Magnum Pleco (L031) Care Guide
Parancistrus aurantiacus (L031, Magnum Pleco) is a robust loricariid from the Ucayali, Tocantins and Xingu basins needing strong flow and clean water.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Parancistrus aurantiacus, the Magnum Pleco (L031), is a robust suckermouth catfish. FishBase records a standard length of about 19 cm and a temperature range of 22-27 °C. The species epithet aurantiacus refers to its orange coloration.
Taxonomy
- Family: Loricariidae
- Subfamily: Hypostominae
- Genus: Parancistrus
- Scientific name: Parancistrus aurantiacus
- L-number: L031
Habitat
FishBase and Wikipedia report the species from the Ucayali, Tocantins and Xingu River basins in Brazil and Peru. These are warm, fast-flowing tropical drainages, and the fish needs strong water movement and clean, oxygenated conditions.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 400 L
- Temperature: 24-28 °C (within the 22-27 °C wild range per FishBase)
- pH: 6.0-7.5
- GH: 2-12 °dGH
- Lifespan: 8-12 years
- Provide driftwood, caves and strong, well-oxygenated flow
Diet
Omnivorous. As a loricariid it grazes on aufwuchs and biofilm and accepts sinking prepared foods and vegetable matter in the aquarium.
Compatibility
A robust, mostly nocturnal bottom-dweller. It can be territorial toward other plecos, so it should be given ample space, caves and high flow.
Breeding
A cave-spawner; breeding is considered advanced and is rarely achieved in the aquarium.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List: Near Threatened (assessed 2020).
Breeding Parancistrus aurantiacus (L031)
Overview
Parancistrus aurantiacus, the Magnum Pleco (L031), is a loricariid that displays distinct gold/orange and dark grey colour phases: orange colouration is often seen in freshly imported specimens, which then change toward grey. It is a cave spawner and, unlike many large plecos, has produced developing egg batches in the aquarium (Fauna Tropica breeding report).
Breeding Setup
Provide breeding caves within a spacious, strongly filtered tank. As with related Xingu/Tocantins loricariids, clean, warm, well-oxygenated water with good flow is the working basis for inducing spawning.
Spawning Behavior & Trigger
The species spawns in caves. A documented breeding pair produced a well-developing batch of eggs over a weekend, with several spawning events recorded and fry development tracked over many days (Fauna Tropica breeding report).
Egg & Fry Care
In the documented spawning, fry were followed through development; around day 47 the first youngster began to change colour, illustrating the species' shift between light and dark fry. Stable, clean water through the rearing period supports survival of the brood.
Common Challenges
This is a large, robust pleco needing a big tank and powerful filtration with strong flow. Sourcing a compatible pair and providing appropriate caves and pristine water are the principal obstacles to repeating the documented spawnings.