Green phantom pleco care
Hemiancistrus subviridis · Upper Orinoco basin, Colombia and Venezuela, among granite rocks
The green phantom pleco (L200) is lime green with pale spots and grows to about 6 inches without the tail.
- Tank size
- 40 US gal or larger
- Temperature
- 77 to 84 °F (25 to 29 °C)
- Group size
- Alone or in a pair
- Temperament
- Peaceful
- Adult size
- 5.9 in (standard length, without the tail)
- pH
- 6 to 7.5
- Hardness (GH)
- 2 to 10 dGH
- Lifespan
- 10 to 15 years
- Diet
- Omnivore
- Care level
- Moderate
In a 40 gallon breeder
36 3/16 × 18¼ × 16 15/16 in outsideHow to keep green phantom plecos
The green phantom pleco (L200) is lime green with pale spots and grows to about 6 inches without the tail. It lives between granite rocks in fast water, so give it a 40 gallon or larger tank with rocks and caves, warm water, strong current and plenty of oxygen. Feed vegetables and algae wafers as well as meaty food.
Diet: Omnivore: algae wafers, blanched vegetables, sinking pellets and frozen foods. Fish food types compared · how often to feed.
Where they swim: Bottom of the tank.
Green phantom pleco tank mates
Share the temperature and water, and neither side eats, nips or bullies the other. Check the full group in the stocking checker.
Clown barb
5.9 in · 55+ gal · 75–82 °F
Angelfish
6 in · 29+ gal · 76–84 °F
Three-spot (blue) gourami
6 in · 29+ gal · 72–82 °F
Electric blue acara
6 in · 40+ gal · 72–82 °F
Rainbow cichlid
6 in · 30+ gal · 72–84 °F
Blue acara
6 in · 40+ gal · 72–82 °F
Amazon puffer
5 in · 29+ gal · 74–82 °F
Moonlight gourami
5 in · 30+ gal · 77–84 °F
Keep apart
White cloud mountain minnow: No shared temperature: green phantom plecos need 77 to 84 °F, white cloud mountain minnows 64 to 72 °F.
Oscar: Oscars are aggressive towards peaceful fish such as green phantom plecos.
Reticulated hillstream loach: No shared temperature: green phantom plecos need 77 to 84 °F, reticulated hillstream loaches 68 to 75 °F.
Pea puffer: Pea puffers belong in a tank of their own.
Fancy goldfish: No shared temperature: green phantom plecos need 77 to 84 °F, fancy goldfish 64 to 74 °F.
Convict cichlid: Convict cichlids are aggressive towards peaceful fish such as green phantom plecos.
What a green phantom pleco tank needs
A tank of 40 US gallons or more (such as the 40 gallon breeder) with a cover, and the equipment below.
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Fluval U3
Rated by the maker for up to 40 US gal, which covers a 40 gallon green phantom pleco tank without being built for a far bigger one.
hygger Hang-on-back Canister Filter 7W
Rated by the maker for 20–40 US gal, which covers a 40 gallon green phantom pleco tank without being built for a far bigger one.
hygger Precise Aquarium Heater 200W
Green phantom plecos need 77 to 84 °F; most homes run cooler, so a heater holds the temperature.
API Freshwater Master Test Kit
Tests ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH, the readings that matter most before and after adding green phantom plecos.
Seachem Prime 100 mL
Removes chlorine and chloramine from tap water at every water change.
Fluval Edge Thermometer
Shows the water temperature at a glance, so you know it stays within 77 to 84 °F.
More choices, each with the reason it is in or out: Filters for a 40 gallon tank · Heaters for a 40 gallon tank. We don’t list fish food: any good brand of the foods under Diet will do. Plan the whole tank's equipment →
Common green phantom pleco problems
- Two plecos share the L200 number, this one and the very similar Baryancistrus demantoides; ask which you are buying.
- Territorial towards other plecos; give each its own cave.
Test the water first whenever fish look unwell: see what your readings mean, then match the symptom. For disease, a vet who treats fish can diagnose it and advise treatment.
More to compare
Sources
Name, origin and adult size checked against Wikipedia: Hemiancistrus subviridis. Temperature, pH, hardness, group size, lifespan and minimum tank size are common hobby guidance, not figures from that article. Ranges are the range the species tolerates; aim for the middle. Minimum tank sizes are for an adult group. Drawings are our own; photo credits follow.
Photo credits
Real photographs from Wikimedia Commons, resized and cropped to fit; each is used under the license named.
- Green phantom pleco 5snake5, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Angelfish Citron, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Three-spot (blue) gourami Peter Jung, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Electric blue acara 5snake5, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Rainbow cichlid Happy Birthday To You!, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- Blue acara Loïc Tremblay, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Amazon puffer O. Schneider, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Moonlight gourami H. Zell, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- White cloud mountain minnow Petrtyl, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Oscar H. Zell, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Reticulated hillstream loach Spiketooth, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Pea puffer Beta Mahatvaraj, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Fancy goldfish Benson Kua, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Convict cichlid S. Olkowicz, CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
- Pygmy corydoras Birger A, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Salt-and-pepper corydoras D.W., CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Bronze corydoras Quatermass (English Wikipedia), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- Panda corydoras Chronotopian, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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