L398 Tanke Tiger Pleco (Panaqolus tankei)

Choose the L398 pleco for a warm aquarium full of wood

The L398 pleco, Panaqolus tankei, is a small tiger-banded suckermouth catfish from the lower Rio Xingu in Brazil. Like the rest of its genus it rasps and eats wood, so real driftwood is part of its diet, not just decoration. Planet Catfish calls it the Tanke Tiger Pleco, and it suits a warm, well-aerated community aquarium where a pleco of about 12 cm can claim a tangle of wood of its own.

It was traded as L398 for years before Cramer and Sousa described it formally in 2016, in an open-access paper in PLoS ONE. The name honours Andreas Tanke, a German aquarist who studied Panaqolus, kept and observed these fish, visited their habitats and, according to ScotCat, was probably the first to breed this species in captivity.

Check the names on the label

The description identifies it mainly by colour. It has five to seven dark diagonal bars on the trunk, dark and light bars of roughly equal width, two to four bands in the dorsal fin and dark lines running from the back of the head to the front of the snout. In small fish the fin bands are compact; in larger fish the first body bars may split or form a D shape.

Those details separate it from its relatives. The L226 Iquitos Tiger Pleco (P. changae) has worm-like markings on the head and six to twelve body bars; the clown pleco, P. maccus, has dark bars at least two to three times wider than the pale ones; and the L397 Tangerine Tiger Pleco is a separate orange-banded Panaqolus. Our clown pleco guide covers the best-known member of the genus, and all our Panaqolus plecos are grouped in one place.

Know exactly what you receive

One purchase supplies one live L398 Tanke Tiger Pleco. The size option is "Standard": the fish is sent at the size currently available, which is smaller than the adult size. Sex is not chosen or guaranteed.

The photographs show the type of fish, not the individual you will receive. The width and shape of the bars, the tone of the pale bands and the fin pattern vary between individuals and change as the fish grows, and colours look different under different lighting.

Plan the group before you order

• One fish: the simplest choice for a community aquarium.
• Several fish: possible in a large aquarium. Planet Catfish says the species can be somewhat territorial towards its own kind but that a group can be kept with enough hiding places, allowing roughly 30 × 30 cm of floor per fish.
• A group of young fish: the practical route to a pair, because young fish cannot be sexed reliably.

Planet Catfish describes mature males growing elongated cheek odontodes (bristles) in the breeding season and noticeable odontodes along the back, and the original description notes elongated odontodes on the male's tail stem. Males also have small, pointed genital papillae, while mature females have large, rounded ones and, when full of eggs, a noticeably wider body between the pectoral and pelvic fins seen from above. Before you order, read our delivery and Live Arrival Guarantee information.

Plan the aquarium around a 12 cm adult

The size sources disagree. The original description measured specimens up to 83 mm standard length, Planet Catfish gives 120 mm and ScotCat 14 cm. Plan for about 12 cm without the tail, and accept that some fish stay smaller.

No published minimum exists for this species, and Seriously Fish has no profile for it. For Panaqolus sp. L403, a wood-eater of similar size (120 mm SL), Seriously Fish recommends a base of at least 120 × 30 cm, roughly 108 litres in a 30 cm-tall tank. We use that as the starting point for one fish, with more floor area for a group.

Run a three-step space check

1. Measure the base: at least 120 cm long and 30 cm from front to back for one fish.
2. Count the plecos: allow about 30 × 30 cm of floor per pleco, as Planet Catfish suggests, plus space for other bottom dwellers.
3. Work out the true volume: our tank volume calculator turns your measurements into litres for the filter and heater.

Keep the aquarium away from radiators, windows and draughts, as OATA's catfish care sheet advises, and fit a lid. At 26–30°C the heater works all year in a UK home, so check the thermometer every day.

Build a tangle of sunken wood

In the wild, according to ScotCat and the original description, P. tankei lives on fallen trees and sunken wood along the riverbank, at depths of 1 to 10 m, in the lower Xingu below the Belo Monte waterfalls. Planet Catfish puts it plainly for the aquarium: rock piles are optional, but wood tangles are a must, and it recommends several pieces of wood, preferably of several kinds, to chew on.

Divide the floor by function

Choose aquarium-safe hardwoods such as bogwood and mopani, and use several types so the fish always has a softer piece to work on. A busy wood-eater produces fine, brown wood waste, so plan for regular siphoning. Leave out delicate plants: ScotCat says this species eats plants and is not suitable for planted tanks, and Planet Catfish warns that plants will be nibbled or destroyed. Tough plants tied to wood have the best chance.

Keep warm, well-aerated water

ScotCat gives 26–30°C and pH 6.0–7.5 and recommends strong aeration because of the higher temperatures. Planet Catfish publishes no water values for the species. For the related L403, Seriously Fish gives 24–30°C and pH 6.0–7.0, which overlaps well. A setting of about 27–28°C sits comfortably inside these figures.

Separate habitat values from waste readings

The waste readings come from OATA's catfish guidance. Hard UK tap water can read above pH 7.5; if yours does, blend it with reverse-osmosis water rather than adding pH chemicals, and use replacement water at the same temperature so a warm-water fish is not chilled. Our water matcher compares your readings with this fish's range, and our water chemistry guide explains each reading.

Filter for oxygen and wood waste

Warm water holds less oxygen, and a wood-eater fills the filter with fine debris. Use a filter rated at four to five times the tank volume an hour, the turnover Seriously Fish's species profiles use, and add an air stone so the surface keeps moving, in line with ScotCat's call for strong aeration.

Follow a weekly maintenance sequence

1. Test ammonia, nitrite and nitrate before any maintenance.
2. Change about 25% of the water, the weekly figure OATA recommends, with conditioned water at the same temperature.
3. Siphon wood shavings from the floor and around the wood tangle.
4. Clean the filter's mechanical sponge more often than in a tank without wood-eaters, rinsing it in tank water.
5. Replace wood as it wears thin, keeping several kinds in the tank.

Stock gradually, so the filter bacteria can grow with the waste load, and keep testing even when the water looks clear.

Feed wood and vegetables first

Planet Catfish describes the genus as wood-feeders and recommends a mainly vegetarian diet alongside the wood: algae wafers, fresh vegetables such as courgette, and tubers such as potato or sweet potato. ScotCat adds cucumber and sinking tablets. For the related L403, Seriously Fish advises keeping meaty foods to a minimum, and the same principle suits L398.

Build one measured meal

• Always available: several kinds of aquarium-safe wood to rasp.
• Staple: a vegetable-based wafer or tablet, such as Tropical Green Algae Wafers or Tropical Spiru Tablet A.
• Vegetables: rotate blanched courgette, cucumber, potato or sweet potato, weighted down near the wood, and remove what is left within a day.
• Meaty food: only an occasional small portion.
• Portion: OATA advises feeding catfish what they eat within a few minutes, once a day, allowing up to 30 minutes for slow grazers.

Feed in the evening near the wood tangle, when the pleco is active. A rounded belly and fresh rasp marks on the wood are good signs; a hollow belly means it is not reaching the food, so change the feeding spot or time.

Introduce it calmly to a mature aquarium

Add the fish only to a filtered aquarium that has run long enough to process waste, with ammonia and nitrite at zero and the temperature set. OATA recommends acclimatising with the lights off: float the sealed bag for about 10 minutes, add small amounts of aquarium water over up to 20 minutes, then release the fish with as little bag water as possible. Our guide on how to acclimatise new fish goes through each step.

Use a first-week checkpoint plan

Expect it to hide in the wood for several days. That is normal for a nocturnal pleco; rapid breathing, hanging at the surface or lying on its side are not.

Choose peaceful tank mates

Planet Catfish says the species works well with most types of peaceful community fish. Its only real friction is with its own kind and similar plecos competing for the same wood, which space and extra hiding places solve. Choose companions that enjoy the same warm water and do not mind a tank full of wood rather than plants.

Screen each companion

Other wood-loving plecos include the L206 Pleco and the L204 Flash Pleco; give each its own wood. Check any mix with our tank mates tool, browse all catfish and plecos, our L-number plecos and the wider range of South American catfish, and read our pleco care guide for the basics.

Watch for problems early

OATA describes a healthy fish as having clear, bright eyes, undamaged fins and no ulcers or bumps, and lists hanging at the surface, sitting on the bottom and erratic swimming as warning signs. Learn what is normal for your pleco in the first month: where it rests, how much wood it rasps and how quickly vegetables disappear.

Pair each sign with an action

Test first, then act. Most changes in behaviour follow a water-quality or temperature problem.

Breed Tanke tiger plecos in caves

Planet Catfish records that the species has been bred in aquariums and lists four breeding reports. ScotCat recommends a few caves for spawning among plenty of wood on a sand or small rounded gravel floor. The original description notes that aquarium observations suggest spawning depends on seasonal changes in water quality and temperature, so a stable aquarium may need a nudge.

Follow the spawning sequence

1. Start with a group: buy several young fish so you end up with a male and a female.
2. Sex the adults: males grow cheek and body bristles; females have rounded papillae and wider bodies when ripe.
3. Offer caves: place caves under the wood, at least one per male.
4. Condition the fish: plenty of wood, vegetables and clean, warm, well-aerated water.
5. Imitate the seasons: a series of larger water changes can mimic the seasonal shifts the description mentions; make each change gradually and test afterwards.

Leave a cave with eggs undisturbed, and keep the young supplied with soft vegetables and wood as they grow. The breeding reports on Planet Catfish describe keepers' own conditions in detail.

Answer L398 Tanke Tiger Pleco buying questions

What is the L398 pleco?

It is Panaqolus tankei, a small, banded, wood-eating suckermouth catfish (family Loricariidae) from the lower Rio Xingu in Brazil. It was traded as L398 before Cramer and Sousa described it scientifically in 2016. Planet Catfish calls it the Tanke Tiger Pleco.

How big does Panaqolus tankei grow?

Sources differ. The original description measured fish up to 83 mm standard length, Planet Catfish gives 120 mm and ScotCat 14 cm. Plan for an adult of about 12 cm.

Does it really eat wood?

Yes. Planet Catfish and ScotCat both say Panaqolus feed on wood, and Planet Catfish recommends several pieces, preferably of several kinds. The wood is part of its diet, not just decoration.

Can I keep it in a planted aquarium?

It is not a good choice for a carefully planted tank. ScotCat says it eats plants, and Planet Catfish warns that plants will be nibbled or destroyed. Tough plants tied to wood may survive; soft stem plants usually will not.

What water does it need?

ScotCat gives 26–30°C and pH 6.0–7.5, and recommends strong aeration because of the warm temperature. Keep ammonia and nitrite at zero.

How is it different from the Iquitos Tiger and clown plecos?

The original description separates it from P. changae (L226) by the lack of worm-like markings on the head and by fewer body bars, and from P. maccus, the clown pleco, by dark and light bars of about equal width. The L397 Tangerine Tiger Pleco is a separate, orange-banded Panaqolus.

Can I keep more than one?

Yes, in a large enough aquarium with plenty of hiding places. Planet Catfish says it can be somewhat territorial towards its own kind and suggests about 30 × 30 cm of floor per fish.

Has it been bred in aquariums?

Yes. Planet Catfish lists four breeding reports, and ScotCat says the aquarist it is named after, Andreas Tanke, was probably the first to breed it.

How many fish come with one purchase?

One live fish of the standard size currently available. It is not sexed.

Consult the care references

• Planet Catfish: Panaqolus tankei — names, type locality, size, sexing, distribution, wood and vegetable diet, décor, territory per fish and breeding reports.
• ScotCat: Panaqolus tankei — habitat, colour pattern, care in planted tanks, diet, sexing, size, temperature, pH and the person it is named after.
• Cramer & Sousa (2016), A new species of tiger pleco Panaqolus from the Xingu basin, Brazil. PLoS ONE 11(11): e0165388 — the original scientific description: measured sizes, bar and band counts, head pattern, habitat and male odontodes.
• Seriously Fish: Panaqolus genus — aquarium size, water values and wood-eating diet of a related Panaqolus, used because no profile exists for P. tankei.
• OATA: How to look after freshwater catfish — UK guidance on catfish water quality, water changes, substrate, feeding, acclimatisation, handling and health checks.
• Tropical Fish Co delivery policy — current dispatch days and Live Arrival Guarantee terms.