Product Details

L397 Alenquer Tiger Pleco – Panaqolus sp. L397

Overview:

The L397 Alenquer Tiger Pleco is a striking small to medium L-number pleco with bold orange, tan and black tiger-style banding across the body and fins. Also sold as the L397 Tiger Pleco, Alenquer Tiger Plec or Red Tiger Pleco, Panaqolus sp. L397 is a superb choice for aquarists wanting a colourful wood-grazing pleco that stays far more manageable than common or sailfin plecs. It is peaceful with most suitable community fish, but males can be territorial over caves, food and favourite pieces of wood.

Key Identification:

Common Name: L397 Alenquer Tiger Pleco
Other Names: Alenquer Tiger Plec, L397 Tiger Pleco, Red Tiger Pleco, Tiger Panaqolus, L397 Pleco
Scientific Name: Panaqolus sp. L397
Fish Type: Pleco / Loricariid Catfish
Water Type: Freshwater

Natural Range & Habitat:

The L397 Alenquer Tiger Pleco is a Brazilian Panaqolus species traded under an L-number rather than a formal species name. Specialist trade references commonly associate it with the lower Amazon region of Brazil, with some listing the Rio Curuá-Una or the wider Alenquer / lower Amazon area as its origin.

In nature, Panaqolus plecos are strongly associated with submerged wood, root tangles, rocky shelters and flowing river habitats. In the aquarium, they need plenty of bogwood to graze, hide under and use as part of their digestive routine.

Appearance & Adult Size:

L397 is one of the most attractive smaller Panaqolus types, with bright orange to yellow-orange bands broken by dark brown or black striping. Juveniles are often especially vivid, while adults may develop a denser, more complex pattern with age. The head often shows finer worm-like lines, while the fins carry bold contrasting bands.

Adults usually reach around 10–13 cm, with some care sources giving a potential range up to 15 cm. This makes it much more manageable than many large plecos, but still large and territorial enough to need proper floor space, caves and filtration.

Aquarium Suitability:

This is an excellent pleco for a mature tropical community aquarium, specialist pleco setup or South American-style tank. It needs wood, caves, smooth rockwork and shaded areas, plus open routes along the bottom. It can be kept in planted aquariums, although soft plants may be rasped or disturbed.

L397 is not a “glass cleaner” and should not be bought just to remove algae. It is a wood-grazing catfish that needs a proper diet, stable water and hiding places.

Recommended Aquarium Size:

A practical minimum is 120 litres for a single adult, with 180 litres or more preferred for a pair, group or community setup. If keeping multiple L397s, provide several caves and wood pieces so each fish can claim its own shelter.

Water Conditions:

Temperature: 25–29°C
pH: 6.0–7.5
Hardness: Soft to moderately hard; avoid unstable extremes
Additional Notes: Provide warm, clean, well-oxygenated water with good filtration and regular water changes. A moderate flow is useful, especially in pleco-focused setups. Avoid dirty substrate, high nitrate and newly set-up aquariums. Captive-bred fish are usually adaptable, but stability is still important.

Temperament & Tank Mates:

Aquarium Category: Community Fish

L397 Alenquer Tiger Plecos are peaceful towards most midwater fish, but they can be territorial with other plecos, especially males competing for caves. Suitable tank mates include tetras, rasboras, pencilfish, hatchetfish, peaceful barbs, rainbowfish, Cory-type catfish in suitable setups, dwarf cichlids and other calm community fish that will not bully them.

Avoid aggressive cichlids, large predatory fish, very boisterous bottom-dwellers and other plecos if there is not enough space or shelter. They may be kept singly, as a pair, or in a group in a larger aquarium with plenty of caves and visual barriers. Retail care guidance commonly describes them as peaceful, but notes territorial behaviour between males and around shelters.

Feeding:

L397 is a wood-grazing omnivore with a strong need for vegetable and wood-based foods. Keep several pieces of bogwood in the aquarium at all times. Offer algae wafers, pleco tablets, vegetable-based sinking pellets, spirulina foods and occasional blanched courgette, cucumber, sweet potato or other suitable vegetables.

Small amounts of protein foods such as frozen bloodworm, brineshrimp, daphnia, krill or quality carnivore pellets can be offered occasionally, but the diet should not be too rich in meaty foods. Too much protein and too little fibre can cause digestive problems in Panaqolus species. Specialist L397 guidance specifically notes the importance of wood and a mainly vegetarian diet.

Behaviour in the Aquarium:

This is a mostly lower-level pleco that spends much of the day in caves, under wood or in shaded areas, becoming more visible at feeding time or after lights dim. Settled individuals may graze openly on wood, stones and prepared foods. Males may guard caves and, if breeding occurs, the male typically tends the eggs inside a chosen shelter.

Care Notes:

Provide real bogwood, not just ornaments. Offer more caves than fish if keeping multiple plecos. Maintain good water quality and avoid overfeeding rich foods. Make sure the fish is not outcompeted at night by faster bottom feeders. Juveniles may arrive brightly coloured, but pattern can change as they mature. Use smooth décor and avoid sharp rocks that could damage the underside or fins.

Recommended For:

Beginner to intermediate

Availability:

Occasional / Specialist L-number pleco / Captive-bred increasingly available

Image Disclaimer:

All images are a visual representation of the fish you will receive, made to be as accurate as possible. Natural variation in size, colour, pattern and markings can occur between individual fish.