TankBud

Bronze featherback

Notopterus notopterus

Also known as Asian knifefish, Grey featherback, Asiatic knifefish

FreshwaterFish

Bronze featherback (Notopterus notopterus)
Xufanc · CC BY-SA 3.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
75–82°F
24–28°C
pH
6.0–7.5
Adult size
13.8 in
35 cm
Minimum tank
79 gal
300 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Tankmates
With caution
Swim level
Middle
Diet
Carnivore
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Hard
Rarity
Rare
Family
Notopteridae
Origin
Native to still and slow waters across South and Southeast Asia, including ponds, canals and floodplain lakes.

Overview

The bronze featherback is a fairly peaceful predator for a large, dimly lit tank. It suits a keeper with a little experience.

Did you know

Like other featherbacks, the bronze featherback swims forward and backward with equal ease, by sending waves along the long fin beneath its body.

Caring for the bronze featherback

Give a bronze featherback at least 79 gal (300 L), with cover, subdued light and a lid. It is a nocturnal midwater predator that hangs quietly among wood and plants by day.

Keep the water at 75 to 82°F (24 to 28°C) and a pH of 6.0 to 7.5. Feed prawns, earthworms and frozen meaty foods, usually after lights-out.

It is fairly peaceful for its size and can be kept in a group. It will eat small fish, though, so pick tank mates it cannot swallow. Adults guard their eggs, and breeding it is hard.

Good to know

Notopterus notopterus belongs to the Old World knifefish family Notopteridae, and it grows larger in the wild than in aquaria. It is knife-shaped, with a long undulating fin along its underside and a small, almost absent dorsal fin. Its body carries a soft bronze sheen. It can breathe air using a modified swim bladder, and adults produce sounds.

In the wild

The bronze featherback is native to still and slow waters across South and Southeast Asia. It lives in ponds, canals and floodplain lakes.

Common questions

What size tank does a bronze featherback need?

A bronze featherback needs at least 79 gal (300 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a bronze featherback need?

A bronze featherback is comfortable at 75–82°F (24–28°C) with a pH of 6.0–7.5.

What does a bronze featherback eat?

A bronze featherback is a predator. It eats prawns, earthworms and frozen meaty foods, usually after lights-out.

How big does a bronze featherback get?

An adult bronze featherback reaches about 13.8 in (35 cm).

How does a bronze featherback breed?

Bronze featherback adults guard their eggs. Breeding them is hard.

Related species