Moderate
Buccochromis rhoadesii yellow - Cichlid Fish for Sale UK
24–28°C · pH 7.5–8.5 · 500L
£48.99
Royal Panaque — a wood-eating armoured catfish that grows into a bold centrepiece for very large tanks. Difficult care, peaceful. 24–30°C.
Adult size is the maximum length this species reaches at full maturity (scientific sources). The livestock you receive will be younger and smaller — pick a size variant above for the actual shipping size. Photos are AI-enhanced, so the animal may show subtle colour or marking differences.
Panaque nigrolineatus
Royal panaque are a shoaling species — they need 6+ to feel safe and show their full colour.
Royal Panaque — a wood-eating armoured catfish that grows into a bold centrepiece for very large tanks. Difficult care, peaceful. 24–30°C.
Adult size is the maximum length this species reaches at full maturity (scientific sources). The livestock you receive will be younger and smaller — pick a size variant above for the actual shipping size. Photos are AI-enhanced, so the animal may show subtle colour or marking differences.
Maintain these water conditions for optimal health and vibrant colors
A true heavyweight of the pleco world, the Royal Panaque (Panaque nigrolineatus) is one of the most coveted armoured catfish in the hobby. Offered here as a small juvenile, it is a serious long-term commitment: this is a fish that grows into a commanding centrepiece for a very large, well-run aquarium.
Mature animals can reach about 40 cm, and the species is rated difficult for good reason — it demands space, pristine water and a diet that includes submerged wood, which it actively eats as a herbivorous wood-grazing detritivore. It is peaceful in disposition and can live for around a decade when its needs are met.
The headline requirement is volume: budget for at least 650 litres, packed with driftwood and supported by powerful, well-maintained filtration. Soft to moderately hard water within the listed range keeps it settled, with hardness of 2 to 15 dGH and a warm temperature between 24 and 30°C suiting it best.
A question worth answering before buying is why this fish is rated difficult: it is the combination of huge adult size, an unusual wood-based diet and a need for spotless, well-oxygenated water that puts it beyond casual fishkeeping. Meet those demands, however, and you have a peaceful, dignified centrepiece that can live for around a decade and reward the investment many times over.
Best housed with large peaceful to semi-peaceful fish that won't outcompete it for food, other robust bottom dwellers of similar size in very large tanks, large tetras, and calm cichlids only where the tank is very big and territories are well managed. Avoid small fish that may be outcompeted, aggressive or highly territorial species, fin-nippers, and other large plecos in cramped tanks. Despite its size it is peaceful, so the limiting factor is always the tank itself: enough volume, enough driftwood and enough filtration to keep a big wood-eater in pristine water. Each Royal Panaque travels with a licensed live-animal courier, backed by our live arrival guarantee.
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