TankBud

Eigenmann's whiptail

Rineloricaria eigenmanni

Also known as Colombian whiptail

FreshwaterFish

Eigenmann's whiptail (Rineloricaria eigenmanni)
Ckf6412 · CC BY-SA 4.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
75–82°F
24–28°C
pH
6.0–7.4
Adult size
4.7 in
12 cm
Minimum tank
29 gal
110 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Swim level
Bottom
Diet
Omnivore
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Cave spawner · Medium
Rarity
Rare
Family
Loricariidae
Origin
Orinoco llanos, Colombia and Venezuela

Overview

Eigenmann's whiptail is a slim, peaceful catfish for a calm community of small fish. It is a step up from the easiest fish.

Did you know

Eigenmann's whiptail comes from a genus famous for taking to a simple length of PVC pipe. A male will often adopt a narrow tube as a spawning cave.

Caring for the Eigenmann's whiptail

Give a small group of Eigenmann's whiptails at least 29 gal (110 L). A sand floor, twiggy wood, slender branches and some cover suit them, along with a length of pipe.

Keep the water soft to neutral, at 75 to 82°F (24 to 28°C) and a pH of 6.0 to 7.4. It is undemanding as long as the water is clean and stable.

It rests on sand and wood and grazes biofilm and algae off surfaces around the tank. Feed it vegetable foods such as blanched zucchini and spinach, with soft sinking pellets and some meaty food now and then.

Eigenmann's whiptail is peaceful and does fine alone or in a group. It is gentle and mixes with other calm, small fish.

It has been bred in aquariums with moderate difficulty, and it is one of the more approachable whiptails to breed. It spawns inside narrow tubes or caves, and the male guards and fans the eggs until they hatch.

Good to know

Rineloricaria eigenmanni is a slender twig mimic in the family Loricariidae, named for the ichthyologist Carl Eigenmann. Its genus is one of the most keepable and breedable among the whiptails.

In the wild

Eigenmann's whiptail comes from the Orinoco llanos of Colombia and Venezuela. It lives on sandy creek beds among twigs and leaf litter, in warm, gently flowing water.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The Eigenmann's whiptail 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 an Eigenmann's whiptail need?

An Eigenmann's whiptail needs at least 29 gal (110 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does an Eigenmann's whiptail need?

An Eigenmann's whiptail is comfortable at 75–82°F (24–28°C) with a pH of 6.0–7.4.

What does an Eigenmann's whiptail eat?

An Eigenmann's whiptail grazes biofilm and algae and eats vegetable foods such as blanched zucchini and spinach. Add soft sinking pellets and some meaty food now and then.

How big does an Eigenmann's whiptail get?

An adult Eigenmann's whiptail reaches about 4.7 in (12 cm).

How does an Eigenmann's whiptail breed?

Eigenmann's whiptails spawn inside narrow tubes or caves, and the male guards and fans the eggs until they hatch. They have been bred in aquariums with moderate difficulty.

Related species