Freshwater Fish
Royal Plecostomus.
The royal pleco — a handsome grey fish with bold black striping and red eyes, and one of the few true wood-eaters. It needs driftwood to graze and pristine, oxygen-rich water in a large tank. A magnificent, long-lived pleco for the committed keeper.
We keep this species at our Erie store. Come and see it in the tanks, or call (814) 456-9445 and ask what we have in right now.
Sea Cave keeps this species. You will find these in the tanks at 660 East 14th Street in Erie. We never ship live animals.
- Condition
- new
- Fulfillment
- Local pickup — Erie, PA
We never ship fish, coral, or invertebrates — every animal here is one you meet in person. Each one is acclimated and health-checked in-house before it goes out into the display tanks. This is a species we keep, and what is swimming on any given day changes with the deliveries, so please call (814) 456-9445 before you drive in.
Care at a glance
What to know before you take one home.
- Care level
- Intermediate
- Temperament
- Semi aggressive
- Adult size
- 17"
- Min tank size
- 55–125 gal by age
- Diet
- Herbivore
- Scientific name
- Panaque nigrolineatus
Grows into its tank
Juvenile (~1–2 yrs)55 galSub-adult (~3–4 yrs)75 galAdult (16–17")125 galGood tank mates
The royal pleco is a large wood-eating catfish that wants driftwood to rasp on and its own territory to claim. It can be territorial toward other plecos, so give it space from its own kind, but it coexists peacefully with calm midwater community fish.
Good to know
The royal pleco (Panaque nigrolineatus) is one of the few fish that actually digests wood, helped by gut microbes that break down the fibers it rasps from driftwood.
What is in the tanks and each animal's temperament vary — call (814) 456-9445 for pairing advice.
Good tankmates
Plays well with.
Species we’d keep in the same tank, with why each pairing works. What is in the tanks and each animal’s temperament vary — call (814) 456-9445 for advice on pairing.
New to stocking a tank? Read our guide on which fish live together.
Red Spot Silver Dollar
Peaceful, mid-water schooling species from South America that occupies a completely different water column from the bottom-dwelling Royal Pleco. Reaches 6–8 inches, so it is not at predation risk. Water parameters (pH 5–7, 75–82°F) align directly with Royal Pleco requirements. Explicitly listed as a compatible tankmate by Aquarium Source and corroborated by multiple independent care resources.
Green Severum
A South American cichlid that shares compatible soft, acidic water parameters and inhabits mid-water rather than competing for the Royal Pleco's bottom territory. Semi-aggressive rather than a true aggressor; only notably territorial during active spawning. Explicitly cited as a suitable companion in the Aquarium Source Royal Pleco profile. Both species require a large tank (120+ gal minimum for the pleco), giving adequate space to defuse any territorial tension.
- G
Geophagus
Peaceful South American substrate-sifting cichlid that shares compatible soft, acidic freshwater conditions. Although both species are associated with the lower tank level, Geophagus are not wood-raspers and occupy a different ecological niche. In the 120+ gallon tank the Royal Pleco requires, territorial overlap is manageable with adequate driftwood caves and hiding spots. Listed as compatible by Aquarium Source.
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Emperor Tetra
Peaceful, non-fin-nipping mid-water schooler native to South American rivers with soft, acidic water matching Royal Pleco requirements. At roughly 2 inches it poses no territorial threat, and the Royal Pleco is strictly xylivorous and herbivorous — not a predator of small fish. Aquarium Source recommends tetras as ideal tankmates for Royal Plecos, and Emperor Tetras are one of the more placid tetra species.
Visit the store
660 East 14th Street,
Erie, PA.
Mon–Fri 12–6 · Sat 11–4 · Sun closed. Call ahead on livestock — what's on the floor rotates.