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Striped sisorid catfish

Glyptothorax schmidti

Also known as Schmidt's torrent cat

FreshwaterFish

Striped sisorid catfish (Glyptothorax schmidti)

Care at a glance

Temperature
68–79°F
20–26°C
pH
6.0–7.5
Adult size
3.9 in
10 cm
Minimum tank
29 gal
110 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Swim level
Bottom
Diet
Omnivore
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Rare
Family
Sisoridae
Origin
Upper Mekong and Salween, Yunnan

Overview

The striped sisorid catfish is a small mountain-stream catfish for a cool, fast river tank. It is peaceful, and it suits a keeper with a little experience.

Did you know

The striped sisorid catfish has one pale stripe down the middle of its dark back, tracing the spine like a chalk mark. That stripe is what the common name picks out among a crowd of look-alike torrent catfish.

Caring for the striped sisorid catfish

Give the striped sisorid catfish a stream tank of at least 29 gal (110 L), with strong flow and cool, clean water. Build the scape from rounded cobble and add strong surface movement. It clings to stone in the current and slips out to feed when the flow brings food past.

Keep the water at 68 to 79°F (20 to 26°C) with a pH of 6.0 to 7.5. Leave the tank unheated in a normal room and keep the water moving briskly. Like the other torrent cats, it does badly in warm, sluggish water. Offer sinking foods carried in the current, such as frozen bloodworm and small pellets, with the occasional algae wafer.

The striped sisorid catfish is social and does best in a small group, though it is fine kept alone. It is peaceful and gets on with other hardy, current-loving fish that share its taste for cool water. Breeding in the aquarium is not on record.

Good to know

Glyptothorax schmidti is a torrent catfish in the family Sisoridae. It carries a corrugated adhesive pad on its chest, the trademark of its genus, for holding onto rock against strong current.

In the wild

The striped sisorid catfish lives in the cool, fast upland streams of the upper Mekong and Salween, in Yunnan. It holds stony runs and riffles there, in clear, well-oxygenated water.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The striped sisorid 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.

Check the full mix in the stocking calculator

Common questions

What size tank does a striped sisorid catfish need?

A striped sisorid catfish needs at least 29 gal (110 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a striped sisorid catfish need?

A striped sisorid catfish is comfortable at 68–79°F (20–26°C) with a pH of 6.0–7.5.

What does a striped sisorid catfish eat?

A striped sisorid catfish eats sinking foods carried in the current, such as frozen bloodworm and small pellets. Give it the occasional algae wafer as well.

How big does a striped sisorid catfish get?

An adult striped sisorid catfish reaches about 3.9 in (10 cm).

Related species