King tigers Hypancistrus species L066 are one of my all time favourite plecos. They are a striking pale grey to off-white, sometimes yellowish, pleco covered with a network of fine dark grey to black scribbles. They grow to about 15cm in length (males are generally larger than females) and originate from the lower Rio Xingú and Rio Tocantins in Brazil. They are similar to other co-occurring black scribbled Hypancistrus (L236, L333, L399, L400) and preliminary genetic data suggests they may all belong to a single species complex (Camargo et al. 2013). King tigers appreciate good water quality and flow, and high dissolved oxygen levels. They are largely carnivorous. I feed mine mainly on JBL NovoTab and Hikari carnivore tablets with the occasional feed of shrimp or trout pellets, and the occasional treat of shrimp tails or bloodworms. They are suited to pH’s of 5.8 – 7.0 and temperatures of 26 – 30°C.
This article could have easily been called the trials of keeping king tiger plecos, for while I have had some success breeding them I have also had my share of hiccups along the way. My king tigers first bred just before I moved house. It wasn’t until I was breaking their tank down that I noticed they had spawned. Not surprisingly, the eggs didn’t survive the move. They spawned a couple of times after I moved but unfortunately the male ate his eggs on one occasion and his wrigglers on another after I shone a torch in his cave. I now only use a torch occasionally and very briefly when looking in a cave.
Top left: King tiger male Bottom left: three month old fry Below: eight day old fry
Aquarium World
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