Striped mystus

Care at a glance

Overview

Keep them in a group of five or more in a tank of 227 liters or larger, since lone fish hide away and stress. They are mostly peaceful and stay near the bottom, coming out to forage after dark. Water should sit between 22 and 28 C with a pH from 6 to 7.5, and they take a fairly wide hardness range. They are predatory toward anything small enough to swallow, so pair them with medium, robust tankmates like larger barbs, danios, gouramis, or rainbowfish. They are a freshwater fish and need no salt. Where they are not native, do not release them and check your local rules, since large catfish are restricted in some regions.

In the wild

Striped mystus comes from rivers, streams, and ponds across the Indian subcontinent, including India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. These are slow to moderate waters with soft beds and plenty of submerged cover. To match that, give them a sand-bottomed tank of at least 227 liters with dim lighting and lots of hiding spots, using driftwood, caves, lengths of PVC, and robust plants. Keep the water between 22 and 28 C with a pH from 6 to 7.5. They settle and feed best when the lights are low.

Good to know

This is a bottom-dwelling catfish in the family Bagridae. FishBase lists a wild maximum around 21 cm, though aquarium fish usually stop closer to 12 to 15 cm. It is an egg scatterer with no parental care and is rarely bred in home tanks. The pectoral and dorsal fins carry sharp, mildly venomous spines, so the sting is painful and net or handle the fish carefully.

Did you know

The pale stripes that give this fish its name run the length of the body, but its real working tools are the long barbels around the mouth. Being nocturnal, it relies on those whiskers to taste and feel its way over the substrate in the dark, finding food long after the tank has gone quiet for the night.

Related species

• Asian upside-down catfish

  Mystus leucophasis

  11.8 in (30 cm)50 gal (190 L)72–79°F (22–26°C)
• Two-spot catfish

  Mystus bimaculatus

  4.7 in (12 cm)30 gal (114 L)72–81°F (22–27°C)
• Black lancer catfish

  Bagrichthys macracanthus

  9.1 in (23 cm)55 gal (210 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)
• Asian bumblebee catfish

  Pseudomystus siamensis

  5.9 in (15 cm)30 gal (115 L)68–79°F (20–26°C)
• Harlequin lancer catfish

  Bagroides melapterus

  11.8 in (30 cm)120 gal (455 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)
• Redtail bagrid

  Hemibagrus nemurus

  25.6 in (65 cm)185 gal (700 L)72–81°F (22–27°C)