L200 Green Phantom Pleco

L200 Green Phantom Pleco is a beautifully marked Loricariid from around the confluence of the Orinoco and Ventuari Rivers in Colombia and Venezuela. They have a light green body with distinctive yellow spots. This pleco makes a colorful and unique addition to most medium to large aquariums.

Behaviour

Plecos are territorial crevice dwellers by nature and they appreciate rock structures with a thin layer of sand/gravel mix.  Live rooted stem plants are not a very good idea due to the size and herbivorous nature of the species. Java fern or Anubias attached to wood can be used if you want to incorporate greenery in the aquarium.

Tank Conditions

They will do best in moderately soft, warm water that is well-oxygenated. This species enjoy hiding places and moderate to strong current. More important is warm water (27-30°C) that is well oxygenated with air stones and circulation pumps.

Rocks, caves and other hiding places are a very welcome addition for plecos so that they can stake out their territory and quickly hide if necessary.

Compatibility

The challenge with this fish is to find fish that will live in such fast water. It will live in calmer water should you wish to keep this fish in a medium sized community setup. They are a good pleco for a community tank – even though it’s natural habitat in rapids it will adapt to calmer water conditions. Silver dollars of various types make good mid-water companions.

Feeding

As an omnivore, they will graze on algae but they should have a varied diet of frozen (bloodworms, Mysis shrimp) and prepared foods (algae wafers and quality flake), but blanched vegetables (courgette and sweet potato) should always be available to graze on.  Be sure to remove any uneaten fresh food from the tank each day.

Care

The most important thing is maintaining a strong water current and keeping it well filtered. For this, you should use good quality canister filters. Since Plecos can be big eaters, a heavy duty external power filtration is a necessity. Water changes should also be frequent and copious, with nitrate levels kept below 20mg/l.