Gold Spotted Plecostomus 3.5cm

Gold Spotted Pleco
 

The gold spot pleco is a fantastic consideration for the master fish keepers who want an alternative to the common or sailfin pleco. These fish have a beautiful colour and reach up to 40 cm. These plecos often get a bad reputation as they are sold at a small size as a 'cleaner' fish to beginners who are unaware of their maximum growing size and poor aquarium cleaning behaviour. Gold spot plecos are just as messy as large South American cichlids

For the aquarists who are looking to enter the 'monster fish' world the gold spotted pleco would be a great starting species. They are a hardy, large growing and eye catching fish due to their colour patterning and armoured tank like appearance. Gold spotted plecos tend to have a jet black body colour with patches of lighter brown, this is all overlaid with hundreds of small bright gold spots. When these fish flare their fins and go on full display they are amazing to see. They have a flat underside with a large sucker like mouth that they use to attach themselves to wood or even your aquarium glass.

Like all plecos these gold spotted pleco species have a bony skeleton which basically acts like armour plating. This dense bone plating they have means even aggressive aquarium species would have a difficult time causing damage to the gold spotted pleco. Plecos are often regarded as a cleaner fish and though species like the Bristlenose are great at eating algae the gold-spotted plecos tend to be more carnivorous in nature and largely contribute to the bio load in an aquarium. Breeding the gold spotted pleco in the home aquarium is a very difficult task due to the fact that they are not sexually dimorphic and also have very specific breeding requirements which can often only be achieved in a pond-like environment. The wild habitat of the gold spotted pleco is South America.

Tank Recommendations for your Gold Spotted Pleco

Being a large growing pleco species the gold spotted pleco does need a fairly large aquarium but is an easy to care for species of fish. Because of their large size it is best to keep them in a tank that is a minimum of around 380 litres. They also appreciate aquariums with lots of wood and cave like structures as gold spotted plecos tend to be more nocturnal in nature. They also are not fussy about substrate types and can be kept in a sand or gravel substrate but also thrive in a bare bottom environment as well. being a South American fish, they do prefer softer water conditions ranging from the 6.0 - 7.0 ph. mark.

Suitable Tank Buddies

The gold spotted pleco is fairly peaceful in nature and does not actively hunt fish however to stick to the safer side, nano aquarium fish should be avoided along with slow-moving or flat-bodied fish such as discus or stingrays. This is because there have been instances where gold spotted plecos can rasp on the slime coat and skin of these fish causing extreme damage and even death. They are however suitable with a wide range of larger growing fish species.

Usually Compatible

Large growing South American fish such as oscars, peacock bass, dovii, jaguar cichlids and similar species

Sometimes Compatible

Medium-growing and top-dwelling community fish such as giant danios, silver dollars, key hole cichlids, acaras, and kissing gouramis

Rarely Compatible

Small and slow-swimming species such as neon tetras, discus, freshwater stingrays, lungfish, and freshwater sole

Feeding your Gold Spotted Pleco

The gold spotted pleco is very easy to feed and will accept a wide range of foods. due to their bottom-dwelling nature, they prefer to eat sinking foods and can be fed things like sinking pleco wafers. But they can also eat an all-around carnivore's cichlid pellet as well as fresh foods such as thawed fish pieces, prawns, and similar foods. Feeding should happen once during the day preferably when the lights are off.

Is Plant Safe?
Yes - with caution as rooted plants may get uprooted.