Moolenburgh's glass catfish

Pseudeutropius moolenburghae

Also known as Burmese silver glass cat

FreshwaterFish

Moolenburgh's glass catfish (Pseudeutropius moolenburghae) — The Wet Spot Tropical Fish · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature: 73–82°F (23–28°C)
pH: 6.0–7.5
Adult size: 3.9 in (10 cm)
Minimum tank: 30 gal (112 L)
Temperament: Peaceful
Social behavior: Schooling
Swim level: Middle
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: No record
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Rivers of Sumatra, Indonesia
Family: Schilbeidae

Overview

A delicate, silvery catfish that shoals in open midwater, trailing long barbels as it swims. It is a schooling fish and shows best in numbers, so keep a group of at least six together for a settled, active display. It is peaceful and gentle, suited to calm tankmates of similar size, with nothing large or rowdy that could bully it. Feed small foods it can catch in the water column: frozen daphnia, cyclops, baby brine shrimp, chopped bloodworm and fine dried foods. Give the group a mature, softly planted tank of around 112 liters with gentle flow, dim light and clean, stable water.

In the wild

Moolenburgh's glass catfish comes from the tannin-stained rivers of Sumatra, and also Borneo, where it lives in soft, gently flowing blackwater. Match that with warm water, about 23 to 28 C, and soft, acidic to neutral conditions around pH 6.0 to 7.5. Dim, tea-coloured water suits it, so use driftwood, leaf litter and shade from floating plants, and acclimatise new fish slowly, since wild stock is used to very clean, low-bacteria water.

Good to know

Pseudeutropius moolenburghae is a small schilbeid catfish reaching about 10 centimeters, with a slim, silvered, semi-transparent body and long trailing barbels. It is a midwater shoaler that feeds on small invertebrates and drifting foods and readily takes prepared diets once settled. It is not known to breed in home aquaria. Wild fish come from clean blackwater and can be sensitive to poor water quality, so it is best kept by aquarists who can hold conditions steady.

Did you know

The Asian glass catfish trails a single pair of barbels; this look-alike carries four pairs, eight in all, the quickest way to tell the two silvered fish apart. And despite the Burmese name the trade gives it, it comes from Indonesia, not Myanmar.

Tank mates

Moolenburgh's glass catfish is a peaceful, schooling species that keeps to the middle. These picks match on water type, temperature, pH, size and temperament.