Tankwise

A beautiful, active, spotted catfish that needs space and will eat very small tankmates.

  • Temperature23–27 °C
  • pH6–7.5
  • Minimum tank120 L
  • DifficultyIntermediate
FoodMeaty sinking foods + bloodworm
Feeding1–2 feeds a day
Water change25–30% weekly

Behaviour and habits

The pictus catfish is a striking, active, spotted catfish with long whiskers and a taste for swimming at night. It patrols the tank in a loose group, is peaceful toward fish it cannot eat, and is genuinely predatory — anything small enough to fit in its mouth will disappear. It needs swimming room and a group, and it is most active after dark, so a dim tank suits it.

What to feed, and how often

A carnivore: meaty sinking foods, frozen bloodworm, prawn and pellets, fed once or twice a day. As a fast, active fish it has a good appetite and needs feeding properly, but it should not be kept with fish small enough to become food.

Water changes and maintenance

Change 25–30% weekly. A large, messy catfish, it needs a big tank, strong filtration and clean water; its scaleless body also makes it sensitive to poor conditions.

Care and how easy it is

Needs a large tank, a group and no tiny tankmates; hardy but not a community fish for small species.

Common health problems

Being scaleless, it is prone to ich and sensitive to some medications.

If it gets sick

Quarantine new fish, treat ich carefully (following any half-dose advice for scaleless fish), and keep the water clean.

Good tank mates

CorydorasBeginner
CorydorasCorydoras paleatus
  • 20–26°C
  • pH 6–7.8
  • 60 L+
Catfish · Peaceful · Omnivore
Bristlenose plecoBeginner
Bristlenose plecoAncistrus cirrhosus
  • 23–27°C
  • pH 6–7.5
  • 80 L+
Catfish · Peaceful · Herbivore
OtocinclusIntermediate
OtocinclusOtocinclus vittatus
  • 22–27°C
  • pH 6–7.5
  • 50 L+
Catfish · Peaceful · Herbivore

Best avoided with

Similar species

CorydorasBeginner
CorydorasCorydoras paleatus
  • 20–26°C
  • pH 6–7.8
  • 60 L+
Catfish · Peaceful · Omnivore
Bristlenose plecoBeginner
Bristlenose plecoAncistrus cirrhosus
  • 23–27°C
  • pH 6–7.5
  • 80 L+
Catfish · Peaceful · Herbivore
OtocinclusIntermediate
OtocinclusOtocinclus vittatus
  • 22–27°C
  • pH 6–7.5
  • 50 L+
Catfish · Peaceful · Herbivore

Compare at a glance

ParametersPictus catfishCorydorasBristlenose plecoOtocinclus
Parameters
Temp23–27 °C20–26 °C23–27 °C22–27 °C
pH6–7.56–7.86–7.56–7.5
GH4–15 °dGH2–15 °dGH2–15 °dGH2–12 °dGH
Min. tank120 L60 L80 L50 L
Size15 cm6 cm12 cm4 cm
DietCarnivoreOmnivoreHerbivoreHerbivore
TemperamentPeacefulPeacefulPeacefulPeaceful
DifficultyIntermediateBeginnerBeginnerIntermediate

Care guides

GuideHow to Vacuum Aquarium Gravel (the Right Way)Cleaning the substrate removes hidden waste, but done too hard it disturbs plants and bacteria. Learn the right balance, step by step, for gravel and sand.GuideHow Often Should You Change Aquarium Water?Water changes remove waste that the filter cannot, and keep minerals topped up. There is no single number, but there is a simple way to find yours.GuideFishless Cycling: The Kindest Way to Start a TankFishless cycling builds the filter's bacteria before any fish goes in, so your first fish never lives through toxic water. Here is how to do it.GuideHow Often Should You Feed Fish?Overfeeding causes more aquarium problems than underfeeding. Here is a realistic feeding routine, and the signs that you are giving too much.GuideHow to Treat Ich (White Spot Disease)Ich looks alarming but is one of the most treatable fish diseases. Act early, raise the heat, and it clears within a week or two — here is how.

New to the words? See the aquarium glossary.

Sources and research notes

Parameters are typical ranges for the species in home aquariums and vary with the individual fish and the water you use.