How to Breed Plecostomus Fish

Plecos or plecostomus fish refer to over 100 different species in the Hypostomus genus as well as members of the Liposarcus, Panaque, Parotoncinclus, and Pseudacathicus reports "500 Freshwater Aquarium Fish." Many of these suckermouth catfish are found in the pet trade and home aquariums. With this great diversity in Plecostomus fish species, details of breeding individual species are just as diverse as is the difficulty level of breeding these fish. Some species, such as the emperor panaque pleco, are not known to have bred in aquariums while others, such as the spotted bristlenose, breed more easily. However, there are some basic steps to breeding any pleco.

Things You'll Need

  • Pleco food
  • Cave
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Instructions

    • 1

      Feed your pleco fresh vegetables and protein. Although plecos are primarily herbivores, aquarist Larry Vires recommends adding some protein to their daily diet to encourage spawning. Foods you can feed a pleco include, spinach, peas, vegetable flakes, live and frozen bloodworms and brine shrimp, and carnivorous fish food.

    • 2

      Provide a cave for your plecos. These fish usually lay their eggs in some kind of cave, although the exact type will vary by species. For example, the spotted bristlenose lays its eggs in hollowed out wood, while the plec pleco digs burrows into the riverbanks to lay its eggs. You can provide a cave by providing a large amount of sand and small gravel, a small clay pot laid on its side and/or an aquarium decor cave.

    • 3

      Simulate a rainy season in the tank. Do a 30 percent water change once a week for several weeks until you see the male show interest in making a cave. The added water should be a few degrees cooler than the tank water temperature and have a pH of 7.0 or slightly lower than 7.0. The exact changes needed will depend on your species of pleco and the current conditions of your tank. Make subtle changes rather than drastic changes to the water conditions.