Tiger Shovelnose Catfish
Pseudoplatystoma fasciatum
- Care level
- Specialist
- Adult size
- 104 cm
- Minimum tank
- 10368 litres
- Temperature
- 22–26 °C
Species profile
Sun Catfish
Horabagrus brachysoma
Common names: Sun Catfish, Eclipse Catfish, Bullseye Catfish, Günther'S Catfish
Recognized speciesCatfish
Adult size
Up to 45 cm
Up to 45 cm
Countries of origin
Good fit for your tank?
Good fit for
- A keeper with room for a large aquarium
Think carefully if
- You keep smaller fish, which it may eat
- You cannot provide about 648 litres for a fully grown fish
- You keep shrimp you want to protect
A yellow catfish with a dark shoulder spot, from India. Keep alone or in a small group in 648 litres or more.
Appearance and Identification
A yellow catfish with a dark shoulder spot, from India. It is sold under names such as Sun or Eclipse Catfish, often as suitable for community tanks. It actually grows large, and it eats fish.
Check the scientific name when buying, as common names vary between sellers and countries.
Sexes are usually hard to tell apart.
Tank Requirements
- Suggested filter
- About 1,300–1,940 litres an hour
- Suggested heater
- About 650–975 W for this tank
- Minimum tank volume
- 648 litres
- Minimum tank length
- 180 cm
- Minimum group size
- 1
- Recommended group size
- 1
- Activity level
- Moderate
- Flow preference
- Low
- Planting preference
- Moderately planted
- Hiding places
- Yes
- Lid recommended
- Yes
- Jumping risk
- Moderate
Allow plenty of room, use a very secure lid and fit strong filtration. Predators produce a lot of waste, and many are strong jumpers.
Behaviour and Tankmates
A predator that spends much of its time watching and waiting for prey.
Usually best alone, or in a very large tank with others of its size.
Many are intolerant of their own kind.
It will eat any fish that fits in its mouth, so keep it with fish too big to swallow, or alone. It is likely to eat shrimp.
Water Parameters
Fairly tolerant of different water, if it is clean and stable. Keep the temperature steady.
Parameter caveat
Keep up regular water changes, and acclimatise new fish slowly.
Feeding
- Diet types
- Carnivore, Predator
- Feeding frequency
- Daily
- Preferred foods
- Quality carnivore pelletsWorth training it onto these, as they are balanced and clean.
- Frozen prawn, mussel and fishUse a variety. Avoid a diet of feeder fish, which can bring in disease.
- EarthwormsA good food, and most predators take them readily.
A catfish that eats invertebrates and small fish. Feed sinking pellets with frozen bloodworm, shrimp and mussel.
Feed small amounts, and remove anything left after a few minutes.
Breeding
- Breeding difficulty
- Not commonly bred
- Parental care
- Unknown
Not commonly bred in aquariums, and little has been recorded about how it spawns.
Habitat and Origin
- Geographic origin
- India, South Asia
- Natural habitat
- River
- Aquarium contexts
- Large Freshwater Aquarium, Planted Aquarium
- Audience level
- Specialist
Classification
- Profile type
- Recognized species
- Genus
- Horabagrus
- Family
- Horabagridae
- Species group
- Catfish, Fish, Other Catfish
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Upside Down Catfish
Synodontis nigriventris
- Care level
- Beginner
- Adult size
- 10 cm
- Minimum tank
- 70 litres
- Temperature
- 24–28 °C
Yellow Marbled Synodontis
Synodontis schoutedeni
- Care level
- Beginner
- Adult size
- 13.8 cm
- Minimum tank
- 81 litres
- Temperature
- 22–27 °C
Asian Bumblebee Catfish
Pseudomystus siamensis
- Care level
- Intermediate
- Adult size
- 15 cm
- Minimum tank
- 108 litres
- Temperature
- 20–26 °C