Leopard frog pleco
A small, boldly banded Peckoltia from the Tapajós, sold under its L-number far more often than its name. Unlike most of the plecos in the trade it is genuinely small, genuinely described, and does not eat plants — which makes it one of the few L-number fish suitable for an ordinary planted tank.
Quick profile
- Scientific name
- Peckoltia compta
- Adult size
- 10–12 cm (3.9–4.7 in)
- Lifespan
- 8–12 years
- Temperature
- 26–30 °C (79–86 °F)
- pH
- 6–7.5
- Hardness
- 1–10 °dGH
- Minimum tank
- 120 L (32 US gal)
- Minimum length
- 90 cm
- Swimming zone
- Bottom
- Social
- Solitary and territorial
- Diet
- Omnivore
- Overall confidence
- moderate confidence
What keeping this species involves
Wants warmth, oxygen, flow and a cave, and needs feeding as a carnivore rather than as an algae eater. None of that is hard; all of it is routinely got wrong.
Fast, clear, well-oxygenated river reaches over rock and submerged wood, in the rapids and channel margins of a clearwater river.
Identity and names
- Common name
- Leopard frog pleco
- Scientific name
- Peckoltia compta
- Family
- Loricariidae
- Order
- Siluriformes
- Class
- Actinopterygii
- Also sold as
- L134, Peckoltia compta, leopard frog plec, typhon pleco
Adult size and growth
10–12 cm (3.9–4.7 in)
Typical lifespan in an aquarium: 8–12 years. Almost every animal sold in a shop is a juvenile, so the tank has to suit the size in the first line rather than the size in the bag.
Shape, which is what the compatibility engine reads instead of length alone: depressed — flattened top to bottom with a grazing or sucking mouth. Assigned from what is typical of Loricariidae, not examined for this species.
Water and tank requirements
A cave-holding fish needs a defensible cave plus enough floor that a second one is not in the same territory. Ninety centimetres holds two adults; sixty holds one.
Temperature (°C)
Scale: 0 to 36 °C.
pH (pH)
Scale: 4 to 9.5 pH.
Hardness (°dGH)
Scale: 0 to 30 °dGH.
Why these ranges: Tapajós clearwater: soft, warm and well oxygenated, in a river where the fish sits in current over rock. The temperature band is at the warm end for a reason — this is a shield-river fish from water that does not cool much, and it is frequently kept several degrees below where it comes from.
Where these figures come from
Habitat class
Clearwater lowland river — the Rio Tapajos
Transparent, mineral-poor rivers draining ancient shield geology — the Tapajós and Xingu type — with low sediment and good light penetration.
Soft water with more movement and more oxygen than a forest stream. Species from here generally want current and open swimming room as much as they want the chemistry.
- Conductivity
- 20–100 µS/cm
- Flow
- moderate
- Dissolved oxygen
- near saturation
- Seasonality
- strong
These are figures for the KIND of water body, not measurements of this species. They are AquariumHQ’s summary of the general limnology and are given wide because the water is.
- TemperatureReasoned on this record
- This record states its own reason for this band. See the water section.
- pHReasoned on this record
- This record states its own reason for this band. See the water section.
- General hardnessReasoned on this record
- This record states its own reason for this band. See the water section.
| Requirement | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature | 26–30 °C (79–86 °F) | Stability matters more than hitting an exact figure. |
| pH | 6–7.5 | A stable pH outside the ideal band is usually better than an unstable one inside it. |
| General hardness | 1–10 °dGH | Check your supplier's published figure before choosing species. |
| Minimum volume | 120 L (32 US gal) | A floor, not a recommendation. |
| Minimum footprint | 90 cm long | A cave-holding fish needs a defensible cave plus enough floor that a second one is not in the same territory. Ninety centimetres holds two adults; sixty holds one. |
| Water flow | high | Match the outflow to this rather than to the filter's rating. |
| Lid required | Recommended | Reduces evaporation and prevents accidents. |
| Structure | Smooth rock, caves sized to the fish, submerged wood, strong flow and high oxygen. |
Behaviour
- Sits in current on rock rather than on glass, which is where a keeper expecting a pleco tends to look for it.
- Comes out at dusk and after lights out. Feeding at lights-out is how it actually gets fed.
Telling males from females
Mature males develop odontodes on the pectoral spines and along the body; females are plainer and rounder.
Feeding
Not a wood-rasper and not an algae eater in any useful sense. A Peckoltia fed as though it were an Ancistrus starves slowly.
- Diet type
- Omnivore
- Staples
- Sinking carnivore pellets, Frozen bloodworm and mysis, Blanched courgette and other vegetables
Breeding
- Strategy
- Cave spawning with the male guarding and fanning the clutch
- Difficulty
- challenging
- Parental care
- guarding
Bred commercially in some volume, which is why the fish is now affordable and why wild collection pressure has fallen.
Tankmates and compatibility
Assessments are derived from stored traits by the compatibility engine, with the reasoning shown. A verdict is a statement about probability, not a guarantee — individual temperament can override it.
| Towards | Risk | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Small fish | none | Anything that fits in the mouth is at risk once this species reaches adult size. |
| Adult dwarf shrimp | none | Cover reduces losses but rarely prevents them where the risk is high. |
| Shrimplets | moderate | Determines whether a shrimp colony can grow rather than merely persist. |
| Snails | none | Applies to snails you wanted as well as snails you did not. |
| Long or trailing fins | none | Fin damage is an entry point for secondary infection. |
| Plants | none | Tough species such as Anubias and Java fern survive most grazers. |
Any pair in the catalogue can be assessed with the compatibility checker.
Welfare considerations
Points where the way this species is commonly sold or kept differs from what it actually needs.
- The L-number trade sells many similar-looking fish under one code. L134 is a described species with an accepted name; a great many L-numbers are not, and their care requirements are guesses.
- Warmer and more oxygenated than a general community tank. In still water at 24 °C it declines slowly.
- Aquarium-bred stock is widely available and should be preferred over wild-caught Tapajós fish.
Problems to watch for
Most problems in a tank containing this species are general rather than species-specific. Start with the troubleshooting index and work from the observation rather than from a guess at the cause.
What AquariumHQ does not yet hold
Species-level disease susceptibility is modelled in the graph and is not yet populated. Health pages will not be published until each condition has veterinary sourcing, because health content written without evidence is the most harmful thing this product could publish. The gap is recorded in the coverage report.
Where it comes from
- Native range
- Brazil — the Rio Tapajós and its tributaries
- Habitat
- Fast, clear, well-oxygenated river reaches over rock and submerged wood, in the rapids and channel margins of a clearwater river.
Evidence
Every stored value with the kind of support behind it and where to check it. Evidence type and confidence are separate axes: an editorial position held confidently and a measurement held tentatively are different things.
| Claim | Value | Evidence type | Confidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| scientific name | Peckoltia compta | Observed / measured | high confidence | Catalogue of Life; GBIF — Global Biodiversity Information Facility |
| native range | Brazil — the Rio Tapajós and its tributaries | Observed / measured | moderate confidence | GBIF — Global Biodiversity Information Facility |
| adult size | 10–12 cm | Aquarium-literature consensus | moderate confidence | AquariumHQ husbandry synthesis |
| lifespan | 8–12 years | Aquarium-literature consensus | moderate confidence | AquariumHQ husbandry synthesis |
| temperature | 26–30 °C | Aquarium-literature consensus | moderate confidence | AquariumHQ husbandry synthesis |
| ph | 6–7.5 pH | Aquarium-literature consensus | moderate confidence | AquariumHQ husbandry synthesis |
| general hardness | 1–10 °dGH | Aquarium-literature consensus | moderate confidence | AquariumHQ husbandry synthesis |
| minimum tank volume | ≥ 120 L | AquariumHQ editorial position | moderate confidence | AquariumHQ husbandry synthesis |
| minimum tank length | ≥ 90 cm | AquariumHQ editorial position | moderate confidence | AquariumHQ husbandry synthesis |
Last reviewed 2026-08-10. Values labelled as an aquarium-literature consensus are AquariumHQ editorial positions rather than measurements — see how evidence is handled.
Why we say this
What each figure on this page rests on, and how far that is from being independently established.
Every figure on this page has a provenance. Open any claim to see what AquariumHQ holds for it, which sources say what, and what a claim of that kind actually needs. Different claims need different evidence: an accepted scientific name is settled by one authority, while a legal restriction needs a current primary instrument. A single source is often the right answer rather than a thin one.
scientific nameAquariumHQ's own position, externally checkableBased on a verified authoritative source.
AquariumHQ's own position on a claim an external source could support.
What this kind of claim needs: accepted scientific name and classification — 1 authoritative source in an appropriate context. Checked against gbif on 2026-08-30. One authoritative backbone is what this class requires.
What would improve this: Go and read a source. This is reachable and has not been reached.
native rangeAquariumHQ's own position, externally checkableLimited evidence — treat with caution.
AquariumHQ's own position on a claim an external source could support.
What this kind of claim needs: where the species occurs — 1 authoritative source in an appropriate context. No checklist distribution statement is held for this species. The range on the page is editorial until one is.
What would improve this: Go and read a source. This is reachable and has not been reached.
adult sizeAquariumHQ's own position, externally checkableAquariumHQ's own position, derived from evidenced inputs.
AquariumHQ's own position on a claim an external source could support.
What this kind of claim needs: size a well-kept specimen reaches — no external source is required, provided AquariumHQ shows its reasoning. No external source is required for this class. AquariumHQ's position stands on its stated reasoning.
What would improve this: Go and read a source. This is reachable and has not been reached.
lifespanAquariumHQ's own position, externally checkableAquariumHQ's own position, derived from evidenced inputs.
AquariumHQ's own position on a claim an external source could support.
What this kind of claim needs: what aquariumhq advises for keeping — no external source is required, provided AquariumHQ shows its reasoning. No external source is required for this class. AquariumHQ's position stands on its stated reasoning.
What would improve this: Go and read a source. This is reachable and has not been reached.
temperatureAquariumHQ's own position, externally checkableAquariumHQ's own position, derived from evidenced inputs.
AquariumHQ's own position on a claim an external source could support.
What this kind of claim needs: what aquariumhq advises for keeping — no external source is required, provided AquariumHQ shows its reasoning. No external source is required for this class. AquariumHQ's position stands on its stated reasoning.
What would improve this: Go and read a source. This is reachable and has not been reached.
phAquariumHQ's own position, externally checkableAquariumHQ's own position, derived from evidenced inputs.
AquariumHQ's own position on a claim an external source could support.
What this kind of claim needs: what aquariumhq advises for keeping — no external source is required, provided AquariumHQ shows its reasoning. No external source is required for this class. AquariumHQ's position stands on its stated reasoning.
What would improve this: Go and read a source. This is reachable and has not been reached.
general hardnessAquariumHQ's own position, externally checkableAquariumHQ's own position, derived from evidenced inputs.
AquariumHQ's own position on a claim an external source could support.
What this kind of claim needs: what aquariumhq advises for keeping — no external source is required, provided AquariumHQ shows its reasoning. No external source is required for this class. AquariumHQ's position stands on its stated reasoning.
What would improve this: Go and read a source. This is reachable and has not been reached.
minimum tank volumeAquariumHQ's judgement — no authority publishes thisAquariumHQ's own position, derived from evidenced inputs.
No external authority publishes this. The rationale carries the reasoning.
What this kind of claim needs: minimum tank size — no external source is required, provided AquariumHQ shows its reasoning. No authority publishes this. AquariumHQ derives it, and the derivation is recorded with its inputs and assumptions.
What would improve this: Keep the rationale current. There is no source to find.
minimum tank lengthAquariumHQ's judgement — no authority publishes thisAquariumHQ's own position, derived from evidenced inputs.
No external authority publishes this. The rationale carries the reasoning.
What this kind of claim needs: minimum tank size — no external source is required, provided AquariumHQ shows its reasoning. No authority publishes this. AquariumHQ derives it, and the derivation is recorded with its inputs and assumptions.
What would improve this: Keep the rationale current. There is no source to find.
Guides relevant to this species
Chosen from this record's own traits rather than listed on every page.
- Wild conditions and aquarium recommendationsThe water band on this page is an AquariumHQ position with a stated reason, not a measurement of a river.
Group size and social behaviour
Holds a cave and defends it against other Peckoltia and against similar-shaped catfish. Untroubled by anything that is not competing for the same cave.