Royal Pleco
Panaque nigrolineatus
What you need to keep a Royal Pleco
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pH
6.5–7.5
Temperature
22–28 °C
Where to buy
Compare prices from SA aquarium shops listing Royal Pleco.
What Royal Pleco costs in South Africa
5 price points from 2 shops over 90 days
R100
cheapest of 1 shop today
SA median R132 across 2 shops over the last 90 days.
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Overview
What to know before you buy.
The Royal Pleco is a large and impressive wood-eating catfish with a light-colored body and dark, wavy stripes. They have powerful teeth designed for scraping wood, which must be the main component of their diet and environment. They are territorial towards other plecos and require a very large, well-filtered tank.
Key traits
Care guide
Keeping Royal Pleco healthy in a South African setup.
Tank setup
Size the aquarium to Royal Pleco's adult size and activity level. Use robust décor and sight breaks so each fish can hold its own space.
Water parameters
Keep pH 6.5–7.5 and 22–28°C. Stable parameters matter more than chasing perfect numbers; acclimate new arrivals slowly.
Feeding
Herbivore. Feed small amounts it clears in a couple of minutes, and vary the diet.
Behaviour
Semi-aggressive. Watch it at feeding time and at lights-out to see its real temperament in your tank.
Tankmates
Choose robust tankmates of similar size, and nothing small enough to be eaten. Add Royal Pleco last so territories reset.
Breeding
Breeding success with Royal Pleco depends on the line and water chemistry; ask your shop about proven pairs.
Settling this fish in?
Condition the tap water, seed the filter, test through the first weeks — most early losses trace back to one of those.
10% off your first order, no code, at checkout
Availability confirmed with the distributor before dispatch · free delivery over r750
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From hobbyists across SA.
Market intelligence
Price trends and buyer demand — data only FishHub tracks.
Price history — last 90 days
SA price range this month: R132–132 · Average: R132
This data is unique to FishHub
Demand by province
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