Care
The Polka Dot Plec is known from the Rio Xingu basin, in Para State, Brazil. Here is it found in fast-flowing, highly-oxygenated water over rocky substrates, sheltering under boulders by day, and emerging at night to feed on algae and periphyton covering the rocks. Provide a mature aquarium with plenty of shady hiding places amongst tangles of bogwood, rocky caves, PVC pipes, bamboo tubes, and robust planting. Filtration should be efficient with areas of brisk 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 Polka Dot Plec is generally peaceful, but it will show some territorial aggression towards its own kind if not given enough space. 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 small-medium sized peaceful fish that enjoy warm, fast-flowing water.
Feeding
Omnivorous. Offer a variety of small meaty frozen foods including vitamin-enriched brineshrimp, bloodworm, Mysis shrimp, and chopped prawns, along with algae wafers and sinking catfish tablets/pellets, plus vegetable matter such as courgette, cucumber, squash, spinach, sweet potato etc.
Breeding
The Polka Dot Plec is reported to have been bred in the home aquarium, but no details are available.
