Royal pleco
Panaque nigrolineatus
- Tank length
- 150 cmabout 5 ft (59 in)
- Start with
- 1
- Temperature
- 22–26 °C72–79 °F
- pH
- 5.5–7.8
- Adult size
- 35 cm14 in
- Lifespan
- 10–20 yrs
Rasps wood as a staple and produces a lot of waste; needs driftwood, strong filtration, and a large tank, and fights other big plecos.Rasps wood as a staple and produces a lot of waste; needs driftwood, strong filtration, and a large tank, and fights other big plecos.
Tank sizes
Good tankmates
Avoid with
- Irian Jaya rainbowfish
No shared temperature rangeNo shared temperature range
- Alligator gar
Alligator gar may eat Royal plecoAlligator gar may eat Royal pleco
- Altum angelfish
No shared temperature rangeNo shared temperature range
- Arapaima
Arapaima may eat Royal plecoArapaima may eat Royal pleco
- Channel catfish
No shared temperature rangeNo shared temperature range
- Chocolate zebra pleco
No shared temperature rangeNo shared temperature range
DiscusNo shared temperature rangeNo shared temperature range
- Flowerhorn cichlid
No shared temperature rangeNo shared temperature range
- Orange chromide
No shared pH rangeNo shared pH range
- Orinoco peacock bass
No shared temperature rangeNo shared temperature range
- Paroon shark
Paroon shark may eat Royal plecoParoon shark may eat Royal pleco
- Piraiba
Piraiba may eat Royal plecoPiraiba may eat Royal pleco
Data used by the planner
| Temperature | 22–26 | AqAdvisor (aqadvisor.com), retrieved 2026-10-04; agrees with FishBase (fishbase.se), retrieved 2026-10-04 · medium confidence |
|---|---|---|
| pH | 5.5–7.8 | AqAdvisor (aqadvisor.com), retrieved 2026-10-04 · low confidence |
| Hardness (dGH) | 1–15 | AqAdvisor (aqadvisor.com), retrieved 2026-10-04; agrees with FishBase (fishbase.se), retrieved 2026-10-04 · medium confidence |
| Origin | Orinoco basin, Colombia and Venezuela | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · low confidence |
| Beginner friendly | No | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium confidence |
| Care level | moderate | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium confidence |
| Activity | sedentary | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium confidence |
| Swimming level | bottom | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium confidence |
| Temperament | semi aggressive | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium confidence |
| Nips fins | No | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium confidence |
| Long fins | No | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium confidence |
| Territorial | Yes | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium confidence |
| Lives in groups | No | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium confidence |
| Minimum group | 1 | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium confidence |
| Diet | herbivore | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium confidence |
| Lifespan (years) | 10–20 | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · low confidence |
| Months to adult size | 48 | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · low confidence |
| Safe with plants | No | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium confidence |
| Minimum tank length | 150 | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium confidence |