What is the main food item of the panaque pleco in the wild, and where do they live?

Question

What is the main food item of the panaque pleco in the wild, and where do they live?

Answer 1

Panaques are native to South American rivers, like most other plecos, and are predominantly vegetarians and scavengers, grazing on algae and other food items they find along the bottom of the riverbed.  They like a strong current and a good airflow in their tank.  They like to have some wood to chew on as the roughage will aid their digestion and help keep their toothy mouths healthy.  They will appreciate some zucchini or other fresh vegetable to eat once a week or so in addition to their algae diet.  As with all plecos, they are shy creatures and need to have a cave or some other type of hiding place provided for them so they can feel safe in an aquarium environment.  Panaques are a good pleco for smaller fish tanks as they maintain a small size, topping out at 5-6" instead of growing 20" plus as many of the larger species of pleco do.