Upside Down Catfish
Synodontis nigriventris
- Care level
- Beginner
- Adult size
- 10 cm
- Minimum tank
- 70 litres
- Temperature
- 24–28 °C
Species profile
Tiger Shovelnose Catfish
Pseudoplatystoma fasciatum
Common names: Tiger Shovelnose Catfish, Tiger Catfish, Barred Sorubim
Recognized speciesCatfish
Adult size
Up to 104 cm
Up to 104 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 10368 litres for a fully grown fish
- You keep shrimp you want to protect
A huge river predator that reaches about a metre, and is sold as a striped juvenile with no warning about its size. Keep alone or in a small group in 10368 litres or more.
Appearance and Identification
A huge river predator that reaches about a metre, and is sold as a striped juvenile with no warning about its size. It is debatable whether it should be kept in aquariums at all, and only very large systems can house it.
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 20,740–31,100 litres an hour
- Suggested heater
- About 10375–15550 W for this tank
- Minimum tank volume
- 10368 litres
- Minimum tank length
- 314 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 large nocturnal predator that grows very big. Feed sinking carnivore pellets, frozen fish and prawns after dark.
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
- Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, South America, Suriname, Venezuela
- Natural habitat
- Lake, River
- Aquarium contexts
- Large Freshwater Aquarium, Planted Aquarium
- Audience level
- Specialist
Classification
- Profile type
- Recognized species
- Genus
- Pseudoplatystoma
- Family
- Pimelodidae
- Species group
- Catfish, Fish, Other Catfish
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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
Asian Upside Down Catfish
Mystus leucophasis
- Care level
- Advanced
- Adult size
- 30 cm
- Minimum tank
- 432 litres
- Temperature
- 23–27 °C