Catfish
Bottom-dwellers spanning corydoras that sift sand, loricariids that rasp wood, and river predators sold at a fifth of their adult length. Substrate and feeding time matter more here than water chemistry.
46 species, separated by adult size. Part of the freshwater fish catalogue.
Nano — under 4 cm (4)
Small enough for tanks under 60 cm, and usually needing larger groups than their size suggests.
Small — 4 to 8 cm (16)
The core of most community tanks.
- Adolfo's corydorasCorydoras adolfoi6 cmModerategroup of 6+
- Bandit corydorasCorydoras metae5.5 cmUndemandinggroup of 6+
- Bronze corydorasCorydoras aeneus7 cmUndemandinggroup of 6+
- Concolor corydorasCorydoras concolor6.5 cmModerategroup of 6+
- Duplicate corydorasCorydoras duplicareus5.5 cmModerategroup of 6+
- Julii corydorasCorydoras julii5.5 cmModerategroup of 6+
- Macrospilus otocinclusOtocinclus macrospilus4.5 cmModerategroup of 6+
- OtocinclusOtocinclus vittatus5 cmModerategroup of 6+
- Panda corydorasCorydoras panda5 cmModerategroup of 6+
- Peppered corydorasCorydoras paleatus7 cmUndemandinggroup of 6+
- Schwartz's corydorasCorydoras schwartzi6.5 cmUndemandinggroup of 6+
- Sterba's corydorasCorydoras sterbai7 cmUndemandinggroup of 6+
- Three-line corydorasCorydoras trilineatus6 cmUndemandinggroup of 6+
- Violet corydorasCorydoras similis5.5 cmModerategroup of 6+
- Zebra otocinclusOtocinclus cocama4.5 cmModerategroup of 6+
- Zebra plecoHypancistrus zebra7 cmSpecialistgroup of 3+
Medium — 8 to 15 cm (10)
Needs real swimming length. Frequently sold as juveniles into tanks that will not suit the adult.
- Bearded corydorasScleromystax barbatus10 cmModerategroup of 5+
- Clown plecoPanaqolus maccus10 cmModerate
- Emerald corydorasCorydoras splendens9 cmUndemandinggroup of 6+
- Glass catfishKryptopterus vitreolus8 cmDemandinggroup of 6+
- Leopard frog plecoPeckoltia compta12 cmModerate
- Petricola synodontisSynodontis petricola14 cmModerategroup of 4+
- Pictus catfishPimelodus pictus14 cmModerategroup of 3+
- Red whiptail catfishRineloricaria lanceolata13 cmModerategroup of 3+
- Starlight bristlenoseAncistrus dolichopterus14 cmModerate
- Upside-down catfishSynodontis nigriventris10 cmUndemandinggroup of 4+
Large — 15 cm and above (16)
Specialist tanks. Check the adult size and the lifespan before buying.
- Banjo catfishBunocephalus coracoideus15 cmModerate
- Bristlenose plecoAncistrus cirrhosus15 cmUndemanding
- Candy stripe plecoPeckoltia vittata15 cmModerate
- Common plecoPterygoplichthys pardalis50 cmSpecialist
- Cuckoo catfishSynodontis multipunctatus15 cmModerategroup of 3+
- Featherfin squeakerSynodontis eupterus25 cmModerate
- Gold nugget plecoBaryancistrus xanthellus30 cmDemanding
- Iridescent sharkPangasianodon hypophthalmus130 cmSpecialistgroup of 4+
- Panama whiptail catfishSturisomatichthys panamense25 cmModerategroup of 2+
- Redtail catfishPhractocephalus hemioliopterus134 cmSpecialist
- Royal plecoPanaque nigrolineatus45 cmSpecialist
- Royal whiptail catfishSturisomatichthys aureum25 cmModerate
- Striped raphael catfishPlatydoras armatulus24 cmModerategroup of 2+
- Striped twig catfishFarlowella vittata18 cmModerate
- Twig catfishFarlowella acus20 cmSpecialistgroup of 2+
- Walking catfishClarias batrachus47 cmDemanding