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Ommation whiptail

Rhadinoloricaria ommation

Also known as Apistoloricaria ommation

FreshwaterFish

Ommation whiptail (Rhadinoloricaria ommation)

Care at a glance

Temperature
73–82°F
23–28°C
pH
6.0–7.5
Adult size
5.7 in
14.5 cm
Minimum tank
40 gal
150 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Solitary
Swim level
Bottom
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Rare
Family
Loricariidae
Origin
Lower Marañón and upper Amazon, Peru

Overview

The Ommation whiptail is a slender, sand-colored catfish for a quiet community tank. It takes a little experience to keep well.

Did you know

The Ommation whiptail's species name is Greek for little eye. It is a precise, understated name for one modest marking on an otherwise plain, sand-matching fish.

Caring for the Ommation whiptail

Give an Ommation whiptail at least 40 gal (150 L), with a soft bed of fine sand and shaded hiding places. Add driftwood and leaf litter. It settles on the sand near cover, well camouflaged, and subtle lighting suits its cryptic coloring.

Keep the water soft and slightly acidic to neutral, at 73 to 82°F (23 to 28°C) and a pH of 6.0 to 7.5. The flow should be gentle, slow and clean. It sifts the sand surface for biofilm and small foods. Feed sinking wafers, pellets and frozen foods, and make sure they reach the floor.

Keep it on its own or in a quiet pair. It is a peaceful, retiring fish that spends its time resting on the bottom. House it with small, calm tank mates that will not crowd it. Its own breeding has not been recorded, though whiptails of its group are typically paternal lip-brooders.

Good to know

Rhadinoloricaria ommation is a slender whiptail catfish in the family Loricariidae. It was first described in the genus Apistoloricaria, and Apistoloricaria ommation is still seen as an alternate name.

In the wild

The Ommation whiptail lives in the lower Marañón and upper Amazon of Peru. It is thought to range into the Madeira, Mamoré and Solimões drainages of Brazil and Colombia. These are quiet rivers with soft sand and gentle current.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The Ommation whiptail is a peaceful, solitary species that keeps to the bottom. These picks share a community profile with it, are safe together in both directions, and overlap on water type, temperature and pH.

Check the full mix in the stocking calculator

Common questions

What size tank does an Ommation whiptail need?

An Ommation whiptail needs at least 40 gal (150 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does an Ommation whiptail need?

An Ommation whiptail is comfortable at 73–82°F (23–28°C) with a pH of 6.0–7.5.

What does an Ommation whiptail eat?

An Ommation whiptail sifts the sand for biofilm and small foods. Feed it sinking wafers, pellets and frozen foods, and make sure they reach the floor.

How big does an Ommation whiptail get?

An adult Ommation whiptail reaches about 5.7 in (14.5 cm).

Related species