The most popular types of plecos that stay small are Bristlenose pleco, Gold Spot Dwarf pleco, and Queen Arabesque pleco. Other species of plecos that grow no larger than 4.5 inches include Dwarf Snowball pleco, Pitbull pleco, Clown pleco, Angelicus pleco, Zebra pleco, and more.
Today’s article features a list of 14 types of plecos that stay small. Keep reading to find out more about fish!
Which Plecos Stay Small?
The following types of plecos have maximum sizes ranging from 1.2 inches to 4.3 inches, so they’re good options if your tank size falls between 10 and 20 gallons. Let’s take a closer look!
1. Soromon Pleco
- Scientific/Common names: Soromonichthys stearleyi
- Size: 1.2 inches
- Minimum tank capacity: 10 gallons
Soromon plecos were first introduced to the hobby only in 2011. They’re an active, peaceful species that does best in temperatures between 71 and 83 F.
2. Gold Spot Dwarf Pleco
- Scientific/Common names: Parotocinclus spilosoma
- Size: 2 inches
- Minimum tank capacity: 10 gallons
Pretty to look at and very easy to care for, Gold Spot Dwarf plecos are perfect for beginner fish keepers. They’re shy and tend to bury themselves in the substrate when stressed.
Gold Spot Dwarf plecos enjoy munching on algae and biofilm. They thrive in temperatures between 70 to 82 degrees F.
3. Dwarf Snowball Pleco
- Scientific/Common names: Hypancistrus sp. L471
- Size: 2.4 inches
- Minimum tank capacity: 10 gallons
Peaceful for the most part, this type of plecos is better suited for aquarists with some experience in the hobby.
Dwarf Snowball plecos do best in temperatures between 77 to 85 degrees F. They’re omnivorous, but their preference is to eat meat such as shrimp.
4. Pitbull Pleco
- Scientific/Common names: Parotocinclus jumbo, Goby pleco,
- Size: 2.4 inches
- Minimum tank capacity: 15 gallons
If you’re an experienced aquarist, you should consider adding Pitbull algae to your aquarium. They can be delicate to establish but will become very active once adapted.
These little ones like to stay at the bottom where they can borrow in soft substrate. Pitbull plecos do well in temperatures between 68 to 80 degrees F.
5. Clown Pleco
- Scientific/Common names: Panaqolus sp. L206, Panaque maccus
- Size: 3.1 inches
- Minimum tank capacity: 10 gallons
If you’ve never met a wood-eating plecos species, now’s your chance. Clown plecos munch on driftwood and plants, but not meat.
Generally peaceful, they need an efficient filtration system and warmer temperatures between 77 to 85 degrees F to thrive.
By Kai Schreiber [CC-BY-SA-2.0], via https://www.flickr.com/photos/genista6. Angelicus Pleco
- Scientific/Common names: Hypancistrus sp. L136
- Size: 3.2 inches
- Minimum tank capacity: 20 gallons
Angelicus plecos get along rather well with other fish. They’re a mellow species that requires some previous experience to care for.
Angelicus plecos thrive in warmer temperatures between 75 to 82 degrees F. This type of plecos is quite a newcomer to the world of fishkeeping hobbyists.
7. Zebra Pleco
- Scientific/Common names: Imperial pleco, Hypancistrus sp. L270
- Size: 3.3 inches
- Minimum tank capacity: 10 gallons
A pricey little species, Zebra plecos are more suited for experienced aquarists. They’re passive and timid fish that hide away most of the time and come out only at night.
Zebra plecos do best in temperatures between 80 to 86 degrees F.
Birger A [CC BY-SA 3.0]8. Blue Panaque Pleco
- Scientific/Common names: Baryancistrus beggini
- Size: 3.4 inches
- Minimum tank capacity: 15 gallons
On the territorial side, Blue Panaque plecos aren’t a beginner-friendly species. They’re picky eaters that require extra care during acclimatization.
This species is a sight to behold with a royal blue hue to its skin.
9. Queen Arabesque Pleco
- Scientific/Common names: Hypancistrus sp. L260
- Size: 3.5 inches
- Minimum tank capacity: 15 gallons
Shy and peaceful, Queen Arabesque plecos are easy to care for if you’re a beginner aquarist. They can live in harmony with tank mates, but it’s best if none of them are aggressive or fast swimmers.
This species thrives in temperatures between 69 and 80 degrees F.
10. Chocolate Zebra Pleco
- Scientific/Common names: Hypancistrus sp. L270
- Size: 3.9 inches
- Minimum tank capacity: 20 gallons
If you’re an experienced aquarist who wouldn’t mind an expensive species, consider the Chocolate Zebra pleco.
It does best in temperatures over 80 degrees F and requires well-oxygenated water. It also shouldn’t live with aggressive tank mates because it’s a poor competitor over food.
11. Brown Dot Pleco
- Scientific/Common names: Peckoltia oligospila
- Size: 3.9 inches
- Minimum tank capacity: 20 gallons
Thriving in temperatures between 75 and 78 degrees F, Brown Dot plecos are generally peaceful if not challenged for territory. They’re carnivores who require more experience to handle.
12. Bristlenose Pleco
- Scientific/Common names: Ancistrus cirrhosus, Bristlenose Catfish, Bushynose Catfish
- Size: 4 inches
- Minimum tank capacity: 20 gallons
A standard option for beginner aquarists, Bristlenose plecos are very peaceful, hardy, and a breeze to take care of.
They’re originally from South America and their name is a tribute to the fleshy bristles radiating from their snouts.
Bristlenose plecos do best in temperatures between 75 to 82 degrees F.
13. Rubber Lipped Pleco
- Scientific/Common names: Chaetostoma formosae, Chaestoma milesi
- Size: 4.2 inches
- Minimum tank capacity: 20 gallons
A suitable choice for aquarists with intermediate experience, Rubber Lipped plecos are an extremely peaceful species. They’re also the only plecos that munch on Black Beard algae and hair algae.
They thrive in temperatures between 70 to 78 degrees F.
14. Leopard Frog Pleco
- Scientific/Common names: Peckoltia compta
- Size: 4.3 inches
- Minimum tank capacity: 10 gallons
Last but not least, Leopard Frog plecos are a great option if you’re an experienced aquarist who doesn’t mind splurging a bit.
They’re peaceful and prefer warmer temperatures between 75 to 82 degrees F.
Wrap Up
As you can tell by now, more than a dozen types of plecos stay small. The most popular ones you’ll come across at a pet store are Bristlenose pleco, Gold Spot Dwarf pleco, and Queen Arabesque pleco.