristlenose males additionally grow branching tentacles across the snout and over the top of the head.

All the methods, with diagrams

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Frequently asked questions

What tank size does a Clown Pleco need?: A Clown Pleco needs an aquarium of at least 75 litres (19.8 US gallons) with a footprint at least 60 cm (23.6 in) long — for this species, swimming length matters as much as raw volume.
What water parameters does a Clown Pleco need?: Clown Pleco does best at 22–28 °C (71.6–82.4 °F), pH 6–7.8 and a general hardness of 2–15 °dGH.
Is the Clown Pleco suitable for beginners?: Clown Pleco sits in the middle of the difficulty scale — manageable for a careful beginner who has done the reading, but it has specific needs worth researching first.

Sources

Water & tank

Temperature22–28°C

Optimal temp.24–27°C

pH6–7.8

Hardness (GH)2–15°d

Carbonate (KH)1–10°d

Adult size9 cm

Min. volume≥ 75 L

Min. tank length≥ 60 cm

Swimming zoneBottom

TemperamentPeaceful

Water typeFreshwater

FlowModerate

Lifespan~10 yrs

Try in the calculator