Narrow-fronted tandan

Care at a glance

Overview

The narrow-fronted tandan is a big, active eel-tailed catfish for the bottom of a very large tank. It is best kept by someone with a little experience.

Caring for the narrow-fronted tandan

Give a narrow-fronted tandan a tank of at least 119 gal (450 L), with a long, open floor to roam. Lay a soft sand bed it can dig in, and add scattered stones and wood for cover. Strong, clean filtration should keep the current moving.

Keep the water warm, neutral and moderately hard, at 70 to 82°F (21 to 28°C) and a pH of 6.5 to 7.8. It works the bottom from dusk into the night, sifting sand and probing among rocks for food. Feed this carnivore mostly after the lights go down, with sinking pellets, prawn, mussel, earthworms and frozen bloodworm.

The narrow-fronted tandan is a solitary fish rather than a schooler. Keep one on its own, or a pair at most in a very large tank. It does not squabble, but it is a size-selective feeder that will eat small fish. Keep only larger, calm tank mates, and choose them carefully.

Like all plotosids, it carries venomous serrated spines in the dorsal and pectoral fins. A sting is a real risk when handling it, so take care. Females run a little larger than males. Breeding has not been recorded in aquaria, but in the wild it moves upstream to spawn as the wet season begins.

Good to know

Neosilurus ater belongs to the family Plotosidae, and it is also known as the black tandan or the black catfish. In the wild it feeds on insects, crustaceans and small fish.

In the wild

The narrow-fronted tandan ranges across northern Australia and southern New Guinea. It lives in rivers, billabongs and flooded lagoons as well as clear flowing streams.

Common questions

Related species

• 

  Soft-spined tandan

  Neosilurus mollespiculum

  17.3 in (44 cm) · 106 gal (400 L)

  17.3 in (44 cm)106 gal (400 L)70–82°F (21–28°C)

• 

  Southern tandan

  Neosilurus equinus

  14.6 in (37 cm) · 106 gal (400 L)

  14.6 in (37 cm)106 gal (400 L)70–82°F (21–28°C)

• 

  Yellow eel-tail catfish

  Neosilurus hyrtlii

  13.4 in (34 cm) · 106 gal (400 L)

  13.4 in (34 cm)106 gal (400 L)70–82°F (21–28°C)

• 

  Short-finned tandan

  Neosilurus brevidorsalis

  9.4 in (24 cm) · 79 gal (300 L)

  9.4 in (24 cm)79 gal (300 L)70–82°F (21–28°C)

• 

  Marbled tandanus catfish

  Tandanus tandanus

  31.5 in (80 cm) · 185 gal (700 L)

  31.5 in (80 cm)185 gal (700 L)61–79°F (16–26°C)

• 

  Butter catfish

  Ompok bimaculatus

  17.7 in (45 cm) · 172 gal (650 L)

  17.7 in (45 cm)172 gal (650 L)68–82°F (20–28°C)