Orinoco Zebra Pleco

The Orinoco Zebra Pleco is an expensive specimen, due to the fact it is rarely available. Recommended for the intermediate to advanced aquarist, as it needs higher temperatures, clear water and a fast moving current. They are unlikely to survive in still or dirty water. A nocturnal, moderately territorial, peaceful fish that prefers plenty of hiding places. This fish grows to a length of up to 8 cm and requires a tank of at least 120 litres.

The Zebra Pleco (Hypancistrus zebra) is a species of catfish endemic to the Amazon River basin and the Orinoco River basin in Venezuela.  It gets its name from its black and white stripes, resembling the colouration of a zebra.

They used to b exported from Brazil in great numbers for sale as aquarium fish. However, currently the Brazilian government bans the export of certain Hypancistrus, including H. zebra which is a threatened species due to dam construction.  The species has been classified as endangered and may soon become extinct in the wild. It is subject to several captive breeding programs. Our Zebra Plecos have all been captive bred.

Because the Zebra Plecos are so rare, they are also one of the pricier aquarium fish you can buy. And because they’re stunning, you want to make sure you get the best tips on proper care for these beautiful pleco beauties.

Behaviour

The Orinoco Zebra Pleco is a nocturnal fish and it becomes active when nightfall comes. Almost all of their time spends near the tank bottom. To make sure that the fish can hide at any moment, put lots of shelters on the tank bottom. They should be of proper size to let your fish feel comfortable inside.

Although these fish have the trademark suckermouth, it’s important to remember that the Zebra Pleco has a much smaller mouth than other catfish, which will affect how you feed them.

Tank Conditions

Plecos are happy with pretty much any substrate as long as they can forage in the substrate for food.

In their natural habitat, there are a lot of different cracks, caves and burrows on the river bottom. The fish hides inside these caves and cracks, that’s why some shelters like this should be present in your tank.

Make sure that their aquarium has plenty of hiding places as they will sleep in these places during the daytime by adding caves and hollowed logs. You can also use upturned flower pots. Zebra Plecos love to hide and forage amongst plants and dark spaces.

You can add some tank plants, but remember that the recommended tank water temperature is on the high end and not all plants can deal with it the higher temps. They also like to rest on driftwood and hide in shipwrecks. Snags and various roots are both good shelters for the fish and tank decorations, so aquarists widely use them in such tanks. Slate stones can also used to build shelters for the fish.

In a tank about 65 cm long you can easily keep about 4-5 species of this catfish. If there are more fishes you’d like to keep, the tank volume should be larger. Another thing you should bear in mind, is that the larger is the tank, the easier it is to maintain tank water parameters and control how they change.

The most important thing is maintaining a strong water current and keeping it well filtered to deal with all the waste, otherwise your zebra pleco could become unhealthy. Canister and hang-on-back filters are the best options.  Be sure that they provide at least 1100 liters per hour flow.  The addition of a few air stones and water pumps will help to create plenty of water flow throughout your tank.

Although Zebra Plecos do not need special lighting, we recommend LED lights to give you a cost effective way to run long term lighting.  This provides the natural lighting needed and will keep your plants healthy.

Compatibility

Zebra Plecos have a peaceful temper and as a rule they don’t show any aggression towards their tank mates. But at that they aren’t very suitable for dwelling in a community tank as they need warm water, strong water flow with high oxygen levels. Besides they are very timid and tend to refuse to eat rather than compete for it with more active tank mates.

You can keep Zebra Plecos with discus fish. They have similar biotopes, requirements for water temperature. The only thing they have different is high water flow rate that Hypancistrus zebra needs.

Feeding

Zebra Plecos are predatory fish and need lots of protein. That said, they are not super aggressive about going after their food, so you want to make sure that they are not competing with other fish that are more aggressive about food than they are. If that is the case, your Zebra Pleco will have a shortage of food. Because these fish are not aggressive eaters, choose a quiet spot in the aquarium for feeding them — they’ll feel safer and less stressed, and you can ensure that they are getting sufficient nutrition to keep them healthy.

Zebra Plecos do eat more meat than other types of catfish. They’ll appreciate live bloodworms (although they’ll gladly accept frozen and freeze-dried). They also like small invertebrates, and you should also provide dried foods that are packed with protein. Brine shrimp are a popular Zebra Pleco choice.

Although they will eat algae and some vegetables (try cucumbers), protein is the basis of their diet. Keep in mind, too, that they have incredibly small mouths, and won’t be able to handle vegetation and vegetables that are too large.  If you’re going with fish food, stick with pellets rather than flakes since they are hanging out at the bottom of the tank.

Like always, we recommend that a high-quality sinking pellet or a fish food for bottom feeders forms the basis of their diet.

Since they are nocturnal, it’s best to feed them during the evening just before you turn the lights in the tank off.

Just make sure to never overfeed.

Care

Zebra pleco is quite demanding in terms of tank conditions (high flow, clean water, higher temperatures) and that’s why it’s not recommended for beginner aquarists to keep.

Besides water filtration the fish also needs weekly renew of 20-25% of total tank volume.  It’s imperative to keep the Zebra Pleco’s tank pristine. They are unable to tolerate dirty tank conditions and will become stressed and more susceptible to disease.

Fungal and bacterial infections, as well as the parasite Ich, are all maladies that freshwater fish, including Zebra Plecos, are in danger of contracting.  However, you have the power to greatly reduce the rate of disease and illness if you care for your Zebra Plecos and their tank properly. As we mentioned before, Zebra Plecos are highly sensitive to dirty water and will get sick or die if they are not provided with pristine conditions.

See Fish Disease Diagnosis and Treatment at Rebel Pets for help with diagnosing and treating diseases.