Care
The Peppermint Plec is known only from the Rio Xingu, a south-eastern tributary of the Amazon River. Here the water flows quickly 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 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 Peppermint 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 soft, fast flowing water.
Feeding
Omnivorous but with a preference for greenfoods. Algae wafers, sinking catfish tablets/pellets and vegetable matter such as courgette, cucumber, lettuce, squash, spinach, sweet potato etc should all be enthusiastically consumed, along with occasional feedings of bloodworm, vitamin/Spirulina-enriched brineshrimp, Mysis shrimp, and chopped prawns.
Breeding
This species has been bred in the home aquarium. A clutch of large (4mm) dark orange eggs are deposited in a cave, which the male fish guards. The eggs typically hatch in 6-8 days, the fry initially gaining nutrition from their sizeable yolk sacs.
