{"product_id":"pictus-catfish-pimelodus-pictus","title":"Pictus Catfish | Pimelodus pictus","description":"\u003ch2\u003eDescription\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eA silver, black-spotted speedster trailing long whiskers, the Pictus Catfish is an endlessly active shoaling predator that reaches around 11–15 cm. Peaceful with similar-sized tankmates, it will nonetheless happily eat anything bite-sized — so choose companions carefully and give it room to cruise.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eNatural Habitat\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eNative to the Amazon and Orinoco basins of South America, the Pictus Cat inhabits larger rivers and streams with sandy or muddy bottoms and moderate flow. It is a nocturnal forager in the wild, using its long barbels to detect food in dim, turbid water.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eAppearance\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eA sleek, scaleless catfish with a silvery body scattered with bold black spots, a deeply forked tail and remarkably long barbels that can reach past the tail. Sharp, serrated pectoral and dorsal spines make it a fish to net with care, as it easily tangles in mesh.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eTemperament and Compatibility\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003ePeaceful toward fish it cannot eat, but a genuine predator toward anything small enough to swallow — neons, small rasboras and shrimp are all fair game. It is an active, social catfish best kept in a group of three or more, which brings out natural behaviour and confidence.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eFeeding\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eA carnivore with a big appetite. Offer sinking carnivore pellets and wafers as a base, plus frozen and live foods such as bloodworms, prawn, mussel and earthworms. It feeds most actively in the evening, so a feed after lights-out suits its nocturnal nature.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eCare Requirements\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eProvide a large tank of at least 200 litres with open swimming space, some cover and strong, well-oxygenated filtration. As a scaleless fish it is sensitive to poor water quality and to many medications, so dose treatments cautiously and keep the water clean. Smooth décor helps protect its skin and barbels.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eBreeding\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe Pictus Catfish is not known to have been bred in the home aquarium; commercially available fish are wild-caught or farm-raised on a large scale. Its breeding behaviour in captivity is essentially undocumented, so it should be kept for its activity and appearance rather than for breeding.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eSpecies Information\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003ctable\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eScientific Name\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003ePimelodus pictus\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eCommon Name\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003ePictus Catfish\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eOrigin\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eAmazon and Orinoco basins (South America)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eMaximum Size\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eAround 11–15 cm\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eLifespan\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e8–10 years\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eTemperament\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003ePeaceful, but eats small fish; active shoaler\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eDifficulty\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eIntermediate\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eMinimum Tank Size\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e200 litres\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eRecommended Tank Size\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e250 litres or more\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eDiet\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eCarnivore\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eWater Temperature\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e22–27 °C\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003epH Range\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e6.0–7.5\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eGH Range\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e5–19 dGH (soft to hard)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eSalinity\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eNot applicable (freshwater)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eSuitable For\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eIntermediate keepers; larger community tanks with sizeable tankmates\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eReef Safe\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eNot applicable\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003ePlant Safe\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eYes — does not eat plants\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\u003ch2\u003eSuitable Tank Mates\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eMedium-to-large peaceful fish that cannot be swallowed — larger barbs, bigger tetras (such as Congo tetras), rainbowfish, medium gouramis, peaceful cichlids and other robust catfish.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eAvoid Keeping With\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eSmall fish and shrimp that will be eaten, very aggressive fish, and long-finned slow species that may be harassed by its constant activity.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Nick's Aquarium Oceanarium Terrarium","offers":[{"title":"Small (1-5cm)","offer_id":55232799965475,"sku":"AA2014-S","price":59.95,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Medium (5-10cm)","offer_id":55232799998243,"sku":"AA2014","price":69.95,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Large (10-15cm)","offer_id":55232800031011,"sku":"AA2014-L","price":79.95,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0972\/7236\/5347\/files\/Pictus_Catfish_997c0654-d624-4b5f-a807-0845fcb1907d.jpg?v=1781701111","url":"https:\/\/nicksaquariumoceanariumterrarium.com.au\/products\/pictus-catfish-pimelodus-pictus","provider":"Nicks AOT","version":"1.0","type":"link"}