Golden soldier catfish

Care at a glance

Overview

This is a gregarious, gold-striped catfish that does best in a group, so keep several together rather than one on its own. Reaching up to about 18 centimeters, it is an active fish that becomes bolder and more day-active in the security of a shoal. It is generally peaceful but opportunistic, and small fish will be eaten, so keep it with robust, medium-sized tankmates and avoid tiny species. Provide open floor to patrol, wood and rockwork for cover, and steady filtration. Feed sinking pellets, wafers, and frozen or live foods such as bloodworm and prawn. A tank of around 160 liters gives a small group room to move.

In the wild

It is found across the Ganges and Brahmaputra lowlands, living in rivers, ponds, ditches, and floodplains with both flowing and still water. That adaptable background makes it hardy in the aquarium. Recreate a lowland river feel with a sand or fine gravel bed, driftwood, some planting, and moderate flow. Warm water between 23 and 27 C and a forgiving soft to neutral pH around 6.0 to 7.5 suit it well. It appreciates shade and cover between feeds.

Good to know

Mystus tengara is a bagrid catfish, family Bagridae, reaching about 18 centimeters, with several gold and dark stripes running the length of its body. It is often confused with the smaller striped dwarf catfish, Mystus vittatus, which shares the same general pattern. It is a schooling, mostly bottom-oriented river fish. Breeding is not documented in home aquariums, though it spawns seasonally in the wild.

Did you know

Its neat gold stripes and habit of moving in ranked groups suit the soldier name, and that same pattern has long caused it to be muddled in the trade with its smaller relative Mystus vittatus.

Common questions

Related species

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