Family: Callichthyidae
Distribution: Dianema urostriatum, or Flagtail Catfish, is a species of catfish found in South America’s Amazon River basin, in Brazil. It is mostly distributed in slow-moving creeks, tributaries, lakes and ponds.
PH: 6.0 – 8.0
Temperature: 25°C – 28°C (77 – 84F)
Hardness: 5 – 19 dH
Description: Dianema urostriatum can reach up to 8 cm in length. This species has horizontal black and white stripes on its tail fin. The head and body are a grey-brown colour, while the upper body is covered in small, black spots. The lower body area is a silver-grey colour; the other fins are a pale tan. Sexing is difficult, but males tend to have thicker rays in their pectoral fins than female.
Diet: Dianema urostriatum will take most foods given to it. You can feed it a varied diet of dried sinking pellets, with bloodworms, earthworms and brine shrimp to keep it healthy.
Breeding: There is not a great deal of information available on the breeding of this species, but you should put a group of 4 – 6 fish together if you are hoping to spawn Dianema urostriatum successfully. This species is reportedly a bubble nester; large water changes and a lowering of temperature might trigger the spawning.
Comments: A small group of Flagtail Catfish should be kept in a 140 litre tank. You should provide a sandy substrate with some driftwood and roots to simulate its natural environment, along with some leaves scattered on the water’s surface.
Article/Books:
Recommended Compatible Species: Dianema urostriatum is very peaceful and can therefore be kept in a community tank with other non-aggressive species. They will live happily with most Tetra species (particularly the Neon Tetra and Black Tetra). They are also great tank mates with Discus, Apistogramma‘s like Apistogramma Cacatouides and Apistogramma Borelli, Corydoras Catfish (particularly Corydoras Sterbai and Corydoras aeneus) Angelfish, Clown loach, the common Guppy and Platy and most Gourami (such as the Blue Gourami and Dwarf Gourami like the Honey Gourami) Also can live happily with most Danio (particularly the Zebra Danio and Pearl Danio) and also many Killifish make great tank mates. It can be kept in small groups in a one-species tank if you desire; this fish is unaggressive towards its own species.
Comments on this entry are closed.