TankBud

Kampango

Bagrus meridionalis

Also known as Malawi giant catfish, Lake Malawi giant catfish

FreshwaterFish

Kampango (Bagrus meridionalis)

Care at a glance

Temperature
73–82°F
23–28°C
pH
7.5–8.5
Adult size
59.1 in
150 cm
Minimum tank
1,057 gal
4,000 L
Temperament
Aggressive
Social behavior
Solitary
Tankmates
With caution
Swim level
Bottom
Diet
Carnivore
Difficulty
Difficult
Breeding
Substrate spawner
Rarity
Rare
Family
Bagridae
Origin
Lake Malawi, endemic

Overview

The Kampango is Lake Malawi's largest catfish and top predator, a bottom fish for public aquariums rather than homes. It is for experienced keepers with very large systems only.

Did you know

A local catfish, Bathyclarias nyasensis, slips its own eggs into Kampango nests and lets the guarding parents raise its young. It is a rare case of one catfish brood-parasitizing another, much like a cuckoo.

Caring for the Kampango

Plan on at least 1,057 gal (4,000 L) for a single Kampango. An adult wants a vast footprint of open sandy floor with some large rock structures. It is a fish of a great lake, and it needs space above all.

Keep the water hard and alkaline, at a pH of 7.5 to 8.5 and 73 to 82°F (23 to 28°C). It should be mineral-rich, very clean and well filtered. Feed meaty foods such as fish, prawn, mussel and large sinking pellets.

The Kampango is an aggressive hunter that eats fish, so keep it alone. At most, it can share a tank with very large cichlids it cannot swallow, and even then it will thin their numbers. Buying a small juvenile means committing to a meter-and-a-half predator for many years.

In the wild the Kampango is a substrate spawner, and both parents guard the brood in a pit on the sand. The female feeds the fry unfertilized food eggs. The male brings back invertebrates he sifts from the bottom, and the young stay under guard until around 12 centimeters long.

Good to know

Bagrus meridionalis is a bagrid catfish in the family Bagridae, also known as the Malawi giant catfish. It is one of the largest lake-endemic catfishes anywhere.

In the wild

The Kampango is endemic to Lake Malawi in East Africa, where it hunts over the lake's sandy floors and rocky margins. Lake Malawi's water is hard and alkaline.

Common questions

What size tank does a Kampango need?

A Kampango needs at least 1,057 gal (4,000 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a Kampango need?

A Kampango is comfortable at 73–82°F (23–28°C) with a pH of 7.5–8.5.

What does a Kampango eat?

A Kampango eats meaty foods such as fish, prawn, mussel and large sinking pellets. It hunts other fish and will eat any tank mate it can swallow.

How big does a Kampango get?

An adult Kampango reaches about 59.1 in (150 cm).

How does a Kampango breed?

A Kampango is a substrate spawner, and both parents guard their brood in a pit on the sand. The female feeds the fry unfertilized eggs, the male brings them invertebrates, and the young stay guarded until about 12 centimeters long.

Related species