TankBud

Amazon sailfin catfish

Pterygoplichthys pardalis

FreshwaterFish

Amazon sailfin catfish (Pterygoplichthys pardalis)
Ildar Sagdejev (Specious) · CC BY-SA 4.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
72–84°F
22–29°C
pH
6.5–7.5
Adult size
17.7 in
45 cm
Minimum tank
100 gal
380 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Solitary
Swim level
Bottom
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Cave spawner
Rarity
Common
Family
Loricariidae
Origin
Brazil

Overview

The Amazon sailfin catfish is the fish most shops sell as a common pleco. The name belongs to Hypostomus plecostomus, but the Amazon sailfin usually arrives under it. It needs a very large tank and a keeper with some experience.

Did you know

The Amazon sailfin catfish is one of the species behind invasive sailfin catfish populations in warm regions around the world. Those populations started after aquarists released fish that outgrew their tanks. These catfish can gulp air and survive out of water for hours, which helps them spread between waterways.

Caring for the Amazon sailfin catfish

Plan for a tank of at least 100 gal (380 L), and bigger is better given the adult size. Never release one, even if it outgrows its tank. Furnish the tank with driftwood and smooth rocks, and run strong filtration to handle its waste.

Keep the water at 72 to 84°F (22 to 29°C) and a pH of 6.5 to 7.5. It produces a lot of waste, so stay on top of water changes.

The Amazon sailfin catfish is a bottom dweller that spends its time rasping at surfaces. Feed it algae wafers, blanched vegetables and sinking pellets, since algae alone will not keep an adult fed.

It is peaceful, but it is best kept alone or with large, calm tank mates. There is no reliable hobby record of it breeding in aquariums. Wild fish dig burrows in riverbanks to spawn.

Good to know

Pterygoplichthys pardalis is a member of Loricariidae, the suckermouth armored catfish family. Bony plates cover its body, and a tall dorsal fin gives it the sailfin name. It is long-lived and very hardy.

In the wild

The Amazon sailfin catfish comes from rivers and floodplains in Brazil, where it grazes algae and detritus off wood and rocks. These are warm, slow to moderate waters with plenty of submerged surfaces.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The Amazon sailfin catfish is a peaceful, solitary species that keeps to the bottom. These picks share a community profile with it, are safe together in both directions, and overlap on water type, temperature and pH.

Check the full mix in the stocking calculator

Common questions

What size tank does an Amazon sailfin catfish need?

An Amazon sailfin catfish needs at least 100 gal (380 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does an Amazon sailfin catfish need?

An Amazon sailfin catfish is comfortable at 72–84°F (22–29°C) with a pH of 6.5–7.5.

What does an Amazon sailfin catfish eat?

An Amazon sailfin catfish spends its time rasping at surfaces on the bottom. Feed it algae wafers, blanched vegetables and sinking pellets, since algae alone will not keep an adult fed.

How big does an Amazon sailfin catfish get?

An adult Amazon sailfin catfish reaches about 17.7 in (45 cm).

How does an Amazon sailfin catfish breed?

Amazon sailfin catfish dig burrows in riverbanks to spawn in the wild. There is no reliable hobby record of one breeding in an aquarium.

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