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Burmese mini moth catfish

Hara minuscula

Also known as Erethistes minuscula

FreshwaterFish

Burmese mini moth catfish (Hara minuscula)

Care at a glance

Temperature
68–79°F
20–26°C
pH
6.0–7.5
Adult size
1.2 in
3 cm
Minimum tank
11 gal
40 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Swim level
Bottom
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Rare
Family
Erethistidae
Origin
Rakhine streams, Myanmar

Overview

The Burmese mini moth catfish is a harmless bottom dweller that hides in cover by day and forages at night. It is a step up from the easiest fish.

Did you know

A full-grown Burmese mini moth catfish barely covers a coin. It is among the smallest catfishes anyone keeps, and so cryptic and still that owners often hunt through the leaf litter to find it.

Caring for the Burmese mini moth catfish

A gently filtered tank of at least 11 gal (40 L) is plenty for a small group of Burmese mini moth catfish. Use a fine sand bottom that will not damage their barbels, with leaf litter, roots and smooth stones for cover and shade. The lighting should be dim and the flow steady and well oxygenated.

Keep the water soft to medium and close to neutral, at 68 to 79°F (20 to 26°C) and a pH of 6.0 to 7.5. Feed fine sinking foods after dark, such as microworm, cyclops, baby brine shrimp and crushed sinking pellets.

The Burmese mini moth catfish is peaceful and gregarious, so keep several together. Give them small, calm tank mates that will not beat them to food, or a quiet species tank. Because they are so tiny, an invert-safe nano where food reaches the floor suits them best. Breeding is not recorded in aquariums, and like its relatives it is valued as a curiosity rather than a breeding project.

Good to know

Hara minuscula is one of the smallest catfish in the family Erethistidae, the moth catfishes. It was described in 2007 by Ng and Kottelat during their review of the genus Hara. Its Latin name, minuscula, means very small, and it is also listed as Erethistes minuscula.

In the wild

The Burmese mini moth catfish lives in small, clear coastal-range streams of Rakhine in western Myanmar. It rests among sand, gravel and leaf litter in gentle current.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The Burmese mini moth catfish is a 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 Burmese mini moth catfish need?

A Burmese mini moth catfish needs at least 11 gal (40 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a Burmese mini moth catfish need?

A Burmese mini moth catfish is comfortable at 68–79°F (20–26°C) with a pH of 6.0–7.5.

What does a Burmese mini moth catfish eat?

A Burmese mini moth catfish eats fine sinking foods after dark, such as microworm, cyclops, baby brine shrimp and crushed sinking pellets.

How big does a Burmese mini moth catfish get?

An adult Burmese mini moth catfish reaches about 1.2 in (3 cm).

Related species