The gold nugget pleco (Baryancistrus xanthellus), a stunning freshwater fish of the Loricariidae family, is a popular choice for community aquariums due to its unique appearance and relatively easy care. Its striking coloration and peaceful temperament make it a captivating addition for both novice and experienced aquarists. When photos of the Xingu plecos first appeared in the aquarium literature in the early 1990s, it changed the landscape of the hobby. While the zebra pleco (Hypancistrus zebra, L046) and the scarlet cactus pleco (Pseudacanthicus pirarara, L025) stole most of the spotlight, and still do today, the introduction of the gold nugget pleco still caused a stir.
Gold Nugget Pleco Facts & Overview
- Care Level: Medium
- Temperament: Peaceful
- Color Form: Dark green to black with yellow dots
- Lifespan: 4-5 years
- Size: 6-9 inches (up to 13 inches in the wild)
- Diet: Omnivore
- Family: Loricariidae
- Minimum Tank Size: 55 gallons
- Tank Set-Up: Freshwater with plants and rocks
- Compatibility: Peaceful community, territorial with other plecos
Origin and Habitat
Originating in South America, the Gold Nugget Pleco, scientific name Baryancistrus xanthellus is found mainly in Brazil, but also in Venezuela. They populate the tributaries of the Amazon River and, therefore, will appreciate a lush aquascape with plenty of caves and driftwood that mimic their habitat of origin. The gold nugget pleco is a highly variable species, found from the lowland region of the Xingu at Belo Monte, upstream to above São Félix do Xingu. This variability led to many L-numbers being issued for the same species-L018, L081, L085, L177, and LDA060. Gold nugget plecos live in the warm, shallow waters of the Xingu and Iriri rivers, in the strongest water flow of the rapids.
Appearance
With a dark green to black body, it’s covered in uniform-sized and spaced yellow dots. They are also framed with yellow borders at the end of the caudal and dorsal fins. As adults, the bright yellow margins on the dorsal and caudal fin begin to disappear and the spot pattern becomes finer and less conspicuous. This is one major misconception about this beautiful loricariid catfish: It gets much larger than the small fish you find in the aquarium shop. Adult specimens rarely get exported because they need much more water for transport and simply become too expensive for resale.
In addition to the aforementioned suckermouth, they have the angled head that faces down for proper scavenging. Their bodies are thinner down by the caudal peduncle and wider from the pectoral fins to their eyes. Speaking of pectoral fins, Gold Nugget Plecos have large ones, and they have a backward point. Their caudal fin is a little larger than their dorsal fins, which look like fans. If you invest in a quality filtration system and provide them with clean water and a sufficient diet, their growth and coloration will be superb.
Other varieties of the Gold Nugget Pleco are L085 (very similar to L018 and with medium-sized dots); L177 with large dots; and L081 with tiny dots.
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Tank Setup and Conditions
Creating an optimal environment for your Gold Nugget Pleco involves careful consideration of tank size, substrate, decorations, and water parameters.
Tank Size
The recommended tank size for Gold Nugget Plecos is 50 gallons at least. I recommend a minimum of a 55-gallon aquarium for Gold Nugget Plecos. Larger is better, as I discussed before.
Substrate
Gold Nugget Plecos will do best with a soft, sandy substrate. The substrate is not the most important consideration for mid and top-level fish, but for bottom dwellers like Gold Nugget Plecos, it is really important. The choice of soft sand is twofold: first, it is the closest match to their home environment. Second, since they are scavengers, the bottom of their bellies are going to constantly be scraping the substrate, and if you choose rough gravel or rocks, they are likely to be injured, causing stress and possible infections from cuts.
Decorations
For Gold Nugget Plecos, it’s all about hiding places. We have mentioned the decorations, caves, driftwood, and plants that provide them with the coverage they need. Just remember that you’ll need larger caves than you would for other fish. In its natural habitat, Baryancistrus Xanthellus lives in the shadowy depths of its river home, hiding away in caves, beneath driftwood, and under overhangs. Consequently, these fish do not appreciate very bright lighting conditions in the home aquarium, so you should either make sure that the tank is heavily planted or keep light levels low.
Plants
Lush planting also serves multiple purposes for your Gold Nugget Plecos:
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- Detritus from the plants serve as a source of nutrition
- Plants filter out excess light that is bothersome to Gold Nugget Plecos
- Greenery is a great hiding place
- Simulation of natural habitat minimizes stress
- Vegetation means healthier water
Pro-tip: There’s no need to choose plastic plants for these fish. Gold Nugget Plecos can handle live plants. They will not munch on live plants, only on the dead droppings.
Filter
Choose a high-quality filter. Gold Nugget Plecos are sensitive to dirty water, and you want to make sure that you keep a super clean tank to eliminate their stress and ensure healthy fish. Besides keeping the water clean, read on to find out the other water specifications for these catfish. It’s also important to remember that since Gold Nugget Plecos are larger catfish, they will produce more waste, meaning you will need to work harder to keep the tank clean. This fish is intolerant of built-up organic wastes in the water, so the tank must be well filtered.
Water Parameters
To ensure optimal conditions for your Gold Nugget Plecos, you should aim for the following parameters:
- Water temperature: 73°F to 79°F (22.8°C to 26.1°C)
- pH levels: 6.5 to 7.5
- Water hardness: 5 to 15 dH
It is vital that their water is warm-around 86°F (30°C)-and well oxygenated. Complicating this is the need for warm water. Gold nuggets appreciate water on the higher end of the tropical fish spectrum, in the upper 80s (25-30°C), which can lower the availability of oxygen, particularly if the water quality is sub-optimum. They need water with a high dissolved oxygen content, a strong flow created by a venturi will help. Consider a river style set up. The need for high oxygen levels should not be underestimated.
Lighting
They also prefer dimmer lighting, which is similar to their conditions in the wild, so don’t splurge on a fancy light. The plants and caves will also help filter out any excess light.
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Diet and Feeding
Gold Nugget Plecos are omnivores and require a varied diet to thrive. In the wild, they primarily feed on algae and biofilm found on rocks and other surfaces. In the aquarium, their diet should be supplemented with high-quality foods to ensure they receive all the necessary nutrients.
Natural Diet
The Xingu’s clear, shallow water flows over rocky substrates covered in algae and biofilm that is the main food source of the gold nuggets. Even adults can be seen throughout the day scraping the biofilm off the rocks, like a herd of buffalo grazing on prairie grass.
Supplementation
If they don’t find enough food on their own, you can supplement it with flakes and pellets. You will have to provide the meat element of their diet. They are omnivores, but they need meaty proteins. You can offer them bloodworms, brine shrimp, or tubifex, or even carnivore pellets. The bloodworms, brine shrimp, and tubifex should be considered a treat that you can offer every other day. Offering Gold Nugget Plecos a wide variety of nutrition sources is beneficial for their health and their coloring.
In the rather sterile conditions of the average aquarium, there is just not enough food for them, so their diet must be supplemented with zucchini, sweet potato, green-based prepared foods, and sinking tablets. Courgette and cucumber should be offered, as well as other vegetables such as peas and sweet potato. They also need very small amounts of crustaceans such as prawn and brine shrimp. Small pieces of mussel and white fish may be accepted, but these should be given in very small amounts.
Feeding Schedule
As nocturnal catfish, Gold Nugget Plecos prefer to eat later, so plan their meals for the evening hours. You may need a nightlight if you want to watch them eating.
Overfeeding
As with all aquarium fish, avoid overfeeding for two main reasons:
- You can make your fish sick
- Leftover food deteriorates and compromises the integrity of the water.
Tank Mates
Gold Nugget Plecos are generally peaceful fish that can coexist with a variety of tank mates. However, they can be territorial towards other plecos, so it is best to avoid housing them with other members of the same species unless the tank is very large.
Suitable Tank Mates
Suitable tank mates for Gold Nugget Plecos:
- Apistogramma
- Celestial Pearl Danio
- Dwarf Gourami
- Ember Tetra
- Goldfish
- Honey Gourami
- Neon Tetra
- Pearl Gourami
- Rummy Nose Tetra
- Sparkling Gourami
Several tetras are available from the region, including the beautiful giant golden dawn tetra (Moenkhausia heikoi). The small cichlids of the genus Teleocichla appreciate similar habitats, as well. Most tetras and cichlids, and a large majority of the catfishes, can thrive under similar water conditions, particularly where the water is flowing well.
Incompatible Tank Mates
The best thing you can do for your Gold Nugget Pleco is to keep them away from other plecos. They are very territorial and don’t do well with other catfish.
Snails
That said, they do fairly well with different species of snails, but if you aren’t feeding them enough, Gold Nugget Plecos may have them for a snack!
Behavior
Like other plecos, Gold Nugget Plecos are bottom dwellers who live along the bottom portion of your aquarium and scavenge for food, snacking on algae and leftover food that drops down from middle and top dwellers. These fish are mellow and shy, unlikely to bother others in the aquarium community; they do their thing and mind their own business.
In the absence of struggle, Gold Nugget Plecos will keep to themselves, finding hiding places in the caves and driftwood that you provide, and eating algae off the inside glass of the tank. You will find that they spend much of the day hiding, and you may have to wait until nighttime to really see the party kick into gear.
One other note: Although Gold Nugget Plecos stick to the bottom level of the aquarium, you want to ensure a tight-fitting lid so they don’t try to escape.
Health and Disease
Gold Nugget Plecos are not as susceptible to disease as some other species, but you should watch out for ich and other parasitic diseases; if your suckermouth catfish turn up with ich or another parasite, treat with over the counter medication. Keeping the tank clean and stress levels at a minimum will go a long way to prevent such parasites.
Most fish diseases are caused in some part by poor water quality and incorrect feeding. Living in dirty water causes stress in aquarium fish, which is when many bacteria and fungus species attack. Ich, or white spot disease, is probably the most commonly seen disease in freshwater fish. White spot disease is very easy to recognize. Affected fish develop a rash of tiny white spots across their body, fins, tail, and gills. If one fish is affected by Ich, it usually follows that others will be infected too. So, it’s important that you treat the whole tank, rather than attempting to isolate only one or two fish.
While we are talking about health, I would note that Gold Nugget Plecos are also susceptible to infections that develop from injuries, so keeping them away from potential fights with other plecos and providing a soft substrate are two ways that you can be proactive in protecting your Gold Nugget Plecos.
If you notice your Gold Nugget Pleco’s colors fading, it is likely that he or she is stressed. However, if the color does not return, test the water parameters to make sure the conditions are not harming the fish. Many recently imported fish may show signs of malnutrition if they have not been eating well. When purchasing, avoid sunken bellies and sunken eyes.
Breeding
Gold Nugget Plecos are not good candidates for home breeding. I have seen some articles detailing methods of home breeding, but the truth is that these suckermouth catfish have not been successfully bred in captivity. It would be unfair and stressful for the Gold Nugget Pleco if you tried to breed them at home, so I strongly caution against trying such a risky and fruitless venture. While they are often found in fast-flowing water with a very strong current, this is not needed to reproduce in the aquarium.
Purchasing
Gold Nugget plecos can be found in some good fish stores, although you may need to order a specimen online. You can expect to pay from $60 to $100 for a Gold Nugget pleco. A: These are not cheap fish! You can expect to pay anywhere from $50 to $100 for a Baryancistrus Xanthellus.
When making a purchase, be sure to look closely at the condition of the specimen before you part with your cash. A very common problem with imported Gold Nugget plecos is malnutrition. The fish should not have sunken eyes or a sunken belly.
Sustainability
Like many habitats of our most favorite aquarium fish, the Xingu faces unprecedented threats that have already greatly affected the river and will continue to do so. The Belo Monte dam removes much of the vital flow to the Volta Grande, the most diverse section of the lower Xingu. Upstream, the upper Xingu has already been completely deforested by industrial agriculture and cattle farms, while small tributaries are laid to waste by gold miners, who release mercury into the river basin. Added to all of that is the increased threat of climate change and increased drought that has affected the region.
To the people living along the river, catching fish for the aquarium industry is one of few possible sources of income. The gigantic Belo Monte dam project, farming, deforestation, and gold mining all pose greater threats and will eventually destroy the Xingu river. By comparison, the legal collection of aquarium fish is very much sustainable, because gasoline prices dictate how far the fishermen go to obtain the river’s most common pleco. Once a pleco has been located, a net is draped over the boulder and the fish is scared into it by hand. Catfish are kept in soda bottles tied to fishermen’s belts until several are collected and returned to the boat.