Striped glass catfish

Care at a glance

Overview

The striped glass catfish is a peaceful, shy shoaler that hangs in open midwater rather than resting on the bottom, so it must be kept in a group of at least six to feel safe. On its own or in small numbers it hides, stops feeding, and fades, but in a proper shoal it drifts calmly in the current. It mixes well with small, gentle community fish and does not bother anything it cannot eat. Offer small foods that stay in the water column, such as frozen bloodworms, daphnia, cyclops, and fine sinking pellets. Give it a well-planted, dimly lit tank with gentle flow and open swimming space, around 135 liters or larger.

In the wild

The striped glass catfish comes from Thailand and nearby parts of Southeast Asia, living in slow-moving, well-vegetated rivers and streams, often in soft, slightly acidic water. Keep it from around 21 to 26 C with a pH between 6 and 7 and gentle flow. A densely planted tank with driftwood, some floating plants to soften the light, and open water in the middle for the shoal to gather suits it best. Stable, clean water matters, as sudden changes stress this delicate fish.

Good to know

The striped glass catfish belongs to Siluridae, the sheatfishes, and grows to around 9 cm. It is a close relative of the familiar clear glass catfish but is less transparent, with a pinkish, faintly striped body and a larger head. Like others in the family it has a long anal fin along its underside and little or no dorsal fin. It feeds on small invertebrates in midwater and, as with most glass catfishes, is not known to breed in home aquariums.

Did you know

The striped glass catfish is often mixed up with the fully see-through glass catfish sold in shops. This species is only partly transparent, showing a pinkish body with faint stripes and a noticeably larger head.

Related species

• 

  Glass catfish

  Kryptopterus vitreolus

  2.8 in (7 cm)30 gal (115 L)70–79°F (21–26°C)

• 

  True glass catfish

  Kryptopterus bicirrhis

  5.9 in (15 cm)26 gal (100 L)70–79°F (21–26°C)

• 

  Borneo glass catfish

  Ompok eugeneiatus

  6.5 in (16.5 cm)45 gal (170 L)70–82°F (21–28°C)
• Butter catfish

  Ompok bimaculatus

  17.7 in (45 cm)53 gal (200 L)68–82°F (20–28°C)

• 

  Wallago catfish

  Wallago attu

  59.1 in (150 cm)528 gal (2,000 L)72–82°F (22–28°C)

• 

  Porthole livebearer

  Poeciliopsis gracilis

  3.5 in (9 cm)11 gal (40 L)72–82°F (22–28°C)