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Striped sisorid catfish

Glyptothorax schmidti

Also known as Schmidt's torrent cat

FreshwaterFish

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
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Rare
Origin
Upper Mekong and Salween, Yunnan
Family
Sisoridae

Overview

The striped sisorid is a small mountain-stream catfish for a cool, fast river tank. It is social and does best in a small group, clinging to stone in the current and slipping out to feed when the flow brings food past. It gets on with other hardy, current-loving fish that share its taste for cool water. Current is its comfort and warmth its enemy, so keep the tank unheated in a normal room and moving briskly. Offer sinking foods carried in the current, frozen bloodworm, small pellets, and the occasional algae wafer. A stream tank of around 110 liters or more with strong flow and cool, clean water suits a group.

In the wild

Glyptothorax schmidti lives in cool, fast uplands of the Mekong and Salween drainages, holding stony runs and riffles in clear, well-oxygenated water. Build it a scape of rounded cobble with heavy flow and strong surface movement, and keep the water cool and clean at 20–26 C and around pH 6.0–7.5. Like the other torrent cats it does badly in warm, sluggish conditions.

Good to know

Glyptothorax schmidti is a torrent catfish, family Sisoridae, of about 10 centimeters, dark-backed with a pale line running along the spine. Underneath it carries a corrugated adhesive pad on the chest, the genus trademark for holding onto rock against strong current. Aquarium breeding is not on record.

Did you know

A single pale stripe runs straight down the middle of its dark back, tracing the line of the spine like a chalk mark, and that is the feature the common name picks out among a crowd of look-alike torrent catfish.

Tank mates

Striped sisorid catfish is a peaceful, social species that keeps to the bottom. These picks match on water type, temperature, pH, size and temperament.

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 do Striped sisorid catfish need?

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

How big do Striped sisorid catfish get?

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

Where to buy

Some links may not be the exact species or variety.

…or ask your local fish store.

Appears in

Freshwater fish · Community fish · Bottom dwellers

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