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Family: Pimelodidae
Genus: Pimelodus
Scientific name: pictus, picta
Genus: Pimelodella
Scientific name: picta, pictus, angelicus
Common Name: Pictus catfish
Origin: Columbia and Peru. The Amazon and Orinoco river basins.
Length: Up to 5" (12cm)
Temperature: 22-25oC (72-77oF)
Water chemistry: Fairly soft, slightly acidic (pH 6-6.8)
Diet: Carnivore/Insectivore, but will take various flake, pellet and frozen foods.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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.
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