True glass catfish

Care at a glance

Overview

The true glass catfish is a peaceful, transparent midwater fish that must be kept in a group, since single or paired fish become stressed and waste away. It is more demanding than the little vitreolus sold as glass catfish, growing larger and preferring clean flowing water. Feed small meaty foods like frozen bloodworm, daphnia, and brine shrimp, plus fine sinking foods. A shoal of six or more in a well-filtered tank of at least 100 liters does best.

In the wild

The true glass catfish comes from flowing rivers and streams of Southeast Asia, where it hangs in midwater in loose shoals rather than sitting on the bottom. It likes clean, well-oxygenated, gently flowing water with some current and open swimming space among plants and wood. Keep it soft and slightly acidic at 21 to 26 degrees C, with subdued lighting.

Good to know

Kryptopterus bicirrhis is the larger, original glass catfish, reaching about 15 cm, and its body is see-through enough that the spine and internal organs show through the flesh. For decades it was confused with the small species now sold as glass catfish; most fish in shops are actually Kryptopterus vitreolus, which stays around 6 to 8 cm. The true bicirrhis was only ever exported in small numbers.

Did you know

Almost every fish sold as a glass catfish is really the smaller Kryptopterus vitreolus, and the genuine bicirrhis of the name is a bigger, rarer fish that few keepers have actually owned.

Related species

• 

  Striped glass catfish

  Kryptopterus macrocephalus

  3.5 in (9 cm)36 gal (135 L)70–79°F (21–26°C)

• 

  Glass catfish

  Kryptopterus vitreolus

  2.8 in (7 cm)30 gal (115 L)70–79°F (21–26°C)

• 

  Borneo glass catfish

  Ompok eugeneiatus

  6.5 in (16.5 cm)45 gal (170 L)70–82°F (21–28°C)
• Butter catfish

  Ompok bimaculatus

  17.7 in (45 cm)53 gal (200 L)68–82°F (20–28°C)

• 

  Wallago catfish

  Wallago attu

  59.1 in (150 cm)528 gal (2,000 L)72–82°F (22–28°C)

• 

  Spotted hoplo

  Megalechis thoracata

  5.9 in (15 cm)40 gal (150 L)64–82°F (18–28°C)