Family: Pimelodidae
Distribution: Pimelodus pictus, or Pictus Catfish, is a species of catfish found in South America’s Amazon and Orinoco River basins.
PH: 6.0 – 8.0
Temperature: 22°C – 25°C (72 – 77F)
Hardness: 5 – 19 dH
Description: Pimelodus pictus can reach up to 8 cm in length. This species has horizontal black and white stripes on its tail fin. It has a distinctive appearance, with black spots featuring over a silver-white background and long whiskers. This species has very long barbels which it uses to find food. Be careful, these barbels can puncture your skin if you mishandle them. Pimelodus pictus can live for up to eight years if kept correctly.
Diet: Pimelodus pictus will eat just about anything. You can feed it a varied diet of dried sinking pellets, with frozen bloodworms, white worms and earthworms to keep it healthy. It is rather aggressive in the way it goes about getting food.
Breeding: There is not a great deal of information available on the breeding of this species; it is believed to be a tough fish to breed. This species is an egg-layer and rarely breeds in a home aquarium environment.
Comments: The Pictus Catfish will require at least a 20 gallon tank. You should provide plenty of stones and roots for hiding places. Be very careful with your water parameters; this species needs clean water and you should conduct weekly water changes of up to 25 per cent of the water. Pimelodus pictus is recommended to those with experience in the hobby.
Article/Books:
Recommended Compatible Species: Pimelodus pictus can be kept in a community tank with other smaller, 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.
Originally posted 2010-01-17 21:13:58. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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