The Green Phantom Pleco, also known as L200 Green Phantom Pleco, is a very beautiful fish that originates from the Orinoco river stretching from Colombia to Venezuela.
Scientifically, they are known as Hemiancistrus subviridis.
They are called Green Phantoms because of their beautiful green body color with yellow spots on it. They will make a beautiful addition to your aquarium, especially when they grow big enough to display all the colors on their bodies. However, be on the know that they mature more slowly than other fish due to their long lifespan.
Size
They are large fish and can reach up to 8 inches (20cm) in size in their mature form. However, they can also be an inch smaller or an inch bigger.
Lifespan
Green Phantom Plecos can live up to 20 years if they are well taken care of. They can be your long-term companion and grow up gradually with you. They are perfect for people who get sad when their small pet fish leave them after a couple of years.
Temperament
One thing to note about Green Phantom Plecos is that they love staying in caves. This is important not only for them to lay eggs and hide but also because they can be aggressive towards other similar Plecos or other tank mates if they don’t have a place to hide on their own.
This could make your aquarium quite messy. But generally, they are peaceful, they stay in their territory and won’t attack other fish randomly.
Tank requirement
Here you can know the appropriate tank requirement for your Green Phantom Pleco
Tank size
If you want to keep more than one Green Phantom Pleco, you will need a 70-gallon or a bigger tank.so you can divide their territory so they won’t get into continuous conflicts. However, if you are planning to keep just one with other small to medium-sized fish such as the Rhino Pleco, a 40-gallon as a minimum will be okay.
Tank setup
Green Phantom Plecos like to rest on rocks and driftwood in the water. To make them happy and comfortable in your aquarium, you’ll need plenty of smooth rocks, hiding places aka caves, and driftwood for them to rest on and munch on.
Although they differ from other super-active fish, you can still see The Green Phantom Plecos swimming around and moving regularly in the water. However, most of the time they prefer to lie on rocks or hide in caves during the day.
Water Settings and Parameters
Green Phantom Plecos prefer fast-flowing water as they come from rivers originally, but they can adapt to slow and calmer water in your tank. But I still recommended that you provide them with some current to keep them comfortable and happy.
Temperature & pH
Green Phantom Plecos can tolerate a temperature as low as 71 and as high as 78 F (21-26 celsius). But It’s best for you to maintain a stable temperature for them so they can get their oxygen intake right. They can handle pH levels as low as 6 and as high as 7.8, But generally, they prefer acidic water.
Tank Mates
Green Phantom Plecos are not aggressive but are territorial. They don’t like other fish invading their caves or competing with them for resting places.
Potential tank mates can be :
- Rhino Pleco
- Rosy Loach
- Blue Ram
- Silvertip Tetra
- Rainbow Fish
- Red Phantom Tetra
- Rosy Red Barbs
- Golden Panda Molly.
Choose peaceful and tame small-sized fish that can tolerate the same tank environment. Be sure to note the characteristics of each tank mate and set up the parameters correctly to ensure that they all can live comfortably.
Green And Blue Pleco
There are two species of Phantom Pleco: L200 Green Phantom Pleco and L128 Blue Phantom Pleco. You can differentiate between them by one small detail – the dorsal fin of the L200 is connected to the adipose fin, while the L128 has them separated.
They both live in the same river but in different parts – the southern part and the northern part respectively- one of them is blue while the other is green. And they have the same type of care so this guide can apply to them too.
Diet
Green Phantom Plecos are omnivores, which means they eat both meat and vegetables. To keep them healthy, it is recommended to provide them with a mixed diet of both.
For vegetables, you can give them zucchini, cucumber, and lettuce. And they will also eat algae.
For meaty foods, shrimp and frozen bloodworms are good options.
You can also feed them pellets and wafers.
Keeping Them Healthy
Green Phantom Plecos are hardy and rarely get sick. However, setting up the wrong water parameters, not cleaning the tank regularly, overfeeding, or neglecting to give them enough food can weaken their immune system and make them more susceptible to diseases.
Breeding
Green Phantom Plecos are cave spawners, which means they like to hide and stay in caves. When breeding, the males will lead the females to the cave, and after she lays her eggs, he will chase her away and guard the eggs. Breeding them in captivity can be difficult, so it is only recommended if you have a large tank with plenty of large caves in your aquarium.
Conclusion
The Green Phantom Pleco isn’t just your everyday pleco. They are amazing fish. It could be a great addition to your tank if you are used to hosting only small-sized fish. the Green Phantom Pleco will be like a guardian in your aquarium it will add that natural green color that blends very well with the environment, especially if your aquarium is well set up. it will become your favorite fish in no time after getting it, and you might want to get more and more. Just like an addiction.
And as we have seen, they are low-maintenance fish they don’t require as much care as other types of fish require, and they are easy to feed and easy to set up. you just have to get your parameters correctly set up and your water regularly cleaned up. They are night owls, they like to hang out at night, so don’t expose them too much to the light, just the regular lighting is enough.
Have you already got a Green Phantom Pleco or maybe you’re just thinking of buying one? please let us know in the comments below!
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