Pictus catfish
A fast, restless, spotted catfish with barbels longer than its body, sold at 5 cm into tanks holding fish it will eat by the time it is grown. It is a river fish that swims continuously, and a standard community tank is too short for it in a way that volume figures hide.
Quick profile
- Scientific name
- Pimelodus pictus
- Adult size
- 11–14 cm (4.3–5.5 in)
- Lifespan
- 8–10 years
- Temperature
- 23–27 °C (73–81 °F)
- pH
- 6–7.8
- Hardness
- 3–18 °dGH
- Minimum tank
- 250 L (66 US gal)
- Minimum length
- 120 cm
- Swimming zone
- Bottom
- Social
- Shoaling — at least 3
- Diet
- Carnivore
- Overall confidence
- moderate confidence
What keeping this species involves
Hardy and long-lived, with two requirements that are routinely not met: a long tank with real current, and tankmates too big to swallow.
Main river channels and larger tributaries with current over sand.
Identity and names
- Common name
- Pictus catfish
- Scientific name
- Pimelodus pictus
- Family
- Pimelodidae
- Order
- Siluriformes
- Class
- Actinopterygii
- Also sold as
- pictus cat, spotted pim, Pimelodus pictus
Adult size and growth
11–14 cm (4.3–5.5 in) — Reaches roughly 12 cm in aquaria. Sold at 4–5 cm, at which size it is smaller than the tetras it will later take.
Typical lifespan in an aquarium: 8–10 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.
Water and tank requirements
It swims continuously along the length of the tank rather than resting on the bottom; a short tank makes the fish turn every few seconds, and a group needs the run.
| Requirement | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature | 23–27 °C (73–81 °F) | Stability matters more than hitting an exact figure. |
| pH | 6–7.8 | A stable pH outside the ideal band is usually better than an unstable one inside it. |
| General hardness | 3–18 °dGH | Check your supplier's published figure before choosing species. |
| Minimum volume | 250 L (66 US gal) | A floor, not a recommendation. |
| Minimum footprint | 120 cm long | It swims continuously along the length of the tank rather than resting on the bottom; a short tank makes the fish turn every few seconds, and a group needs the run. |
| Water flow | high | Match the outflow to this rather than to the filter's rating. |
| Lid required | Yes | This species jumps. |
| Structure | Open sand with shaded retreats and strong current. The barbels are the sense organ, and sharp substrate damages them. |
Behaviour
- Swims continuously rather than resting, and covers the length of the tank repeatedly.
- Uses the barbels to locate food, sweeping them across the substrate ahead of the body.
Feeding
Takes anything it can fit in its mouth, including tankmates. Feeding it well does not stop this — mouth size does.
- Diet type
- Carnivore
- Staples
- Sinking pellets, Frozen bloodworm, mysis and prawn, Earthworm
Breeding
- Strategy
- Not reliably achieved in aquaria; commercial stock is wild-caught or hormone-induced
- Difficulty
- rarely achieved
- Parental care
- none
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 | near-certain | Anything that fits in the mouth is at risk once this species reaches adult size. |
| Adult dwarf shrimp | near-certain | Cover reduces losses but rarely prevents them where the risk is high. |
| Shrimplets | near-certain | Determines whether a shrimp colony can grow rather than merely persist. |
| Snails | moderate | 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. |
Assessed pairings
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.
- Sold small into community tanks with neon tetras and rasboras. Those fish disappear, usually overnight and without a struggle being seen.
- The pectoral spines lock and catch in nets. Move it in a container of water rather than lifting it out in a net.
- A 100 L tank is not a smaller version of the right home for this fish; continuous swimmers in short tanks do not settle.
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
- Amazon and Orinoco basins — Colombia, Peru, Brazil and Venezuela
- Habitat
- Main river channels and larger tributaries with current over sand.
What the checklists say
11 distribution statements retrieved from GBIF checklists. Establishment means is reproduced from the source where it states one, and left unstated where it does not — a record of presence is not a record of origin.
| Status | Places | What this means |
|---|---|---|
| Native | 4 | A checklist states the species occurs here naturally. |
| Introduced | 1 | A checklist states the species arrived here with human help. That is not a statement that it is established, harmful or illegal. |
| Recorded as present, establishment means not stated | 6 | The source records the species as present and does not say whether it is native or introduced. AquariumHQ does not fill that in. |
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 | Pimelodus pictus | Observed / measured | high confidence | Catalogue of Life; GBIF — Global Biodiversity Information Facility |
| native range | Amazon and Orinoco basins — Colombia, Peru, Brazil and Venezuela | Observed / measured | moderate confidence | GBIF — Global Biodiversity Information Facility |
| adult size | 11–14 cm | Aquarium-literature consensus | moderate confidence | AquariumHQ husbandry synthesis |
| lifespan | 8–10 years | Aquarium-literature consensus | moderate confidence | AquariumHQ husbandry synthesis |
| temperature | 23–27 °C | Aquarium-literature consensus | moderate confidence | AquariumHQ husbandry synthesis |
| ph | 6–7.8 pH | Aquarium-literature consensus | moderate confidence | AquariumHQ husbandry synthesis |
| general hardness | 3–18 °dGH | Aquarium-literature consensus | moderate confidence | AquariumHQ husbandry synthesis |
| minimum tank volume | ≥ 250 L | AquariumHQ editorial position | moderate confidence | AquariumHQ husbandry synthesis |
| minimum tank length | ≥ 120 cm | AquariumHQ editorial position | moderate confidence | AquariumHQ husbandry synthesis |
| minimum group size | ≥ 3 | 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 2026-08-12. 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 checkableBased on a verified authoritative source.
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. 11 distribution statements held from GBIF checklists — native in 4, introduced in 1 countries. Establishment means is reproduced from the source, never inferred from occurrence.
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.
minimum group sizeAquariumHQ'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: group size — 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: Keep the rationale current. There is no source to find.
Group size and social behaviour
Gregarious. Kept singly it is nocturnal and hidden; in a group of several it is active and visible during the day.