ALBINO RED EYE PATIN CATFISH

Patin catfish form the family Pangasiidae. They are found in fresh and brackish waters across southern Asia, from Pakistan to Borneo. Among the 30-odd members of this family is the plant-eating, endangered Mekong giant catfish Pangasianodon gigas, one of the largest known freshwater fish.

Typical Behavior

are fairly timid and can be easily scared. When this happens, they may hit their head on the glass or decor.

You can help keep them calm by placing the tank in a fairly quiet area, somewhere they aren’t likely to be scared by loud noises or people passing by the tank.

They are also likely to get harassed by more aggressive fish. Therefore, keeping them with large peaceful fish is important. There is an emphasis on large because any fish that can fit into the shark’s mouth will likely become food.

As juveniles, they school together and separate as adults. This schooling, combined with the flashing skin, is yet another reason why they were brought into the aquarium trade.

Conditions

Using this information, a fish tank that is modeled on a river is best for these fish. This means having an open swimming space with rocks and driftwood around the floor of the tank.

The important part of the tank setup is the open middle water column. This is where your fish will spend most of their time and they will need a lot of room.

To keep these fish stress-free, make sure the water parameters do not fluctuate so much. They do not respond well to changes in these conditions even though they are hardy.

Iridescent Catfish require the following conditions:

• Temperature: 72-79°F
• pH: 6.5-7.5
• Hardness: 2-20 dGH
• Water Movement: Moderate
• Light Levels: Moderate

These fish have sensitive barbels so a soft substrate is needed. This will also replicate the river conditions they are used to in the wild, which usually have a soft muddy bed.

It is important to think about this fish’s large size and their nature. When they get scared, they can bash into equipment such as heaters and break them. To stop this, make sure you keep the tank in a quiet area of your home.

Also, consider hiding heaters where they cannot be broken, either using an external in-line or an under gravel heater.

Tank Mates

The good things are that these fish can be housed with lots of large peaceful fish such as:

• Plecostomus
• Synodontis catfish
• Pearsei
• Silver dollars
• Kissing gourami
• Leptobotia elongata loach
• Oscar
• Texas cichlid
• Salvin’s cichlid
• Bichir
• Fire eel

Any crustaceans will not do well with these fish and will likely end up being dinner.

As always, when adding more aggressive fish make sure to watch them interact. You never want to have your fish bullying one another.