L340 / LDA19 Mega Clown Pleco (Hypancistrus sp.)

Meet the L340 Mega Clown Pleco

The Mega Clown Pleco is an undescribed suckermouth catfish traded under two codes, L340 and LDA19, and filed by scientists and hobby databases as Hypancistrus sp. (L340). It is a small, boldly banded pleco: a dark body crossed by broad cream to orange bands, banded fins, and bright lines running from the snout over the head. Planet Catfish records it first from the Tomo river basin in the Orinoco system, and ScotCat places that river in Colombia.

Like the famous zebra pleco, this is a member of Hypancistrus, a group of small cave-dwelling plecos with few teeth. ScotCat explains that Hypancistrus have fewer and larger teeth than Panaque, Panaqolus and Peckoltia, which suits their diet: Planet Catfish describes this one as a broad omnivore with a preference for meaty foods. The Mega Clown Pleco suits a keeper who wants a characterful, collectable pleco for a warm, clean aquarium with rocky caves, and possibly a breeding project later.

Check the names and codes

"Mega clown" is a trade name only. The fish usually sold as the clown pleco is Panaqolus maccus, which Welsfans lists from the same river as L162 / LDA22. The names are similar, but the fish belong to different genera; our clown pleco guide covers that other fish. Browse our Hypancistrus plecos, every coded catfish in our L-number plecos range, the wider South American catfish category and our full catfish and plecos collection.

Tell it apart from L129

The nearest look-alike is L129, Hypancistrus debilittera. Planet Catfish says L340 can be confused with the more strikingly marked L129, and picks out three features of L340: its smaller size, its orange colour and the well-marked junction of the stripes at the eye. ScotCat adds that individual fish vary in colour and intensity, especially in the orange. Expect some youngsters to be paler and creamier and others warmer in tone.

Know what one purchase supplies

One purchase supplies one live L340 Mega Clown Pleco at 3–4 cm. That is a youngster well below adult size, so plan the aquarium, the caves and the feeding for the grown fish. Sex is not specified: males and females can only be told apart once mature, as described in the breeding section below.

The photographs show the species, not the individual you will receive. Band width, the cream-to-orange tone and the pattern on the head differ from fish to fish and change with age and mood.

Plan from the adult, not the sale size

• Adult length: 80 mm standard length (Planet Catfish) to about 10 cm (ScotCat, Welsfans).
• Aquarium: 60 cm minimum (Welsfans); a 90 × 30 cm base or more for a group or community.
• Temperature: 26–29°C, held steady.
• Caves: at least one per pleco, plus a spare.
• Food: meaty sinking foods, offered where the pleco can reach them.
• Species rule: one Hypancistrus species per tank.

Before ordering, read our delivery and Live Arrival Guarantee information, and have the aquarium mature and warm before the fish arrives.

Size the aquarium for a small cave pleco

Welsfans recommends a 60 cm tank for this species. No source gives a footprint for L340 itself, so we compare it with its described relatives: Seriously Fish gives 60 × 30 cm for the zebra pleco, which also reaches 80 mm standard length, and 90 × 30 cm for L260 and L136, which reach 90 mm. We suggest a 90 × 30 cm base or more if you keep a small group or add tank mates, and OATA gives at least 80 litres for smaller plecos.

Floor area and the number of caves matter more than height. Each adult defends its own cave, so a longer tank with several well-spaced caves keeps the peace better than a tall one. Our pleco care guide covers the basics that apply to every suckermouth catfish.

Run a three-step space check

1. Measure the base: 60 cm for a single fish, 90 × 30 cm or more for a group or community.
2. Count the caves: one per pleco, plus at least one spare.
3. Count the floor fish: include every other catfish and bottom dweller sharing the space.

Build caves among rocks and wood

Planet Catfish describes a simple, natural layout of rocks, driftwood and dead leaves over sand, and Welsfans lists standard caves for breeding. In practice that means piled flat stones with gaps, a few pieces of wood and purpose-made pleco caves the fish can back into. Welsfans describes its home river as clear water, so keep the water clean and bright rather than heavily stained.

Planet Catfish notes that the species is generally peaceful but territorial towards other plecos of similar size. Spacing the caves out lets each fish claim its own without constant disputes.

Lay out caves to prevent squabbles

• Size: choose caves only slightly wider than the fish, closed at one end.
• Spacing: keep entrances well apart and facing different directions.
• Spares: add one more cave than you have plecos.
• Flow: place some caves where the filter current passes the entrance.

Keep it warm, clean and stable

All three databases describe a warm-water fish, but their figures differ, so the safest target is where they overlap.

Aim for 26–29°C and pH 6.0–7.2. None of the sources gives a keeping range for hardness, but Welsfans notes that successful spawnings have happened across a wide range of water values, including records at pH 7.0–8.5 with 8–18 GH, so this is not a fish that needs very soft water. OATA's general catfish range of 4–18 dGH is a sensible band. UK tap water ranges from soft to very hard depending on where you live, so test it, or check your water company's report, before deciding whether it needs any adjustment. Our water matcher and water chemistry guide help you read the results.

Separate habitat values from waste readings

Temperature, pH and hardness can vary within the ranges above; waste readings cannot. OATA sets ammonia and nitrite at zero and nitrate no more than 20 mg per litre above tap water. Meaty foods break down quickly in warm water, so remove leftovers and test weekly.

Filter for oxygen and steady flow

Warm water holds less dissolved oxygen than cool water, and a meat-eating pleco produces plenty of waste, so filtration and water movement matter. Use a filter rated above the tank volume, aim some of its flow across the caves and keep the surface moving. Our guide to understanding aquarium filtration explains how to choose and maintain one.

Follow a weekly maintenance sequence

1. Test: ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH, as OATA advises at least weekly.
2. Remove leftovers: lift uneaten meaty food from around the caves.
3. Change water: at least 25%, siphoning the floor.
4. Match temperature: bring new water close to 26–29°C before adding it.
5. Rinse media: in removed tank water only.

Feed meaty foods where it can reach them

Planet Catfish describes the Mega Clown Pleco as broadly omnivorous with a preference for meaty, insect-based foods. ScotCat recommends frozen foods such as bloodworm, live foods such as brine shrimp and white or grindal worms, and prepared foods such as sinking tablets and presoaked flake, adding that young fish seem to like vegetable foods too. Suitable staples include sinking pleco tablets, freeze-dried bloodworms and freeze-dried brine shrimp.

Planet Catfish warns that these plecos can be shy and slow to grab food, so make sure enough reaches them. OATA advises feeding once a day, and allows grazing bottom-feeders up to 30 minutes to finish.

Build one measured meal

• Staple: one small sinking tablet or a pinch of granules placed near the cave.
• Protein: frozen bloodworm or brine shrimp three or four times a week.
• Greens: an occasional algae wafer for youngsters, as ScotCat notes.
• Timing: feed when the lights dim, when the pleco is most willing to come out.
• Clear up: remove anything left after about 30 minutes.

Settle a new pleco in gently

OATA recommends double-bagging catfish because their spines can pierce a bag. Switch off the aquarium lights, float the sealed bag for 10 minutes, then add small amounts of tank water over up to 20 minutes before releasing the fish and discarding the bag water. Our guide to acclimatising new fish explains each step. A small Hypancistrus usually heads straight for cover and may not be seen for several days; that is normal.

Use a first-week checkpoint plan

Read its behaviour and act on changes

A settled Mega Clown Pleco spends the day in or near its cave and becomes busier in the evening. OATA's warning signs for any catfish include clamped fins, rapid breathing, white spots, unusual colour, sitting in the open and loss of appetite.

Pair each observation with an action

Choose small, calm tank mates

Planet Catfish suggests small tetras and similar small fish, and also corydoras, as tank mates, with the caution that this pleco must still get enough food. It is peaceful towards other fish but territorial towards plecos of its own size. ScotCat adds the most important rule: keep only one Hypancistrus species in a tank, because they hybridise; Welsfans records hybrids of L340 with L28 and L411.

Screen each tank mate with four questions

1. Does its temperature range reach 26–29°C?
2. Is it a different genus from Hypancistrus?
3. Will it leave meaty food on the floor long enough for a shy pleco?
4. Are there enough caves for every cave-dweller in the tank?

Our tank mates checker runs through these questions for the fish you have in mind.

Breed it in caves

The Mega Clown Pleco is a realistic breeding project. Planet Catfish says breeding is not hard to achieve and works in a large variety of water values; broods are small, around 10–15 eggs, and the male guards the eggs and fry in the cave until they swim free, while each female spawns one at a time like other Hypancistrus. Welsfans records many spawnings, found no single trigger and suggests larger water changes as one possibility.

Read the signs of a mature pair

• Males: a wider, longer head, a thicker first pectoral ray and more pronounced odontodes (bristles) on the pectoral spines, cheeks and rear body, according to Planet Catfish and ScotCat.
• Females: wider around the middle and with far less noticeable odontodes.
• Caves: provide snug caves closed at one end; Welsfans lists standard pleco caves.
• Purity: breed only with L340 partners, never another Hypancistrus.

Answer Mega Clown Pleco buying questions

Are LDA19 and L340 the same pleco?

Yes. Planet Catfish files LDA019 (often written LDA19) and the name Mega Clown Pleco under Hypancistrus sp. (L340), and ScotCat and Welsfans give both codes for the same fish.

How big does the Mega Clown Pleco grow?

It is a small pleco. Planet Catfish gives 80 mm standard length (body without the tail); ScotCat gives 10 cm and Welsfans about 10 cm total length.

Is it the same as the clown pleco?

No. The usual clown pleco is Panaqolus maccus, a different genus. Welsfans lists that fish from the same river, but it belongs to a different genus; our clown pleco guide covers it.

What size aquarium does it need?

Welsfans recommends a tank of 60 cm for this species. For a small group or a community tank we suggest a base of 90 × 30 cm or more, the figure Seriously Fish gives for similar-sized Hypancistrus such as L260.

What water does it need?

Warm, clean, well-oxygenated water. Aim for 26–29°C and pH 6.0–7.2, where Planet Catfish, ScotCat and Welsfans overlap, and keep ammonia and nitrite at zero.

What does it eat?

Planet Catfish calls it a broad omnivore that prefers meaty, insect-based foods. Feed sinking tablets and granules with frozen or live bloodworm and brine shrimp; ScotCat notes young fish also take vegetable foods.

Can I keep it with other Hypancistrus?

Keep only one Hypancistrus species per tank. ScotCat warns of hybridisation, and Welsfans records hybrids of L340 with L28 and L411.

Is it easy to breed?

Planet Catfish says breeding is not hard and works across a wide range of water values. Broods are small, around 10–15 eggs, and the male guards the eggs and fry in a cave until they swim free.

Consult the care references

• Planet Catfish Cat-eLog: Hypancistrus sp. (L340) — the names L340, LDA019 and Mega Clown Pleco, 80 mm SL, identification against H. debilittera, sexing, Rio Tomo distribution, pH 6.0–8.0, 26.0–30.5°C, meaty omnivore diet, décor, territorial behaviour towards similar plecos, tank mates and breeding (10–15 eggs, male cave care).
• ScotCat: Hypancistrus sp. (L340) — the codes L340 and LDA19, Rio Tomo, Colombia, 10 cm, 25–29°C, pH 6.0–7.2, sexual differences, one Hypancistrus species per tank, and a meaty diet with vegetable food taken by youngsters.
• Welsfans L-number database: Hypancistrus cf. debilittera "L 340" / "LDA 19" — the name Hypancistrus cf. debilittera, about 10 cm total length, a 60 cm tank, 25–29°C, pH 5.5–7.5, the río Tomo (Meta, Colombia, Orinoco system) clear-water origin, group keeping, cave breeding records and known hybrids with L28 and L411.
• Seriously Fish: genus Hypancistrus — maximum sizes and tank sizes of the described Hypancistrus, used here as a comparison (H. zebra 80 mm SL, 60 × 30 cm; L260 and L136 90 mm SL, 90 × 30 cm) and the hybridisation warning.
• OATA: How to look after freshwater catfish — UK guidance for catfish on water quality limits, weekly testing and 25% water changes, double-bagging, the floating-bag method, feeding amounts, sand for the barbels and warning signs.
• Tropical Fish Co delivery policy — current dispatch days and Live Arrival Guarantee terms.