TankBud

Ompok catfish

Ompok pabda

Also known as Pabda catfish, Butter catfish pabda

FreshwaterFish

Ompok catfish (Ompok pabda)

Care at a glance

Temperature
73–81°F
23–27°C
pH
6.0–7.5
Adult size
11.8 in
30 cm
Minimum tank
106 gal
400 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Tankmates
With caution
Swim level
Middle
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Rare
Family
Siluridae
Origin
Ganges basin lowlands

Overview

The Ompok catfish, or pabda, is a sociable, open-water silurid that swims and often feeds in the middle and upper levels. It is mostly peaceful and rather shy for its size. Keeping it takes a little experience.

Did you know

The pabda is a prized food fish in Bengal, woven into everyday cooking. The aquarium hobby borrowed a name that was already famous at the dinner table.

Caring for the Ompok catfish

Give the Ompok catfish a tank of at least 106 gal (400 L), with open water for cruising. Add a soft floor, some driftwood and shaded retreats such as wide pipes. Keep the lighting dim and the flow gentle.

Keep the water warm, at 73 to 81°F (23 to 27°C) and a pH of 6.0 to 7.5. It should be clean and well filtered, with regular changes. The Ompok catfish takes most live, frozen and dried foods, from bloodworm and prawn to sinking pellets. Larger fish also get earthworm and mussel.

It does best in a small group of its own kind. It has a wide mouth and will swallow any fish that fits, so choose calm, similarly sized companions and nothing small. Aquarium breeding is not established, though the species is spawned under aquaculture conditions.

Good to know

Ompok pabda is a silvery, slab-sided silurid catfish with a mouthful of small, sharp teeth. Hamilton named the species in 1822 from the Ganges. In the wild it is regarded as near threatened, under pressure from habitat loss and heavy fishing. It is now farmed for food.

In the wild

The Ompok catfish lives in the slow, low-lying rivers, floodplains and ponds of the Ganges basin. Its range takes in neighboring waters in India and Bangladesh.

Common questions

What size tank does an Ompok catfish need?

An Ompok catfish needs at least 106 gal (400 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does an Ompok catfish need?

An Ompok catfish is comfortable at 73–81°F (23–27°C) with a pH of 6.0–7.5.

What does an Ompok catfish eat?

An Ompok catfish takes most live, frozen and dried foods, from bloodworm and prawn to sinking pellets. Larger fish also eat earthworm and mussel.

How big does an Ompok catfish get?

An adult Ompok catfish reaches about 11.8 in (30 cm).

Related species