Whiptail catfish

Rineloricaria sp.

Also known as Red Lizard Catfish

FreshwaterFish

Whiptail catfish (Rineloricaria sp.) — Clinton & Charles Robertson · CC BY 2.0

Care at a glance

Temperature: 75–84°F (24–29°C)
pH: 6.0–7.5
Adult size: 4.3 in (11 cm)
Minimum tank: 20 gal (75 L)
Temperament: Peaceful
Social behavior: Social
Swim level: Bottom
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: Hard
Rarity: Rare
Origin: no natural occurrence
Family: Loricariidae

Overview

They are peaceful bottom dwellers that do well in small groups. Most of the day they rest on wood or the substrate and graze for algae, biofilm, and bits of food. Feed algae wafers, sinking pellets, and blanched vegetables like zucchini, with occasional protein. Give them around 75 liters with lots of wood and hiding spots, and keep the water clean and well oxygenated.

In the wild

Whiptails in this group come from South American rivers and streams with sandy or muddy bottoms, submerged wood, and slow to moderate flow. The fish in the trade are often tank-bred lines rather than fish with a clear single origin. Set up sand or fine gravel, plenty of driftwood, and soft, slightly acidic to neutral water in the mid to high 20s C.

Good to know

These belong to Loricariidae, the suckermouth catfish family, and they have the long, slender bodies and trailing tail filaments the name suggests. They reach around 11 cm. They are egg layers, and the male guards and tends the eggs until they hatch, but spawning them is hard. Their armored plates and underslung mouth are typical loricariid traits.

Did you know

During breeding the male takes charge of the eggs, often guarding a clutch laid inside a tube or crevice and fanning them with his fins to keep fresh water moving over them. He keeps this up until they hatch, which is part of why getting a pair to spawn and raise young is tricky.