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Blue-eyed Panaque
Panaque cochliodon
Also known as Blue Panaque, Blue-eyed Pleco, Blue Eye Panaque, Panaque suttonorum, Panaque suttoni
Animalia›Chordata›Actinopterygii›Siluriformes›Loricariidae
📍 Cauca and Magdalena River basins, Colombia
The Blue-eyed Panaque is a striking wood-eating pleco with a dark grey-to-black body and vivid turquoise-blue eyes. Endemic to Colombia's Cauca and Magdalena river basins, it uses spoon-shaped teeth to rasp driftwood, which is an essential part of its diet. It grows large and is best suited to experienced keepers with spacious, well-filtered, well-oxygenated tanks.
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Care Guide
Diet
The Blue-eyed Panaque is an obligate wood-eater and must have driftwood available at all times for rasping and digestion. Supplement with wood-based prepared foods, high-quality sinking pellets, algae wafers, and blanched vegetables (zucchini, cucumber, spinach) several times weekly. Feed in the evening, as it is nocturnal and most active after lights-out.
Behavior
A peaceful, nocturnal bottom-dweller that spends the day hidden among driftwood and caves, foraging after dark. It is territorial toward its own kind, so keep only one per tank unless the aquarium is very large. Generally non-aggressive toward other fish, it appreciates strong water flow and well-oxygenated water.
Breeding
Captive breeding of the Blue-eyed Panaque is virtually undocumented. It requires very large tanks, specific cave structures, and precise water conditions, and nearly all specimens in the hobby are wild-caught from Colombia.
Tank Mates
Compatible algae-eater; keep only one Blue-eyed Panaque per tank to avoid territorial conflict
Small, peaceful schooling fish that occupy mid-water and don't compete with bottom-dwelling plecos
Peaceful schooling fish with identical water parameter needs; occupy different tank zones
Algae-eating invertebrates that won't compete for wood; avoid if pleco is aggressive toward small creatures
Peaceful algae-eaters that occupy similar zones; provide supplemental algae sources for both species
Common Diseases
Ich (Ichthyophthirius multifiliis)
White spots on body and fins, rapid breathing, rubbing against objects, lethargy
Raise temperature gradually to 28-30°C, perform 25% water changes daily, use aquarium salt (1 tsp per 5 gallons) or commercial ich treatment; maintain for 10-14 days
Fin Rot
Frayed or deteriorating fins, discoloration at fin edges, lethargy, loss of appetite
Improve water quality with frequent 30% water changes, reduce ammonia/nitrite, use antibacterial medication if severe; ensure adequate driftwood for natural behavior
Bacterial Infections
Open sores, cloudy eyes, loss of appetite, color fading, fin damage
Perform 50% water change immediately, treat with broad-spectrum antibiotic medication, maintain pristine water conditions; isolate if possible
Nutritional Deficiency
Stunted growth, color loss, lethargy, curved spine, reduced wood-rasping behavior
Ensure adequate driftwood availability, supplement with varied vegetables and quality sinking pellets; provide vitamin-enriched foods 2-3 times weekly
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Quick Facts
- diet
- Wood-eater – driftwood (essential), wood-based prepared foods, algae wafers, vegetables, sinking pellets
- lifespan
- 10–15 years
- max size
- 41 cm (16 in)
- tank size
- 125 gallons minimum
- temperament
- Peaceful; territorial with own kind
Water it likes
- ph
- 6.4–7.4
- ammonia
- 0 ppm
- nitrate
- <20 ppm
- hardness
- 3–12 dGH
- temperature
- 75–81°F (24–27°C)
Legality
No state or federal restrictions on record for this species.
Not legal advice, and possibly incomplete or out of date. Rules vary by state and locality and change over time — always confirm the current regulations with your state wildlife or agriculture agency before buying, keeping, or shipping this species.