Bloch's catfish

Care at a glance

Overview

Keep them in a tank of 200 liters or larger, either as a single fish or a small group of three or more, since they are gregarious but not an obligate schooler. They are nocturnal and mostly peaceful toward fish their own size or bigger, but they are predators and will eat any tankmate small enough to swallow, so pick larger barbs, bigger gouramis, cichlids, or other medium catfish. Hold the water from 20 to 26 C with a pH of 6 to 7.5, and keep it clean, as scaleless fish suffer in poor conditions. Feed sinking pellets, frozen and live foods, and pieces of fish or shrimp after the lights go out. These grow large and are sometimes restricted, so check local rules and never release one into the wild.

In the wild

Bloch's catfish ranges across South America, through the Amazon, Orinoco, Essequibo, and Corantijn basins and the Gulf of Paria. These are big, flowing river systems, and this is an active, fast-swimming bottom fish that needs room to move. Give them a tank of at least 200 liters with a long, open footprint for swimming, plus driftwood and rock caves where they can shelter during the day. Run the water from 20 to 26 C with a pH of 6 to 7.5. Use sand or smooth rounded gravel, since sharp substrate damages their long barbels.

Good to know

This is a pimelodid catfish in the family Pimelodidae, sometimes called the four-line pictus. Adults in the aquarium usually reach about 20 to 25 cm, and FishBase lists a maximum near 35 cm. It is a scaleless catfish, which makes it sensitive to many medications, so dose conservatively if you treat the tank. There is no reliable record of it breeding in captivity.

Common questions

Related species

• 

  Four-line pimelodus

  Pimelodus albofasciatus

  11.8 in (30 cm) · 106 gal (400 L)

  11.8 in (30 cm)106 gal (400 L)73–82°F (23–28°C)

• 

  Ornate pimelodus

  Pimelodus ornatus

  12.2 in (31 cm) · 65 gal (245 L)

  12.2 in (31 cm)65 gal (245 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)

• 

  Spotted pimelodus

  Pimelodus pictus

  5.5 in (14 cm) · 55 gal (210 L)

  5.5 in (14 cm)55 gal (210 L)72–77°F (22–25°C)

• 

  Bullwhip pimelodus

  Platysilurus mucosus

  9.8 in (25 cm) · 106 gal (400 L)

  9.8 in (25 cm)106 gal (400 L)73–82°F (23–28°C)

• 

  Blue jumper catfish

  Exallodontus aguanai

  7.9 in (20 cm) · 106 gal (400 L)

  7.9 in (20 cm)106 gal (400 L)73–82°F (23–28°C)

• 

  Zorro catfish

  Platystomatichthys sturio

  15.7 in (40 cm) · 120 gal (455 L)

  15.7 in (40 cm)120 gal (455 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)