L002 Tiger Pleco (Panaqolus sp. L002)

Meet the L002 Tiger Pleco, a banded wood-eater from Brazil

The L002 Tiger Pleco is a small suckermouth catfish of the genus Panaqolus from the Rio Tocantins around Cametá in Pará, Brazil. It has never been formally described, so the hobby still identifies it by its L-number, L002. Scotcat notes that the same fish also received the number L074 when the German magazine DATZ featured it in November 1990, and it is traded as the Tiger Pleco, Tiger Peckoltia and Tocantins Tiger.

Adults reach about 12 cm. Dark brown bands alternate with cream to tan bands across the head, body and every fin, and each fish carries its own version of the pattern. Like its close relatives, the L002 rasps wood as part of its diet, so permanent bogwood is a requirement of keeping it rather than an optional decoration.

Check the name before you compare listings

Several different plecos share the word "tiger", and the L002 has been sold under a few names that belong to other fish. Use this table when you compare offers:

Because the L002 has no scientific name yet, we list it as Panaqolus sp. (L002). Aquarium Glaser records that it was first imported and presented to hobbyists in 1988 and that no scientist has yet taken a closer look at it. If you collect banded species, compare it with our other Panaqolus plecos and the wider range of L-number plecos.

Know what one purchase supplies

One purchase quantity supplies one live L002 Tiger Pleco. The fish is not sexed: young males and females look alike, and the differences described further down only appear as they mature. The banding varies from fish to fish, so the photographs show the species and its typical pattern, not the individual you will receive.

The size at dispatch depends on availability and is not stated in centimetres, so the listing has a single standard option. Whatever size arrives, plan the aquarium for the adult.

Plan for the adult, not the dispatch size

• Adult length: about 12 cm, the figure given by both Scotcat and Aquarium Glaser.
• Wood: a permanent supply of bogwood from day one, because wood is part of its food.
• Shelter: at least one cave or crevice of its own, and one more for every other bottom-dweller.
• Filtration: a strong, mature filter, because wood-eating plecos produce a lot of waste.

Prepare the aquarium before you order and read our delivery and live arrival information, so the fish goes straight into a tank that is already matured, decorated and tested.

Plan an aquarium around a 12 cm pleco

No published tank size exists for the L002 itself, so we work from two references. OATA's catfish care sheet asks for at least 80 litres for smaller plecos. Seriously Fish suggests a base of 120 × 30 cm, about 108 litres, for L403, another undescribed Panaqolus that also reaches about 12 cm. Treat 80 litres as the floor and the 120 × 30 cm base as the better target.

The footprint matters more than the height. A pleco spends its life on the bottom and on wood, so a long, shallow aquarium gives it more usable space than a tall one of the same volume. Every other bottom-dweller in the tank needs its share of that floor area.

Run a three-point space check

1. Measure the base: at least 80 litres overall, ideally a 120 × 30 cm footprint.
2. Count the floor users: list every pleco, catfish and loach, and give each its own shelter.
3. Size the filter for the waste: aim for a turnover of four to five times the tank volume per hour (see the filtration section).

Set the aquarium up and mature the filter before the pleco arrives. The RSPCA explains that cycling a new filter takes at least two weeks, and fish should only go in once ammonia and nitrite have risen and fallen back to zero.

Build the layout from wood, caves and sand

Design the tank around wood. Several pieces of aquarium-safe bogwood give the L002 something to graze on all day and broken shapes to hide behind. Add caves, clay pipes or stacked stone so each pleco can claim its own retreat, and keep the lighting moderate with some shaded areas.

Divide the tank by job

Leave access for a gravel cleaner around the wood, because shredded wood and droppings collect underneath it. Lift and rinse the wood occasionally in removed tank water rather than scrubbing it, so the grazed surface stays intact.

Plants are a judgement call. Scotcat describes the L002 as unsuitable for planted tanks because it eats plants, while Aquarium Glaser says that offering courgette or other green food prevents plant damage. If you want greenery, choose tough plants tied to wood or rock, feed vegetables regularly and accept that soft leaves may be grazed. OATA also suggests adding some artificial plants in tanks with plant-eating catfish.

Match water values for the L002 Tiger Pleco

The sources agree on warm, roughly neutral water. Scotcat gives the L002 24–28°C and pH 6.5–7.5. OATA's guidance for its closest relative on their lists, the clown pleco (also a Panaqolus), gives 22–27°C, pH 6.0–8.0 and soft to medium-hard water.

Read the sources side by side

Our planning range is simply where the L002 data and OATA's guidance overlap. Stability inside it matters more than hitting one exact number, so avoid chasing pH with chemicals in a tank that is already steady.

The waste readings are separate from these habitat values. OATA sets ammonia and nitrite at zero mg/l and nitrate at no more than 20 mg/l above your normal tap-water level. Check what comes out of your tap with our water matcher, and our water chemistry guide explains what each reading means.

Filter hard for a messy wood-eater

Aquarium Glaser notes that this pleco produces a lot of waste and needs strong filtration, and that its tank mates must be comfortable with that. Much of what it rasps from wood passes straight through, so fine debris builds up quickly around the bogwood.

Seriously Fish uses a turnover of four to five times the tank volume per hour for a Panaqolus of this size. For a 108-litre aquarium that is roughly 430–540 litres per hour (108 × 4 = 432, 108 × 5 = 540). Check the real flow once the media is in place, because a rated figure drops as sponges fill.

Follow a weekly maintenance routine

1. Test ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH and hardness, as OATA recommends, before you start.
2. Change 25% of the water at least once a week.
3. Siphon wood shavings and droppings from under and around the bogwood.
4. Treat new tap water with a conditioner that removes chlorine or chloramine.
5. Rinse filter sponges in removed tank water, never under the tap, so the filter bacteria survive.
6. Remove uneaten vegetables before they soften and foul the water.

Our guide to keeping plecos covers filtration, wood and feeding for the whole group in more detail.

Feed wood first, then vegetables

Scotcat states that wood must be included in the aquarium because this fish eats it. Aquarium Glaser calls wood an important food component. Keep at least one good piece of bogwood in the tank at all times and add another before the first is worn away.

Alongside the wood, offer vegetables and sinking foods. Scotcat lists cucumber and courgette and sinking tablets; Aquarium Glaser mentions food tablets and vegetables. OATA advises buying organic vegetables or washing them thoroughly, because residual pesticides can harm fish. Our green algae wafers are a convenient sinking staple.

Build a measured week of meals

Keep meaty foods to a minimum. Aquarium Glaser warns that meaty food can cause fatty deposits that threaten the fish's life, and Seriously Fish advises a mainly vegetarian diet for its Panaqolus relatives.

Plecos are mainly active in the evening and at night, so feed shortly before the lights go off. OATA suggests feeding what is eaten within a few minutes once a day, but allows grazing species up to 30 minutes. One thing it will not do is clean your glass: Aquarium Glaser notes that the L002 does not eat algae, so do not buy it as an algae eater.

Introduce it calmly and watch the first week

Have the wood, caves and filter in place and the water tested before delivery. OATA's catfish method is to switch the aquarium lights off, float the sealed bag for 10 minutes, then add tank water to the bag slowly over up to 20 minutes before releasing the fish and leaving as much bag water behind as possible. Our guide on acclimatising new fish walks through each step.

Handle it gently. OATA points out that most catfish carry spines on the pectoral fins and behind the gills, which can snag in a net, so guide the pleco into a container rather than lifting it out in mesh.

Use a first-week checkpoint plan

It is normal for a new L002 to stay out of sight for several days. Judge it by the wood and the food disappearing rather than by how often you see it.

Recognise health problems early

A settled L002 has clear eyes, intact fins, a rounded belly and sits firmly on wood or glass. OATA lists the warning signs that apply to catfish generally; pair each with a first action.

Match each sign to a first action

Most problems with wood-eating plecos trace back to poor water quality or a missing wood supply, so test and check the wood before reaching for a medication.

Choose calm tank mates for the L002 Tiger Pleco

Scotcat and Aquarium Glaser both describe the L002 Tiger Pleco as peaceful, and Glaser calls it well suited to community tanks. It ignores mid-water fish, but OATA warns that two male clown plecos, its close relatives, are likely to fight, and plecos defend their shelters. Give every bottom-dweller its own cave and keep the number of plecos low.

Screen companions with this table

Our tank mates tool checks temperature and pH overlap for any pair of fish. For more banded wood-eaters, compare the L204 Flash Pleco, the L226 Iquitos Tiger Pleco, the L397 Tangerine Tiger Pleco and the L206 Pleco. Our clown pleco guide covers another small Panaqolus with the same wood-based diet.

Tell males from females and plan for breeding

Scotcat describes mature males as having a broader head and longer odontodes, the bristle-like bony projections, on the rear of the body, behind the gill covers and on the pectoral spines. In females these odontodes are much shorter. Seriously Fish describes the same rear-body odontodes in its Panaqolus relative L403.

What breeding involves

Aquarium Glaser describes the L002 as a typical cave-breeder in which the male cares for the family. It is rarely bred, because wild-caught fish are usually available. If you want to try, a mature pair needs a cave of the right size, excellent water quality and patience; most keepers simply enjoy it as a single fish.

Browse all our catfish and plecos or the full South American catfish category if you are still choosing between species.

Answer L002 Tiger Pleco buying questions

How big does the L002 Tiger Pleco get?

About 12 cm. Scotcat and Aquarium Glaser both give 12 cm, so plan the aquarium, filtration and shelters for a fish of that length.

Does the L002 Tiger Pleco need wood?

Yes. It rasps wood as part of its diet, so keep bogwood in the aquarium permanently and add vegetables and sinking tablets alongside it.

Will it eat algae in my tank?

No. Aquarium Glaser notes that the L002 does not eat algae. Buy it for its looks and character, not as an algae cleaner.

Can I keep it in a planted aquarium?

With care. Scotcat calls it unsuitable for planted tanks because it eats plants, while Aquarium Glaser says regular courgette or other green food prevents plant damage. Choose tough plants tied to wood and feed vegetables often.

What water does it need?

Warm, roughly neutral water. Scotcat gives 24–28°C and pH 6.5–7.5; OATA's guidance for its relative gives 22–27°C and 4–12 dGH. We plan on 24–27°C, pH 6.5–7.5 and 4–12 dGH, with zero ammonia and nitrite.

Is it the same fish as Panaqolus tankei?

No. Panaqolus tankei was described in 2016 from the Rio Xingu and is known as L398. The L002 from the Rio Tocantins has not been formally described.

Can I keep more than one?

Only with space and one cave each. Plecos defend their shelters and OATA notes that two male clown plecos, close relatives, are likely to fight, so a single L002 is the simplest choice.

What tank size does it need?

At least 80 litres, following OATA's figure for smaller plecos, and ideally a 120 × 30 cm base, the footprint Seriously Fish suggests for a Panaqolus of the same size.

Consult the care references

• Scotcat: Panaqolus sp. (L002) — L-numbers including L074, distribution, 12 cm size, temperature and pH, wood-eating diet, sexing and planted-tank warning.
• PlanetCatfish Cat-eLog: L002 — identity and common names.
• Aquarium Glaser: Panaqolus sp. L2 — import history, size, diet including the warning on meaty food, waste output and breeding.
• Seriously Fish: Panaqolus sp. (L403) — footprint, filtration turnover and diet for a similar-sized relative.
• Wikipedia: Panaqolus tankei — the 2016 description from the Rio Xingu and its L398 number.
• OATA: How to look after freshwater catfish — tank size, set-up, feeding, maintenance, introduction and health signs.
• OATA: How to care for tropical algae eaters — clown pleco water values, its need for wood, male rivalry and washing vegetables.
• RSPCA: aquarium environment — filter cycling and the nitrogen cycle.