Green Phantom pleco

Sold as the Green Phantom pleco (L200), Hemiancistrus subviridis is a striking loricariid from the fast, oxygen-rich upper Orinoco in Venezuela, its greenish body dusted with fine yellow spots. It lives among rocks in strong current, so it needs a mature tank with high oxygenation, brisk flow and stable warm water: temperature 26-30C, pH 6.0-7.5, soft to moderately hard. Provide caves and smooth stones; males are territorial toward one another, so keep one per tank unless space is generous. Despite the loricariid reputation for algae-eating, this species leans omnivorous with a preference for meatier fare: offer sinking pellets, frozen bloodworm and brine shrimp alongside some vegetables and biofilm. Sensitive to poor water quality and low oxygen, it rewards attentive maintenance with bold colour.