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Dwarf warty catfish

Parakysis notialis

Also known as Singapore tiny warty cat

FreshwaterFish

Dwarf warty catfish (Parakysis notialis)

Care at a glance

Temperature
73–82°F
23–28°C
pH
5.0–6.8
Adult size
1 in
2.5 cm
Minimum tank
11 gal
40 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Solitary
Swim level
Bottom
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Rare
Family
Akysidae
Origin
Peat swamps of Singapore and the Malay Peninsula

Overview

The dwarf warty catfish is a thumbnail-sized blackwater catfish for a quiet, soft-water nano tank. It is best kept by someone with a little experience.

Did you know

Much of the dwarf warty catfish's peat swamp home has been drained and cleared. In Singapore it survives mainly in a small protected remnant of freshwater swamp forest.

Caring for the dwarf warty catfish

Set up a quiet, dimly lit tank of around 11 gal (40 L) for the dwarf warty catfish, with gentle filtration and plenty of cover. Give it fine, dark sand and dried leaves or other botanicals to creep through.

It needs warm, very soft and acidic water, at 73 to 82°F (23 to 28°C) and a pH of 5.0 to 6.8. Peat or leaf litter holds the water soft and gives it a tannin stain.

Feed tiny sinking foods after dark, such as microworm, baby brine shrimp, frozen cyclops and crushed sinking pellets.

This catfish is peaceful and does not need company of its own kind, so keep it singly or as a pair. It is shy and easily lost among busier fish. Keep it only with small, calm tank mates that also want soft water. Its breeding in aquariums is not recorded.

Good to know

The dwarf warty catfish, Parakysis notialis, is one of the smallest members of the stream catfish family Akysidae. Fine warty tubercles cover its skin, giving it its common name and helping it vanish against leaf litter. It was described in 2003. Its species name, notialis, means southern, marking it as the southern member of the genus.

In the wild

The dwarf warty catfish lives in the peat swamp forests of Singapore and the Malay Peninsula. Its home is shaded, tea-colored blackwater that flows slowly over leaf litter and submerged roots.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The dwarf warty 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 a dwarf warty catfish need?

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

What temperature and pH does a dwarf warty catfish need?

A dwarf warty catfish is comfortable at 73–82°F (23–28°C) with a pH of 5.0–6.8.

What does a dwarf warty catfish eat?

A dwarf warty catfish eats tiny sinking foods after dark. Microworm, baby brine shrimp, frozen cyclops and crushed sinking pellets all suit it.

How big does a dwarf warty catfish get?

An adult dwarf warty catfish reaches about 1 in (2.5 cm).

Related species