Common name
Rubber-lip pleco
Scientific name
Chaetostoma formosae
Category
Freshwater fish
Group
Plecos and suckermouth catfish
Environment
Freshwater
Origin
Upper Meta and Guaviare drainages of eastern Colombia
Care level
Intermediate
Adult size
Up to about 9.7 cm standard length, with total length slightly greater
Expected lifespan
7–15+ years
Minimum housing
At least 120 L with strong oxygenation, visible current, mature rock biofilm and several grazing territories
Temperature
20–25 °C
pH
6.0–7.8
Hardness / minerals
Soft to moderately hard
Salinity
Freshwater
Lighting
Normal aquarium lighting
Placement / swimming zone
Bottom and hard surfaces

Identity and search names

Single-species profile for Chaetostoma formosae. Preserve the permanent AquaNexus ID and route; retain former scientific combinations and trade names only as searchable aliases. Search names include Rubber-lip pleco, Chaetostoma formosae, Rubbernose pleco.

Environment and housing

Cooler, highly oxygenated water with current and rock surfaces.

Feeding and nutrition

Feeding ecology: Aufwuchs-grazing omnivore; offer algae-rich prepared foods, vegetables and small invertebrate foods rather than relying on tank algae.

Feeding routine: Offer algae-rich sinking foods, vegetables and small invertebrate foods daily while maintaining mature biofilm; check that the belly remains rounded, not hollow.

Breeding and reproduction

Species-specific captive reproduction is poorly documented; do not automatically assign the cave-spawning method of unrelated plecos

Breeding plan: Species-specific captive reproduction is poorly documented; do not automatically assign the cave-spawning method of unrelated plecos Parental care: Unknown or inadequately documented for this species.

Compatibility plan

Choose tankmates that will not steal all sinking food or harass caves.

Filtration and aeration

Filtration: Use mature biological filtration sized for the adult group and feeding load, with protected intakes and a flow pattern suited to the species.

Aeration: Maintain dependable gas exchange and dissolved oxygen with surface agitation or supplementary aeration while preserving sheltered resting areas.

Maintenance

Test water routinely, remove waste and uneaten food, service filtration without destroying biofilm and review stocking as animals mature.

Adult projected load

Adult projected load includes mature body mass, social-group size, territorial space, oxygen demand, feeding waste and breeding output.

Welfare and risk

Maintain the stated adult space and social structure, verify feeding and intervene early when injury, exclusion, weight loss, abnormal respiration or altered behaviour appears. Trade labels cover several Chaetostoma species. Verify identity and never assume tank algae alone provides enough nutrition.

Main risk: Trade labels cover several Chaetostoma species. Verify identity and never assume tank algae alone provides enough nutrition.

Biosecurity and release

Never release fish, fry, eggs, aquarium water, sediment, plants or live foods into drains, dams or natural waterways. Confirm current Australian import conditions and South Australian possession, trade and movement rules before acquisition or transfer.

Overridable warnings

Warnings may be overridden only after adult size, group structure, filtration, aeration, compatibility and maintenance capacity are recorded.

Sources