The Clown Pleco aka Ringlet Pleco makes a good tankmate for small to medium sized cichlids, in a community tank or even a species tank for breeding attempts. These small Locariids only grow to a size of 10 cm / 4", with the males staying a bit smaller. Like their bigger relatives, their body is covered with plates except for the belly region, and they have spines in their dorsal and pectoral fins which they will spread when feeling threatened. If kept with large cichlids they might still get hurt though or be considered food. Also, when trying to catch them, it is better to use a glass or similar rather than a net to avoid hurting them since they tend to get stuck in a net.
Young Clown Plecos show a contrasting colouration, with a dark brown body and bright orange to white stripes. On adults, the basic colouration will get brighter, like it can be seen in the pics. Females usually appear more rounded and get bigger, while the males develop odontodes on the head and along the dorsal fin when in breeding mood.
In the wild, they can be found along the Orinoco basin of Venezuela and Columbia. There is some confusion among ichthyologists whether this species is to be called Panaque or Panaqolus maccus, and how many species there are at all, but Panaque maccus seems to be the most popular one currently. In shops, they are still often sold as Peckoltia vittata which is in fact a different species.
Clown Plecos can live up to about 18 years.
Due
to their small size, these fish can be kept in tanks of about 60 cm / 2 ft.
length already.
The tank should be well decorated with driftwood and provide hiding places where they will spend most of the day. Live plants are possible but better to avoid soft broad leaved ones, else they might be considered as food. Trying to distract them from eating the plants by feeding them lots of vegetable might help, but in the end it's a matter or trial and error.
The substrate should be fine and rounded so they won't hurt themselves, and a darker coloured substrate that matches their body colours might help them feel more safe.
Dimmed lighting and/or shadowed places are appreciated; that way they will come out of their hideance more often during daytime. Else, with bright tank lights, you might not see them for weeks. Mine can be seen several times a day exploring the tank and looking for food.
The water should roughly be of around neutral pH, soft to quite
hard, and temperature between 23-28°C / 74-82°F.
Feeding
These
fish eat wood. As a good part of their diet consists of wood fibres, make
sure there are always some pieces of driftwood in the tank, preferably different
kinds, to keep them healthy.
Opinions vary regarding their algae eating habits - while some say they won't make good algae eaters at all mine have always done a very good job on that as juveniles, and still do. Certain plants may become food either, so should you wonder what happened to your gorgeous amazon sword during the night it was most likely them (or one of their bigger relatives).
In general, food should mainly consist of vegetable matter, like zucchini, cucumber, peas, raw potatoes, spirulina wafers or similar. Besides that, they won't despise any kind of fish food, and they will benefit from frozen or live food as an occasional treat which also helps with conditioning them for breeding.
Since they are mainly nocturnal it is best to feed them in the evening when the tank lights are off.
Breeding
Unlike many other Locariids, these can be bred under aquarium conditions,
although it needs some preparation and luck to succeed. The fish are best
kept in a species tank with lots of driftwood and provided with spawning caves
made from rocks, slate, clay, PVC or similar. The entrance should be of a
size that matches the size of the fish so that they would just fit in, and
the length of the cave up to two times their length.
Frozen or live food fed several times a week helps conditioning them for breeding. To induce the spawn you simulate the rainy season by creating a strong current with powerheads or similar, turning the heater off and doing daily water changes with cooler soft water (e.g. rainwater or R/O water) of about 20%. The temperature can get down to 21-22°C / 70-72°F. After some days, turn the heater on again and see what happens. Should they not spawn in a few weeks time you can try it again after about two months. After successful spawning, the male will guard the eggs.
Written by: gisela
References:
www.planetcatfish.com
Social behaviour and compatibility
Depending on the tank size, they can be kept as single fish to a group. They are peaceful and will barely ever bother other fish so there should be no compatibility problems with any fish, unless those are so big they could hurt the plecos despite of their armor or consider them as food.
They will defend their territories and food against other fish and members of their own species but usually no harm is ever done. When two specimen meet at feeding time there will be a bit of jumping and chasing which is fun to watch.