Green farlowella

Acestridium dichromum

Also known as Green stick catfish

FreshwaterFish

Care at a glance

Temperature: 75–82°F (24–28°C)
pH: 5.0–6.5
Adult size: 2.8 in (7 cm)
Minimum tank: 20 gal (75 L)
Temperament: Peaceful
Social behavior: Social
Swim level: Bottom
Difficulty: Difficult
Breeding: Medium
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Orinoco and Negro blackwaters
Family: Loricariidae

Overview

This slender, twig-like catfish is a specialist, not a first fish, and it is social, so keep a small group rather than one. It clings to plant stems and leaves and grazes soft biofilm and algae, and it will slowly starve in a bare, brand-new tank, so add it only once biofilm has built up. It is gentle and easily outcompeted, so keep it with tiny, calm tankmates or in a species tank. Supplement grazing with fine algae-based foods. A mature, densely planted tank of at least 75 liters suits a group.

In the wild

It lives in blackwater shallows of the upper Orinoco and Negro drainages, soft, acidic, tannin-stained water with very little dissolved mineral content. Recreate that with live plants, driftwood, leaf litter, gentle warm flow, and dark, soft water. Keep it warm at about 24 to 28 C with a low pH of 5.0 to 6.5, and hold water quality steady, since this fish is sensitive to waste.

Good to know

Acestridium dichromum is a loricariid described in 1999 that reaches only about 7 centimeters. It is one of very few catfish that can appear green: it shifts its base color between green and brown to match whatever it is resting on. It fastens its eggs to plant leaves and wood, and breeding is rated moderate.

Did you know

It is among the only green catfish in the world. Resting on a leaf it turns bright green, then fades to brown within a few days when it sits on roots or stone, blending into its background either way.