Description
Panaque nigrolineatus is a large, sturdy pleco of up to 43 cm, from the Orinoco basin and the tributaries of the middle and lower Amazon. It eats plants and roots, so in the aquarium it needs submerged wood to gnaw.
It is a fish for an enormous tank with big logs, not for an ordinary community aquarium. It comes with a bill for wood, filtration and space.
Behavior
Its temperament is not recorded. Like other large plecos, it can be expected to be calm with other fish and to defend its cave against other plecos, so the prudent choice is a single one. It needs big logs and roomy caves.
It lives well with robust fish of the middle and upper levels, such as calm South American cichlids and large characins.
Avoid housing it with other plecos and with small, slow fish, which may be pushed away from the bottom.
Habitat
Panaque nigrolineatus lives in South America, in the Orinoco and in the tributaries to the south of the middle and lower Amazon. Its specific environment has not been described.
Details
🌊 Water parameters
🐠 Minimum tank size
Breeding
Its breeding is not documented.
Diet
A herbivore of plants and roots: in the aquarium it depends on wood.
- Staple: submerged wood to gnaw, always available, and vegetable pleco tablets.
- Supplement: courgette, cucumber or blanched spinach.
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.
The care values (pH, temperature and hardness) come from a single source: none of the other accepted sources records them for this species.
Water: FishBase gives pH 6.5-7.5, 2-15 dH and 22-26 °C. Size: 43 cm SL. Diet: FishBase notes that it feeds on plants and roots. Tank: FishBase gives a minimum of 120 cm; for a 43 cm fish a larger base (180 × 60 cm) is used, an own judgement. Distribution: the Orinoco and tributaries of the middle and lower Amazon, to the south. Submerged wood as food in the aquarium is general knowledge of Panaque, not of the species.
Litres per fish, tank sizes and lifespan: the profile's own judgement. The sources consulted do not give them.
Plan your next aquarium
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