The fish list

Candy stripe

L015

Peckoltia vittata

Lower Amazon and Xingu basins, Brazil · river

Temperature

25–30°C

pH

5.5–7.5

Adult size

4 in · 10 cm

Flow

Gentle

Swims

Bottom

Temperament

Peaceful

Diet

Omnivore

Breeding

Moderate

Typical price

$30–70

In Canada

Occasional

Rarity

Uncommon

A small Peckoltia with bold yellow and dark bands. Peaceful, and a different genus from L236.

Photo: Gabriel Lelis Togni, CC BY 3.0

Starlight bristlenose

L183

Ancistrus dolichopterus

Rio Negro, Brazil · river

Temperature

23–28°C

pH

5.5–7.5

Adult size

6 in · 15 cm

Flow

Gentle

Swims

Bottom

Temperament

Peaceful

Diet

Omnivore

Breeding

Easy–moderate

Typical price

$25–80

In Canada

Occasional

Rarity

Uncommon

Black with white stars and white fin edges. The prettiest bristlenose, but it prefers cooler, soft water.

Photo: Alberto Mejia-Paniagua, CC BY NC SA

Green phantom

L200

Hemiancistrus subviridis

Upper Orinoco and Ventuari, Venezuela · rapids

Temperature

26–30°C

pH

5.5–7.5

Adult size

7 in · 18 cm

Flow

Strong

Swims

Bottom

Temperament

Territorial

Diet

Omnivore

Breeding

Moderate

Typical price

$60–150

In Canada

Occasional

Rarity

Uncommon

Olive-green with yellow dots, a colour nothing else in the tank has. Grazes algae and likes strong flow.

Photo: Anne Blindheim, CC BY SA

Flash pleco

L204

Panaqolus albivermis

Peruvian Amazon · river

Temperature

24–28°C

pH

5.5–7.5

Adult size

4 in · 11 cm

Flow

Gentle

Swims

Bottom

Temperament

Peaceful

Diet

Wood

Breeding

Moderate

Typical price

$50–100

In Canada

Occasional

Rarity

Uncommon

White vermiculation with orange-red fin edges. A wood-eater, so add driftwood and vegetables.

Photo: Hantanplan, CC0

Tangerine tiger

L397

Near Alenquer, lower Amazon, Brazil · river

Temperature

24–28°C

pH

5.5–7.5

Adult size

4 in · 10 cm

Flow

Gentle

Swims

Bottom

Temperament

Peaceful

Diet

Wood

Breeding

Moderate

Typical price

$50–100

In Canada

Occasional

Rarity

Uncommon

Orange-and-dark banded Panaqolus, also sold as the Alenquer tiger. Needs driftwood.

Photo: Fish Tank Society, CC BY-SA 4.0

Tiger peckoltia

L002

Peckoltia vermiculata

Lower Amazon near Santarém, Brazil · river

Temperature

25–29°C

pH

5.5–7.5

Adult size

4 in · 10 cm

Flow

Gentle

Swims

Bottom

Temperament

Peaceful

Diet

Omnivore

Breeding

Moderate

Typical price

$30–60

In Canada

Occasional

Rarity

Uncommon

A small, easy Peckoltia with dark vermiculation on gold. Peaceful and a good community pleco.

Leopard peckoltia

L008

Rio Tocantins, Brazil · river

Temperature

25–29°C

pH

5.5–7.5

Adult size

4 in · 10 cm

Flow

Gentle

Swims

Bottom

Temperament

Peaceful

Diet

Omnivore

Breeding

Moderate

Typical price

$30–60

In Canada

Occasional

Rarity

Uncommon

A small, easy Peckoltia with dark spots on a golden-brown body.

Snowball

L102

Hypancistrus inspector

Upper Rio Negro and Casiquiare, Venezuela and Brazil · rapids

Temperature

26–29°C

pH

5.5–7.5

Adult size

6 in · 15 cm

Flow

Strong

Swims

Bottom

Temperament

Peaceful

Diet

Carnivore

Breeding

Easy

Typical price

$40–80

In Canada

Occasional

Rarity

Uncommon

Bigger, sparser white spots than L201, and a bigger fish overall.

Wormline peckoltia

L135

Unknown origin · river

Temperature

25–29°C

pH

5.5–7.5

Adult size

5 in · 12 cm

Flow

Gentle

Swims

Bottom

Temperament

Peaceful

Diet

Omnivore

Breeding

Moderate

Typical price

$40–80

In Canada

Occasional

Rarity

Uncommon

Dark body covered in fine gold worm-lines. Peaceful and easy to keep.

Angelicus

L136

Middle Rio Negro, Brazil · rapids

Temperature

26–30°C

pH

5.5–7.5

Adult size

5 in · 12 cm

Flow

Strong

Swims

Bottom

Temperament

Peaceful

Diet

Carnivore

Breeding

Easy–moderate

Typical price

$40–120

In Canada

Occasional

Rarity

Uncommon

Sold as L136a, b and c. Keep one variant per breeding pair so fry stay true.

Spotted zebra

L174

Rio Xingu, Brazil · rapids

Temperature

27–30°C

pH

5.5–7.5

Adult size

4 in · 10 cm

Flow

Strong

Swims

Bottom

Temperament

Peaceful

Diet

Carnivore

Breeding

Moderate

Typical price

$60–150

In Canada

Occasional

Rarity

Uncommon

Small, with dense fine gold dots on black. Patterns vary, so check photos before buying.

Peppermint bristlenose

L181

Unknown origin · river

Temperature

24–28°C

pH

5.5–7.5

Adult size

5 in · 13 cm

Flow

Gentle

Swims

Bottom

Temperament

Peaceful

Diet

Omnivore

Breeding

Moderate

Typical price

$60–120

In Canada

Occasional

Rarity

Uncommon

Black with white spots and bright white fin edges. A standout bristlenose, but it prefers slightly cooler water than L236.

Queen arabesque

L260

Rio Tapajós, Brazil · rapids

Temperature

27–30°C

pH

5.5–7.5

Adult size

4 in · 11 cm

Flow

Strong

Swims

Bottom

Temperament

Peaceful

Diet

Carnivore

Breeding

Moderate

Typical price

$60–150

In Canada

Occasional

Rarity

Uncommon

Fine white maze lines on black. One of the most refined patterns in the genus.

Stardust

L262

Unknown origin · rapids

Temperature

26–30°C

pH

5.5–7.5

Adult size

4 in · 10 cm

Flow

Strong

Swims

Bottom

Temperament

Peaceful

Diet

Carnivore

Breeding

Moderate

Typical price

$40–90

In Canada

Occasional

Rarity

Uncommon

Black with a fine dusting of white dots. It can cross with L236.

Mega clown

L340

Tapajós basin, Brazil · rapids

Temperature

27–30°C

pH

5.5–7.5

Adult size

5 in · 12 cm

Flow

Strong

Swims

Bottom

Temperament

Peaceful

Diet

Carnivore

Breeding

Moderate

Typical price

$40–120

In Canada

Occasional

Rarity

Uncommon

Thick, irregular white bands on black, like a coarse zebra.

Tankei tiger

L398

Panaqolus tankei

Rio Xingu, Brazil · river

Temperature

25–29°C

pH

5.5–7.5

Adult size

4 in · 10 cm

Flow

Gentle

Swims

Bottom

Temperament

Peaceful

Diet

Wood

Breeding

Moderate

Typical price

$30–60

In Canada

Occasional

Rarity

Uncommon

A small banded wood-eater. Add driftwood and vegetables.