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Tamana royal farlowella

Sturisomatichthys tamanae

Also known as Tamana twig catfish

FreshwaterFish

Tamana royal farlowella (Sturisomatichthys tamanae)

Care at a glance

Temperature
75–82°F
24–28°C
pH
6.0–7.2
Adult size
8.7 in
22 cm
Minimum tank
53 gal
200 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Swim level
Bottom
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Substrate spawner · Medium
Rarity
Rare
Family
Loricariidae
Origin
San Juan basin, Pacific Colombia

Overview

The Tamana royal farlowella is a long, twig-like catfish that clings to wood and grazes biofilm. It takes a little experience to keep well.

Did you know

The Tamana royal farlowella comes from rivers on the wet Pacific side of the Andes. Those waters drain to the sea and never join the Amazon at all. It is a twig-slim relative of the familiar whiptails that lives on the far side of the mountains.

Caring for the Tamana royal farlowella

Give Tamana royal farlowellas a tank of at least 53 gal (200 L), over sand. Add plenty of driftwood and branches to perch on, some broad-leaved plants and open flow. Keep the tank mature enough to grow biofilm for them to graze.

Keep the water clean, moving and well oxygenated, at 75 to 82°F (24 to 28°C) and a pH of 6.0 to 7.2. Good current and low waste suit a fish from bright, briskly moving rivers.

This catfish eats a mostly vegetable diet. Offer algae wafers, blanched zucchini and spinach, with only light protein.

The Tamana royal farlowella is completely peaceful and is best kept as a small social group of its own kind. Choose calm tank mates that will not nip its slender body or long fins.

Breeding it is of moderate difficulty. The pair spawns on a flat surface, and the male guards and fans the eggs.

Good to know

Sturisomatichthys tamanae is a twig catfish of Loricariidae, built on a very slender frame. Its species name comes from the Tamana, a river in the San Juan drainage. Members of its genus are facultative air breathers. They can gulp air to supplement their gills in poorly oxygenated water.

In the wild

The Tamana royal farlowella is endemic to the Pacific-slope rivers of Colombia, in the San Juan basin and neighboring Choco basins. It clings to wood there in clean, flowing water.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The Tamana royal farlowella 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 Tamana royal farlowella need?

A Tamana royal farlowella needs at least 53 gal (200 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a Tamana royal farlowella need?

A Tamana royal farlowella is comfortable at 75–82°F (24–28°C) with a pH of 6.0–7.2.

What does a Tamana royal farlowella eat?

A Tamana royal farlowella eats a mostly vegetable diet of algae wafers, blanched zucchini and spinach, with only light protein. Let it graze biofilm in a mature tank as well.

How big does a Tamana royal farlowella get?

An adult Tamana royal farlowella reaches about 8.7 in (22 cm).

How does a Tamana royal farlowella breed?

Tamana royal farlowellas spawn as a pair on a flat surface, and the male guards and fans the eggs. Breeding them is of moderate difficulty.

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