Shadow catfish Care Guide

The Shadow Catfish (Shadow catfish) can be an intriguing addition to your aquarium due to its unique characteristics and behaviors. While it is moderately challenging to care for, with the right setup and attention, it can thrive in a home aquarium.

Care Process

Shadow Catfish are social creatures that prefer living in groups. It is recommended to keep them in schools of at least six to ensure their well-being and exhibit natural behaviors. They have a moderate level of hardiness, meaning they can tolerate a range of water conditions, but it's crucial to maintain stable parameters to keep them healthy.

Tank Setup

To accommodate Shadow Catfish, you should provide a tank that allocates at least 40 liters per fish. These fish range in size from 30 cm to 90 cm, so your tank should be spacious enough to support their growth. The temperature of the tank should be kept between 20°C and 26°C. Additionally, the pH level should remain between 6 and 8. Shadow Catfish are bottom dwellers, so ensure the tank has a soft substrate and plenty of hiding places like caves and plants to help them feel secure.

Feeding

Shadow Catfish have a diverse diet and will eat a variety of foods. Providing a mix of flakes, pellets, and frozen or live foods such as bloodworms, brine shrimp, tubifex worms, frozen shrimp, micro worms, and daphnia will meet their nutritional needs. You can also include vegetable matter, algae wafers, and color enhancing food for a balanced diet. Occasional feeds of feeder fish and freeze-dried foods are also beneficial, as are specialty foods like stick-on tablets.

Behaviour and Compatibility

While Shadow Catfish show semi-aggressive tendencies, their aggression level is generally considered very peaceful, making them suitable to share a tank with other similar-sized and temperamentally compatible fish. It's important to monitor any territorial behavior, especially during breeding when they may become somewhat more aggressive. They exhibit moderately territorial behavior, so adequate space and hiding spots are necessary to keep all tank inhabitants comfortable and stress-free.

Additional Considerations

The maintenance level for keeping Shadow Catfish is low, which makes them relatively manageable for aquarists willing to cater to their specific needs. They have a moderate affordability rating, making them accessible for those wishing to add them to their collection, but they are considered very rare, which may mean sourcing them can be a challenge. Their breeding can induce slight increases in aggression, which should be managed if housed with other fish.