Description
Panaqolus maccus is a small pleco of about 8.8 cm, with a brown body marked with pale spots and vermiculations, from the Apure and Caroní basins, in Venezuela. It is the brown relative of P. albivermis, which is black, and slightly smaller.
Like the rest of the genus, it is expected to be a wood fish: it asks for logs and small caves. It fits in a modest tank, as long as it has somewhere to gnaw.
Behavior
It can be expected to be calm with other species and to defend its cave against other plecos. It needs logs and caves of the right size.
It lives well with calm fish of the middle and upper levels, such as tetras, and with other small catfish.
Avoid housing it with other territorial plecos and with large cichlids that would harass it.
Habitat
Panaqolus maccus lives in the Apure and Caroní basins, in Venezuela. Its environment has not been described.
Details
🌊 Water parameters
🐠 Minimum tank size
Breeding
Its breeding is not documented. Panaqolus usually spawn in small caves, where the male looks after the eggs.
Diet
A herbivore that gnaws wood, like the rest of the genus.
- Staple: submerged wood and vegetable pleco tablets.
- Supplement: slices of courgette or cucumber and some frozen mosquito larvae.
What about your tank?
Enter your tank's values to see only the compatible species that fit them. Litres apply to fish.
Compatible fish
General guidance based on water parameters, behaviour and known exceptions; always review the individual animals' and aquarium's specific needs.
They share water: pH 6.5–7 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 23–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7 and 23–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7 and 23–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 26 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 6.5–7 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 25–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 22–25 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 22–24 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 25–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 26 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7.5 and 24–26 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 7.5 and 24–26 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 6.5–7 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5 and 23–26 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.2 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 22 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 22–24 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7 and 23–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.2 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.2 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.2 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.2 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7 and 26 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 25–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5 and 24–26 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 6.5–7 and 23–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 23–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 23–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 23–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
Compatible invertebrates
General guidance based on water parameters, behaviour and known exceptions; always review the individual animals' and aquarium's specific needs.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5 and 22–24 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 22–25 °C.
They share water: pH 7.5 and 24–26 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7.5 and 26 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–6.8 and 22–24 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–6.8 and 22–24 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 23–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 23–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 23–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5 and 22–24 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
Sources
- FishBaseFroese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2026. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication.
There is no source for this species' water: none of the accepted sources records its pH, temperature or hardness, and the profile's ranges are estimated from its congeners or species of the same genus.
Water: the ranges (pH 6.5-7.5, 2-15 dGH and 22-26 °C) are estimated from those of Panaque nigrolineatus, which FishBase records and which is of a close genus: Panaqolus has no congeners with water data in the catalogue. Size: 8.8 cm SL in FishBase. Distribution: the Apure and Caroní basins, in Venezuela. Differences from P. albivermis: from the description of that species recorded by FishBase. Diet, behaviour and breeding: FishBase does not record them; the text is general knowledge of the genus Panaqolus, not of the species.
Litres per fish, tank sizes and lifespan: the profile's own judgement. The sources consulted do not give them.
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