Pygmy driftwood catfish
Trachelyichthys exilis
Also known as Peruvian Wood Cat
FreshwaterFish
Care at a glance
- Temperature
- 72–77°F
- 22–25°C
- pH
- 6.0–7.5
- Adult size
- 3.1 in
- 8 cm
- Minimum tank
- 21 gal
- 80 L
- Temperament
- Peaceful
- Social behavior
- Social
- Swim level
- Bottom
- Difficulty
- Difficult
- Breeding
- No record
- Rarity
- Rare
- Family
- Auchenipteridae
- Origin
- Peru
Overview
The pygmy driftwood catfish is a small, peaceful species that is happiest in a group, so keep several together in a quiet, well-planted community. It is gentle with tankmates and safe with all but the tiniest fry, making it a good fit for a small community aquarium. Being nocturnal, it hides among wood and plants by day and forages after dark, so offer live and frozen foods such as bloodworms, plus small sinking pellets, once the lights are off. Provide driftwood, dense planting, and dim light over a soft substrate, in a tank around 80 liters or larger.
In the wild
Trachelyichthys exilis is found only in the Nanay River basin in Peru, a soft, acidic, tannin-stained blackwater system shaded by forest. Recreate that with a temperature of 22 to 25 degrees C and a pH of 6.0 to 7.5, keeping the water soft. Dim the lighting with floating plants, and furnish driftwood, leaf litter, and dense planting for cover. Gentle flow and a mature, clean tank with low nitrate suit this secretive little catfish.
Good to know
This dwarf driftwood catfish in the family Auchenipteridae grows to about 8 centimeters. Like its relatives it reproduces by internal fertilization, the male using a modified anal fin, so a female can store sperm and spawn later. It carries the family's plated head and locking fin spines despite its small size. Breeding in home aquariums is not documented.
Did you know
The pygmy driftwood catfish was described by science only in the 1970s and is known in the wild from a single river system, the Nanay, in the Peruvian Amazon. It reaches just 8 centimeters, tiny for a driftwood catfish.
Weekly picks
Tank mates
Pygmy driftwood catfish is a peaceful, social 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.
Apple snail
Pomacea canaliculata
Freshwater5.9 in (15 cm) · 21 gal (80 L)64–81°F (18–27°C)
African banded barb
Barbus fasciolatus
Freshwater2.4 in (6 cm) · 20 gal (75 L)68–79°F (20–26°C)
Rex halfbeak
Nomorhamphus rex
Freshwater2.2 in (5.5 cm) · 20 gal (75 L)72–79°F (22–26°C)
Ocellated kribensis
Pelvicachromis subocellatus
Freshwater3.9 in (10 cm) · 21 gal (80 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)
Siamese glassfish
Parambassis siamensis
Freshwater2.8 in (7 cm) · 21 gal (80 L)73–82°F (23–28°C)
Blue panchax
Aplocheilus panchax
Freshwater3.5 in (9 cm) · 20 gal (75 L)72–82°F (22–28°C)
Common questions
What size tank does a Pygmy driftwood catfish need?
A Pygmy driftwood catfish needs at least 21 gal (80 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.
What temperature and pH does a Pygmy driftwood catfish need?
A Pygmy driftwood catfish is comfortable at 72–77°F (22–25°C) with a pH of 6.0–7.5.
How big does a Pygmy driftwood catfish get?
An adult Pygmy driftwood catfish reaches about 3.1 in (8 cm).
Related species
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Duringlanis perugiae
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