Green Phantom Pleco (L200)
Hemiancistrus subviridis (L200)
The Green Phantom Pleco (L200) (Hemiancistrus subviridis (L200)) is a peaceful scavenger fish that's a good step up once you have a little experience. Give it a tank of at least 200 litres (53 US gallons), water held at 75-82°F, and a pH of 6-7.5.
Captive lifespan reflects typical experience in a home aquarium, not maximum recorded age; genetics, sourcing, and care vary.
Natural distribution
South America (Orinoco and Casiquiare basins, Venezuela/Colombia)
- South America
Regional colours match the stocking calculator's origin map.
Green Phantom Pleco (L200) Tank Setup
Give them at least 200 litres (53 US gallons) with a piece of driftwood, strong filtration, water at 75-82°F, and a pH around 6-7.5. Algae alone won't keep an adult fed, so offer sinking foods too. They reach about 18 cm as adults, so don't be misled by the small juveniles sold in stores.
What Do Green Phantom Plecos Eat?
They're bottom feeders, so give them sinking wafers, tablets, or frozen treats like bloodworm once the lights go down. Flakes that never reach the bottom leave them hungry even when the tank looks well-fed.
Green Phantom Pleco (L200) Tank Mates
One of two fish sold under the L200 code - this is the standard-finned Hemiancistrus subviridis; the rarer 'L200 hi-fin' (Baryancistrus demantoides) is a separate species from the same rivers, distinguished by a taller dorsal fin. Not the same fish as the Gold Nugget Pleco (Baryancistrus xanthellus), despite superficial similarity. From fast-flowing, well-oxygenated Orinoco tributaries - needs strong water flow and high dissolved oxygen. Once settled, becomes territorial toward other bottom-dwellers; provide ample caves if keeping with other plecos. The Green Phantom Pleco (L200) is peaceful scavenger, territorial once established, which is the first thing to weigh up when you choose tank mates. Good matches come down to the whole stocking list working together - temperature, tank size, and temperament - not any single label. Before you buy, run your full stocking list through our stocking calculator. It weighs temperament, adult size, and water needs together, which a single species page can't do on its own.
Are Green Phantom Plecos Good for Beginners?
Doable once you test water regularly and catch problems before fish look sick. If this is your first tank, pick something more forgiving and come back later.
Green Phantom Pleco (L200) - frequently asked questions
What size tank do Green Phantom Plecos need?
Green Phantom Plecos need a tank of at least 200 litres (53 US gallons). A bigger tank is always easier to keep stable, and gives them more room to settle in and behave naturally.
What water parameters do Green Phantom Plecos need?
Keep them at 75-82°F with a pH of 6-7.5, steady rather than chased to an exact figure. In a cycled tank, ammonia and nitrite should both read 0 ppm, with nitrate kept low through regular water changes.
What do Green Phantom Plecos eat?
Green Phantom Plecos are bottom feeders. Give them sinking wafers, tablets, and frozen foods that settle on the substrate, ideally after the lights go off. Feed small amounts once or twice a day, and remove anything they don't eat.
Are Green Phantom Plecos good for beginners?
Green Phantom Plecos are best for keepers with a little experience. They are manageable once you test water regularly and catch problems early; a complete beginner may prefer something more forgiving first.
Common mistakes with Green Phantom Plecos
- Underestimating tank size - the minimum footprint is 200 litres (53 US gallons); impulse buying into a smaller tank leads to stress and shortened lifespan.
Building a community? Run the full list through the stocking calculator before you add anything else.
Great tank mates
Chosen from temperament, overlapping temperature/pH bands, plausible minimum tank footprints, and size versus yours in App-aquatic data. Hobby nuance always wins - verify stocking and temperament before purchasing.
Check Green Phantom Pleco (L200) against any other fish → Compares water parameters, predation risk, fin nipping and tank size, and draws both at life size.
Fish to avoid mixing with Green Phantom Plecos
These well-known species are commonly sold alongside this fish but are not recommended tank mates - verify before purchasing.
- OscarPredator - Oscar will eat or injure smaller tank mates
- Pea PufferPredator - Pea Puffer will eat or injure smaller tank mates
- Common GoldfishGoldfish - prefer cooler, harder water that tropical fish cannot tolerate
