L104 Clown Pleco (Panaqolus maccus)

Choose a small, wood-eating clown pleco

The L104 Clown Pleco, Panaqolus maccus (Schaefer and Stewart, 1993), is a small armoured suckermouth catfish with bold cream to golden-orange bands on a dark brown to black body. It comes from the Orinoco basin of Venezuela, where FishBase records it in the Apure and Caroní river systems, and it reaches only 88 mm standard length. Its species name comes from the Latin maccus, a clown or buffoon, a nod to the "clown plecostomus" name aquarists were already using.

In the trade the clown pleco carries several codes and names. Planet Catfish lists L104, L162 and LDA022, plus clown panaque and ringlet pleco, and the old scientific name Panaque maccus. Whatever the label, this is a wood-eater: the scientific paper that described it covers the "wood-eating armored catfishes" of tropical South America, and Planet Catfish recommends decorating its tank with several different types of driftwood.

Decide from the complete care picture

Our clown pleco buying guide compares the different Panaqolus species sold as clown plecos; this listing is Panaqolus maccus itself, the fish the name was first used for. Browse more small plecos in our catfish and plecos shop, the South American catfish category and the Panaqolus pleco range.

Identify the true clown pleco

The clown pleco's pattern of cream and dark bands works as camouflage among the driftwood tangles it lives in, and adults also develop stripes and squiggles on the head. Planet Catfish warns that it is sometimes confused with L448 (LDA068), which looks very similar but grows larger. Juvenile L448 already show stripes and squiggles on the head, which appear only in mature P. maccus, and L448 can exceed 100 mm, a size not seen in P. maccus.

Compare the clown-type plecos

Our photographs show the species, not the individual you will receive. Banding varies from fish to fish, and the head markings become more intricate as the fish matures, so the clown pleco you receive will differ from the pictures. More L-number catfish are in our L-number plecos category.

Select the dispatch size

One purchase supplies one live L104 Clown Pleco, medium size. The size you select is the size supplied, not the adult size, so plan the aquarium for a fish of up to 88 mm standard length. Sex is not specified.

Planet Catfish explains how to sex mature fish. Like all members of the genus, males grow long odontodes, bristle-like teeth on the skin, on the interopercular plates of the cheek during the breeding season, and noticeable odontodes along the back. Males have a small pointed genital papilla, while mature females have a large, rounded, swollen one, and egg-carrying females look clearly wider between the pectoral and pelvic fins when seen from above.

Work from the group you intend to keep

• One fish: the simplest choice for a community aquarium of 80 litres or more.
• A pair or small group: possible in a larger tank, with more caves and pieces of wood than fish.
• Several wood-eaters: Planet Catfish notes that a tank with many wood-eating loricariids needs heavy filtration and frequent large water changes.

Before you order, check that the aquarium is mature and the wood is already in place. Dispatch days and our Live Arrival Guarantee are explained on our delivery and Live Arrival Guarantee page.

Plan the aquarium around the adult size

For a fish of 88 mm, the sources differ slightly on the smallest workable tank. Planet Catfish suggests that a small tank of 15 to 20 US gallons, about 57 to 76 litres, can house it alongside a school of small tetras, and that a larger tank can hold a community of wood-eating loricariids. OATA's freshwater catfish care sheet recommends at least 80 litres for smaller plecos and other small catfish. We suggest working from 80 litres, which satisfies both.

Use a three-step space check

1. Measure the tank: confirm at least 80 litres with our tank volume calculator.
2. Count the floor space: every pleco needs its own cave or wood refuge, so count refuges, not just litres.
3. Add the waste load: wood-eaters produce a lot of waste, so leave filtration headroom for the whole community.

A long, low tank gives more floor and wood space than a tall one of the same volume, and the floor is where this fish lives.

Furnish the tank with plenty of driftwood

In the wild, Planet Catfish says, P. maccus is found only among driftwood tangles close to the banks of the main river channels, where its striped brown and cream body is excellent camouflage. Its biotope advice is to place various types and lengths of driftwood at slanting angles from the back of the tank to the front, cover the back and sides with a dark background, use red-brown sand or fine gravel, and hide spawning caves along the back behind the wood.

Divide the footprint by function

Use several kinds of wood so it always has something to chew, and expect softer pieces to wear away over time. OATA recommends sand or fine gravel for catfish because coarse substrate can damage sensitive skin and barbels. Plants are optional.

Set water values within the species range

Planet Catfish gives pH 6.8–7.6 and 23–28°C, and says the aquarium water should be clear with neutral values. It describes the wild habitat as Andean whitewater rivers flowing through the Llanos into the Orinoco. In the dry season, measurements in the Río Tinaco gave about 27°C (80°F), pH 7.5 and fairly hard water; in the wet season the water is cooler, softer and close to neutral. OATA's general range for freshwater catfish is 22–27°C, pH 6.0–8.0 and 4–18 dGH.

Separate habitat values from waste readings

Temperature, pH and hardness describe the habitat; ammonia, nitrite and nitrate describe waste. OATA's targets are zero mg/l ammonia and nitrite, with nitrate no more than 20 mg/l above your tap water. UK tap water ranges from soft to hard by region, and much of it falls within the hardness range above. Treat all new water with a conditioner and use our water matcher to compare your tap water with the clown pleco's needs.

Build filtration for a wood-eater's waste

Planet Catfish stresses that the tank must have good mechanical filtration, because these fish produce a lot of waste from their steady diet of wood. Much of that waste is fine, woody material that settles on the substrate and clogs filter sponges, so plan regular siphoning as well as filtration. Its breeding method also adds a powerhead and an air stone, a reminder that this is a fish of flowing rivers that appreciates clean, well-oxygenated water.

Follow a weekly maintenance sequence

1. Test ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH and temperature.
2. Siphon the fine woody waste from the substrate and around the base of the wood.
3. Change about 25% of the water with conditioned, temperature-matched water, as OATA recommends.
4. Rinse clogged sponges in water removed from the tank, never under the tap.
5. Check that worn wood still gives shelter, and add a new piece when needed.

Feed wood, vegetables and occasional frozen food

Planet Catfish describes the clown pleco as a wood-eating fish that really likes to have something to chew on. Squash, cucumber and other vegetables should be readily available, with yams a favourite, and the diet should be supplemented two or three times a week with frozen foods. OATA's catfish care sheet confirms that plecos are herbivorous and that grazing species may need up to 30 minutes to finish a meal, compared with a few minutes for most fish.

Build one measured meal

A sinking tablet made for plecos, such as Tropical Pleco's Tablets, is a convenient extra between fresh vegetables. Place food close to the wood so the clown pleco can reach it before faster tank mates.

Introduce it to a mature aquarium

Add the clown pleco only to an established aquarium with zero ammonia and nitrite and its wood already in place. OATA advises acclimatising fish with the floating-bag method and monitoring water quality closely during the first week, and recommends double-bagging catfish for transport so fin spines cannot pierce the bag.

Use a first-week checkpoint plan

Screen every tank mate before mixing

Planet Catfish describes the clown pleco as a peaceful fish well suited to the community tank, provided it has driftwood. Its suggested tank mates are other loricariids, small cichlids and tetras, and in a small tank of 15–20 US gallons it recommends a school of small tetras. In the Río Tinaco, hatchet tetras were common, and other loricariids collected with it included Hypostomus, Hypoptopoma and Otocinclus species.

Use the same questions every time

A school of Silver Hatchetfish keeps the surface busy while the clown pleco works the wood, and in a larger, well-filtered tank it can share the bottom with other Panaqolus such as the L204 and L226 above. Our tank mates tool checks a mix before you buy, and our pleco care guide covers the basics shared by all plecos.

Watch the clown pleco and act on changes

A clown pleco spends much of the day in the wood, so check it at feeding time and look closely at its belly and fins.

Pair each observation with an action

Breed clown plecos with a seasonal cycle

Clown plecos have been bred in aquariums, and Planet Catfish holds a number of breeding reports. Its method copies the change from dry season to wet season in the fish's home rivers.

Follow the seasonal sequence

1. Keep the fish for two months in dry-season conditions, warm and close to pH 7.5, feeding frozen foods three times a week.
2. Add a powerhead and an air stone, switch off the heater and make 20% water changes every day with cool reverse-osmosis water (Planet Catfish also mentions rainwater), letting the temperature fall to about 21–22°C (70–72°F).
3. After four water changes, switch the heater back on and wait for a spawn.
4. If nothing happens within a month, start again; it can take a few cycles.
5. Provide caves of PVC or slate just large enough for the larger female to squeeze into, about 13–15 cm (5–6 inches) long.

Answer L104 Clown Pleco buying questions

Is the L104 clown pleco the same as L162?

Yes. Planet Catfish lists L104, L162 and LDA022 as codes for the same species, Panaqolus maccus. L-numbers are trade codes, so one species can carry several.

How big does a clown pleco get?

Planet Catfish and FishBase give a maximum of 88 mm standard length, measured without the tail, which makes it one of the smaller plecos.

Does a clown pleco need driftwood?

Yes. It is a wood-eating catfish, and Planet Catfish recommends several different types of driftwood. Wood is part of its diet as well as its shelter.

Will it clean algae from my aquarium?

It is not sold as an algae cleaner. Its diet is wood, vegetables such as squash, cucumber and yam, and frozen foods two or three times a week.

What size aquarium does it need?

Planet Catfish suggests that a small tank of 15 to 20 US gallons, about 57 to 76 litres, can house it with a school of small tetras. OATA advises at least 80 litres for smaller plecos, so 80 litres is the safer starting point.

What water conditions does it need?

Planet Catfish gives 23 to 28°C and pH 6.8 to 7.6, with clear water and neutral values. Keep ammonia and nitrite at zero and nitrate no more than 20 mg/l above your tap water.

Which tank mates suit it?

Planet Catfish recommends other loricariids, small cichlids and tetras. It is peaceful, so avoid large predatory fish and boisterous bottom-dwellers that take over its wood and caves.

How can I tell males from females?

Mature males grow long odontodes on the cheek plates and along the back in the breeding season and have a small pointed genital papilla. Females have a larger, rounded papilla and look wider when full of eggs.

Can I breed clown plecos?

Yes, aquarium spawnings have been reported. Planet Catfish describes a dry-season period followed by cool water changes, with caves just large enough for the female to squeeze into.

Consult the care references

• Planet Catfish: Panaqolus maccus — names and L-numbers, 88 mm SL, look-alike L448, sexing, habitat, water values, feeding, furnishing, tank mates and breeding method
• FishBase: Panaqolus maccus — accepted name and author, family, maximum size and distribution in the Apure and Caroní basins
• Schaefer and Stewart (1993): Systematics of the Panaque dentex species group, wood-eating armored catfishes from tropical South America — the original scientific description
• OATA: How to look after freshwater catfish — tank size for smaller plecos, general catfish water values and targets, feeding grazers, maintenance and transport