Glass catfish

Those among us who get spooked easily will be startled by the common name of glass catfish which is ghost catfish. Very popular among hobbyists as well as professional aquarists, the glass catfish is found in Indonesia; specifically, the western portion of the island of Borneo.

Description: These odd silurid catfish can attain a size of about 3". They are translucent (hence the name ghost cat or glass cat, as sometimes called) to the point where their skeletal structures are readily visible.

Food: You will find it either incredibly easy or impossibly difficult to feed the catfish. What is universally known is that these fish will gladly take a diet consisting solely of live foods. They love bloodworms, Tubifex, and mosquito larvae. They also feed well on brine shrimp. They are a mite wary of commercially-prepared flakes and pellets, but may accept these more readily if the foods are delivered via current. You must humour the loach the way you would a child by having commercially prepared food delivered via current.

Aquarium Care: As far as water temperature goes, 73 degrees Fahrenheit seems to be an accepted bare minimum and 82 is generally accepted as the maximum temperature, but a range of 75-80 degrees seems to be most preferable to these fish. If you glance through their life profile, you realize that the catfish comes from acidic, slow-moving rivers that are heavy on vegetation but these rivers do have open spaces in which K. minor often congregates. Floating plants are often found in their home rivers: therefore diffused light in the aquarium will simulate their natural environment. As you know already, the catfish come from slightly acidic rivers, they need water with pH between 6.5 and neutral (7.0). They also need very soft water (5-19 dH). In captivity, they have shown a natural affinity for current in their water and they may not function properly without it. When you actually plan your aquarium for the catfish, keep adide 10 gallons for a small shoal of 2" fish or a well-planted 20 long for a shoal of six or so.

Breeding: There is little known of the sexual morphology of the glass cats. Actually, there is very little known about the sexing or breeding of the entire family Siluridae save for one species, the giant wels (Siluris glanis). The glass cats have apparently been commercially bred on a small scale in Asia, but there has been little, if any, success within the confines of the aquarium.

Behaviour: You will be happy to know that the catfish is a hectic partying kind! Most would recommend that the glass cat be kept in groups of four or more. They are generally midwater swimmers, and do not often touch the bottom, if they do at all. Thus, a glass cat spending most of its time on the bottom can reasonably be considered to be sick.

Somewhat in contrast to its sociable nature, the catfish is also prone to nervousness in a new environment, some of which may be mitigated by generously planting the background of its aquarium. K. minor does like to swim in open spaces, so the aquarium cannot be completely stuffed with plants, but their presence will make a world of difference in the attitude of the fish.