Care
The Golden cloud plec is endemic to the Rio Xingu, a south-eastern tributary of the Amazon River. Here the water flows over rocky substrates where it is forced past boulders at speed and is saturated with oxygen. Such water courses are surrounded with marginal vegetation, and an aufwuchs-rich biofilm covers the rocky substrate, which these fish enjoy grazing upon.
Provide a spacious, mature aquarium with plenty of shady hiding places amongst tangles of bogwood, rocky caves, PVC pipes, and robust planting. Filtration should be efficient with areas of water movement along with some quieter resting spots out of the current. There should be a decent level of oxygenation, and small frequent partial water changes will help keep nitrate to a minimum. The Scobinancistrus are generally peaceful, but it will show some territorial aggression towards its own kind with age. In most instances though, they can be maintained in small groups and with other Loricariids as long as there is adequate room and enough hiding places to go round. Tankmates could include any medium sized peaceful fish that enjoy softwater and high temperatures, including Discus.
Closely resembles S. pariolispos, which is found in the Tapajos and Tocantins system. Further investigation may reveal it to be the same species and some sources group them together.
Feeding
An omnivorous species. Offer a variety of foodstuffs including sinking catfish pellets/tablets, carnivore pellets, and algae wafers. Smaller specimens will relish meaty frozen foods such as bloodworm, white mosquito larvae, vitamin-enriched brineshrimp, Mysis shrimp, chopped krill etc, and larger fish will enjoy whole prawns and mussels. Be sure to also provide a good proportion of vegetable matter such as blanched spinach, kale, courgette, cucumber, squash, sweet potato etc.
Breeding
No details of captive spawning are available.
