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Giant brochis

Brochis britskii

Also known as Britski's catfish, Giant Emerald Green Cat

FreshwaterFish

Giant brochis (Brochis britskii)
The Wet Spot Tropical Fish · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature
70–79°F
21–26°C
pH
6.0–7.5
Adult size
3.5 in
9 cm
Minimum tank
40 gal
150 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Shoaling
Swim level
Bottom
Diet
Omnivore
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Rare
Family
Callichthyidae
Origin
Brazil

Overview

The giant brochis is a deep-bodied cory relative and among the largest members of its subfamily. It is peaceful and a step up from the easiest fish.

Did you know

The giant brochis carries around 15 to 18 rays in its long dorsal fin, where an ordinary cory has six to eight. Counting those rays is one quick way to place a Brochis, and they give it a tall, sail-like fin.

Caring for the giant brochis

Keep giant brochis in a group of at least six, with ample floor space. Their bulk and numbers call for 40 gal (150 L) or more. Set up a soft sand bed, driftwood and shaded planting, with open areas to forage.

Keep the water at 70 to 79°F (21 to 26°C) and a pH of 6.0 to 7.5, with gentle filtration. Steady maintenance keeps the water clean. Feed sinking pellets, frozen bloodworm and other meaty foods, plus some vegetable matter, and make sure plenty reaches the substrate.

Giant brochis are peaceful and mix well with medium-sized, calm community fish, grazing the bottom in a loose group. Home spawning is seldom recorded. Like the rest of their group, they lay adhesive eggs onto firm surfaces.

Good to know

The giant brochis is a stout armored catfish of the family Callichthyidae, in the genus Brochis. It is named for the Brazilian ichthyologist Heraldo Britski, and it is also known as Britski's catfish.

In the wild

The giant brochis comes from the upper Paraguay basin in Brazil. It lives over sand and mud in warm, soft, slow-moving water.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The giant brochis is a peaceful, shoaling 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 giant brochis need?

A giant brochis needs at least 40 gal (150 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a giant brochis need?

A giant brochis is comfortable at 70–79°F (21–26°C) with a pH of 6.0–7.5.

What does a giant brochis eat?

A giant brochis eats sinking pellets, frozen bloodworm and other meaty foods, plus some vegetable matter. Make sure plenty reaches the substrate.

How big does a giant brochis get?

An adult giant brochis reaches about 3.5 in (9 cm).

Does a giant brochis need a group?

Yes. A giant brochis is a shoaling species and should be kept in a group, not singly.

How does a giant brochis breed?

Giant brochis are seldom recorded spawning at home. Like the rest of their group, they lay adhesive eggs onto firm surfaces.

Related species