PPP.

[ORCA.]

Pair of Pictus Pimelodus:

[karen]

Wow they are stunners orca

[jan]

:S orca ,are they difficult to breed? great looking fish

[jackpike]

lovely looking catfish, like the big whiskers

[kelly]

what size tank do they need?

[ORCA.]

jan, kelly,
They require a large swimming area, the depth is not overly important and as for breeding not much appears to be known ( time to do some in depth research).
FYI:

Family: Pimelodidae

Genus: Pimelodus

Scientific name: Siluriformes

Common name: Pictus catfish.

Natural habitat: Columbia and Peru. The Amazon and Orinoco river basins.

Length: Up to 5" (12cm).

Diet: Carnivore/Insectivore, but will take various flake, pellet and frozen foods.

Sexing: Unknown, may be due to not reaching sufficient size or sexual maturity in the home aquarium. It is thought that the females are larger and fatter than the males.

Coloration: The basic body color is silver spattered with many black spots. These spots are also seen on the transparent fins. The three pairs of barbels that extend from the mouth area are white.

Temperature: 22-25oC (72-77oF)

Preferred Ph: Fairly soft, slightly acidic (pH 6-6.8)

Behaviour: Not generally aggressive, but avoid keeping with fish small enough to fit in their mouths (such as tetras) - as these may disappear overnight! Often feed in a somewhat frenzied manner, which may alarm calmer fish. They are more active by day when kept as a small group. Do not use nets to catch these fish, as they have sharp spines which will become entangled.

General Care: The tank should be fairly large as the Pictus is an active swimmer and needs plenty of open spaces. Preferring to be kept in schools when young, they tend to form smaller groups when mature.This species should be kept in groups. When kept in small groups this nocturnal fish will be seen out and around more often during the daylight hours. The tank should be planted toward the rear and include large areas of open space for swimming as well as areas for hiding such as caves, driftwood and roots. The substrate should mimic its home and consist of fine sand or gravel. They are good tankmates for the larger community cichlid aquarium, smaller species such as neons will be eaten. A note of caution: The spines are very sharp and can cause injury to you and the fish if mishandled. It is better not to use a net but rather some sort of plastic container when moving this fish.