ButterFly Pleco

Compared to most other Plecos, Butterfly Pleco is relatively small and will fit into smaller communities. They grow up to about 12 – 18 cm, which is more than enough for a medium sized aquarium over 140 litres.  They are easy to care for and hardy and help keep down algae.

The Butterfly Pleco (Dekeyseria brachyura) originates from the South American Rio Negro which is classed as a black water tributary to the Amazon river.

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Behaviour

In darker waters and under certain conditions in the aquarium the Butterfly Pleco also has the ability to change its colouration, in darker conditions it will darken up to blend in with the surroundings.

Tank Conditions

Hiding places should be provided by adding décor such as upturned plant pots so that the Butterfly pleco can hide away if it wishes to.  Like most catfish they are also classed as high waste producers so the filtration must be able to cope with this.

Compatibility

Plecos (plecostomus) are omnivorous bottom-feeders and can be safely housed with fish much smaller than themselves. Plecos generally pair well with cichlids, angelfish, barbs, bettas, other catfish species, gouramis, guppies, hatchets, loaches, mollies and platies.

Feeding

Often these fish are kept in the aquarium as part of a “clean up crew” i.e. they will consume the algae from the aquarium leaving the glass perfectly clean, however they do require other foods to keep them healthy so make sure that their diet is supplemented with regular meals. They do require a high vegetable diet so the addition of cucumber, broccoli or marrow (zucchini) will be beneficial to the Butterfly pleco but they should also be supplied with occasional meals of meaty foods. Bloodworms are readily accepted but do not overfeed with these as they can lead to blocked digestive systems.  Click for Fish Food for Bottom Feeder at Rebel Pets.

They do gnaw on bogwood to aid their digestion so the addition of this to the aquarium is a must.

Care

If they’re properly taken care of, they are known to live up to 8-10 years.  Regular water changes should be performed, at least 10% weekly and as they are high waste producer.

Add tannins to both soften and darken the water or use Bio Elite Soft-water Conditioner to simulate the black waters of their natural habitat.

Although the Butterfly pleco is classed as a hardy species of fish they do require the aquarium to be fully cycled before adding them, unstable water parameters will be harmful to most species of fish in the long term.