TankBud

Bar-tailed hoplo

Megalechis picta

Also known as Spotted hoplo, Tail Bar Hoplo Cat

FreshwaterFish

Bar-tailed hoplo (Megalechis picta)
(c) Gabriel, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by

Care at a glance

Temperature
72–79°F
22–26°C
pH
6.0–7.5
Adult size
5.9 in
15 cm
Minimum tank
53 gal
200 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Swim level
Bottom
Difficulty
Easy
Breeding
Bubble nester · Medium
Rarity
Common
Family
Callichthyidae
Origin
South America: Amazon and Orinoco basins, coastal rivers of the Guianas and northern Brazil

Overview

The bar-tailed hoplo is a hardy armored catfish that roots along the bottom of a large tank. It is easy to keep if you have the room.

Did you know

The bar-tailed hoplo breathes air when a stagnant pool runs low on oxygen. It darts to the surface, gulps a mouthful, and absorbs oxygen through the lining of its gut. That lets it survive in water that would suffocate most other catfish.

Caring for the bar-tailed hoplo

Bar-tailed hoplos need a tank of at least 53 gal (200 L), with a long footprint so an adult has room to patrol. Use fine, soft sand, which is much kinder on their long barbels than gravel. They dig and shift things around, so anchor the hardscape and choose robust or floating plants.

Keep the water tropical, at 72 to 79°F (22 to 26°C) and a pH of 6.0 to 7.5. They breathe air, so leave a gap above the waterline and never seal the lid tight.

Feed sinking pellets, frozen foods and the occasional vegetable. They root through the substrate for food and turn boisterous at feeding time. Watch that faster surface feeders do not get to it all first.

Bar-tailed hoplos are mostly peaceful, and they are fine alone or in a group of their own kind. Keep them with medium to large, robust tank mates rather than small or delicate fish. They can out-compete or unsettle anything small and slow.

Males build a bubble nest and guard the eggs once they are laid, and breeding is moderately difficult. These are big, hardy catfish, so never release them into local waters. Check your local rules, and rehome any you cannot keep.

Good to know

The bar-tailed hoplo, Megalechis picta, is an armored catfish in the family Callichthyidae. Like others in the group, it is a facultative air-breather.

In the wild

Bar-tailed hoplos come from the Amazon and Orinoco basins, along with the coastal rivers of the Guianas and northern Brazil. They forage along the bottom of slow, soft, often murky waters.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The bar-tailed hoplo is a mostly peaceful, social 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 a bar-tailed hoplo need?

A bar-tailed hoplo needs at least 53 gal (200 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a bar-tailed hoplo need?

A bar-tailed hoplo is comfortable at 72–79°F (22–26°C) with a pH of 6.0–7.5.

What does a bar-tailed hoplo eat?

A bar-tailed hoplo eats sinking pellets, frozen foods and the occasional vegetable. Make sure faster surface feeders do not take it all first.

How big does a bar-tailed hoplo get?

An adult bar-tailed hoplo reaches about 5.9 in (15 cm).

How does a bar-tailed hoplo breed?

Male bar-tailed hoplos build a bubble nest and guard the eggs once they are laid. Breeding them is moderately difficult.

Related species