The pictus catfish displays a forked tail that is seen in many varieties of catfish. Angelicus Pimelodus pictus Other names Pimelodus Angelicus Origin South America.
This fish in the wild can be found in groups called shoals.
What ph do pictus catfish like. They enjoy a pH of 70-75. Fish can be acclimated to almost any pH best done slowly if possible. A stable pH is better than a perfect pH.
Pictus cats are tropical freshwater fish that prefer stable temperatures from 75 to 81F. They do well with a water pH of 70 to 75 and are usually found in soft water in the wild. However as long as your water hardness is stable and doesnt shift your fish should easily adjust to your local water conditions.
Family Pimelodidae Synonyms Pimelodella picta P. Angelicus Pimelodus pictus Other names Pimelodus Angelicus Origin South America. Columbia Amazon and Orinoco River basins Natural Water Conditions pH 6-8 soft to hard.
Minimum Tank Size. 60 gallons Water Conditions. 75-81 F pH 70-75 Diet.
South America Family. Catfish Aquarium Type. A pH of 7 is neutral and most catfish do well at this level.
Over time the pH will tend to drop and become more acidic as wastes build up in the tank. Vacuuming and partial water changes will help correct that but you may need to add some alkaline pH correcting chemicals. Pictus catfish Appearance.
The catfish is colored in silver with lots of black spots. It has white barbels and transparent fins. Its body is long and slender and generally grows to 5 inches in length in captivity.
One of the Pictus Catfishs most distinctive features is its whiskers They are actually called barbels and have them by all catfish. Planetcatfish says they like a pH 7 while ideal pH for mbuna is around 8. It is considered good to keep these fish in a group of at least five fishMost singly kept specimens will pine away eventually.
For some reason in store i bought them half a year ago they were called pectus and not pictus. The pictus catfish displays a forked tail that is seen in many varieties of catfish. These fish are like the Angelicus catfish and the two are often confused.
There are few differences between the different genders. The females will be rounder by the belly while the males will be slenderer with a flattened stomach. This fish in the wild can be found in groups called shoals.
So if you want to mimic it you need to have 3 to 4 Pictus Catfish and a big tank like 150-gallon one. The pH required for the water should be around 70 to 75 and the temperature of water should be around 75-81. Pictus catfish thrive in fairly neutral pH water between 70 and 75.
Since pictus catfish produce a lot of ammonia-containing waste which can affect pH you need to regularly check the waters pH and make sure the filters are working properly. Its important to note that their ideal water pH level is a bit lower than what cichlids need. Therefore they should be slowly acclimated to a cichlids tank.
Like most catfish plecos are bottom feeders and spend most of their time at the base feeding on algae. The Pictus Catfish doesnt have scales. It looks awesome but it also makes them more vulnerable so thats something you should keep in mind.
The acidity in the aquarium should also be stable and somewhere between 70 and 75 pH. Pictus Catfish Tank Mates. In my opinion Pictus need a tank of minimum of 4ft 50US gallons when they reach the size of 4 - and plenty of open space to swim.
That helps to have happy Pictus. If its of any help my adult pictus were cruising around night and day. But they grew up in the tank so they were totally at ease.
Pictus catfish community tank. I have a 55 gallon tank with 3 black mollies 3 roseline barbs 1 Siamese algae eater 3 African dwarf frogs some cherry shrimp and some trumpet snails. Id like to add some pictus catfish 3-4 since they like company but.
What temperature do Pictus catfish like. We recommend anything between 70 80 degrees Fahrenheit 20 27 Celcius with the pH set to around 55 70. The next thing to keep in mind is that the Pictus Catfish is primarily a nocturnal fish but a dimly lit environment may encourage activity during the daytime.
Change the water weekly pictus catfish produce a lot of waste and regularly test various parameters such as pH and water hardness. Inadequate feeding can also affect pictus catfish slowing down growth or limiting how big they can get. The Pictus catfish has a characteristic silvery smooth body with black spots.
Like other catfish species they do not have any external scales. They have the common barbels used for tasting food deep in the substrate and sharp spines on their pectoral and dorsal fin. Take great care when handling these fish to avoid getting poked by these spines.
How big do Pictus catfish actually grow. Pictus catfish are known to be 2 to 3 inches big in length when they are juveniles while they can grow up to 45 to 5 inches in size in their adult years. However there are various reports that show they have exceeded this size and reached up to 6 inches or even more in the wild.
How to Make Pictus Catfish Live Longer. In some cases there is sadly not much we can do to increase the lifespan of a pictus catfish. However we simply have to try some things to improve the quality of their life which can consequently also increase their lifespan.
Here well take a look at some of the things that you can do right now to increase a lifespan of a pictus catfish.