Species Profile

Rubber Lip Pleco

Chaetostoma formosae

Plecospeaceful

Adult size

5″

Minimum tank

30 gal

Temperature

70–78°F

6.5–7.8

Schooling

Solitary OK

Water level

bottom

Grows from juvenile

Typically sold at ~2″ and reaches 5″ over ~1 year. Plan tank size for the adult, not the fish at purchase.

Diet

Algae, sinking wafers, blanched veggies

Notes

Real algae eater (unlike many plecos). Stays manageable size. Prefers cooler, well-oxygenated water.

Photo: pl:user:lcamtuf / Wikimedia Commons · Source · CC-BY-SA-3.0