Bloch's Catfish

Pimelodus blochii

Freshwater South America

A sleek, silvery antennal catfish bearing long sensory barbels and a deeply forked tail. It is a tireless nocturnal patrolman that coexists well with medium-to-large companions, but it will readily engulf bite-sized fish at feeding time.

22 cm adult length, drawn to scale. torpedo body.

Try it in the planner Opens a tank sized to its minimum with 3 fish added.

What it needs

Item	Value	Because
Adult length	22 cm	Used for the Space check: the tank must be long enough for the fish to turn round.
Smallest tank	300 L, at least 120 cm long estimated	The least water and floor length this species is kept in for good, as a single fish or smallest group.
Extra water per added fish	50 L estimated	What each further fish adds once the minimum is met.
Waste load	Class 3 of 5 estimated	How much waste an adult makes against its size. Feeds the Load check.
Temperature	22 to 26 C	Stock sharing a tank need overlapping ranges.
pH	6 to 7.5	Compared with tankmates in the Water check.
Hardness	GH 5 to 18, KH 2 to 8	Degrees of general and carbonate hardness.
Flow	Medium	Low-flow fish are stressed in a strong current.
Light	Moderate	Matched to the lighting class on the needs sheet.
Group size	At least 3, ideally 5	Kept alone or in small numbers it hides, fades or turns on tankmates.
Temperament	Peaceful	Not territorial.
Swims in	Near the bottom	Fish that use different levels share a tank more easily.
Lifespan	About 8 years	A fish is a long commitment.
Experience	Suits a first tank	A guide to how forgiving the species is of mistakes.

Tags marked estimated are judged from the size and habits of the species rather than measured, so treat them as a sensible default.

Diet and tank layout

Bloch's Catfish is an omnivore that swims in the lowest part of the tank. It is safe with plants. Give it some cover. It will eat fish small enough to swallow.

Tankmates

Works with

No close matches in the data. Check the pair tool.

Depends

Avoid

Compare any two fish on the compatibility page, or print the equipment for a stock on the needs sheet. How this is worked out: the method.