Pareutropius Buffei
Written by on 5th March 2012 and viewed 279 times
Profile - Freshwater Fish - African Catfish
| Latin | Pareutropius Buffei |
| Common | African Glass Catfish |
| Group | Freshwater Fish |
| Type | African Catfish |
| Family | Schilbeidae |
| Origin | Africa; they are found in Nigeria, Guinea, Niger and Mali |
| Adult Size | Up to 3.25 inches |
| Lifespan | 5-8 years |
| Social | Peaceful |
| Tank level | Minimum tank size of 25 gallons where the African Glass Catfish will occupy the mid levels |
| Lighting | Subdued |
| dGH | 4-12 |
| pH | 6.5-7.5 |
| Temperature | 23-26 °C (73-79 °F) |
| Difficulty | Moderate |
| Sexing | When kept in a group the females will have a stockier body shape compared to the males. |
| Breeding | The African Glass Catfish can be difficult to breed, they require pristine water conditions for this purpose. The breeding tank should be heavily planted as they will scatter the eggs amongst the plants. Once the laying process is over it is wise to remove the parent fish or they will attempt to eat the eggs. After 2-3 days the eggs should hatch and the fry should be free swimming a few days later, at this stage they can be fed on newly hatched brine shrimp or even Infusoria. |
| Feeding | Not a fussy eater so use a quality flake or pellets for the staple diet but vary this with regular meals of live or frozen foods. |
| Care | Use a planted tank that has a good degree of waterflow. Ensure that open swimming spaces are left at the front of the tank and add wood or rocks to create hiding places. They demand the highest water quality so ensure that the filtration is adequate and perform regular water changes. They do not like bright lighting so keep the lighting subdued, the addition of floating plants will help with this. They should always be kept in groups of at least six specimens or they can become skittish and may hide a way a lot. Never keep the African Glass Catfish with boisterous tank mates, a peaceful community set up will be fine as long as they have high water quality. |
