Description
The Berney's Catfish is a very active native catfish, with an impressive shark-like dorsal fin. This species prefers to be in a school and will require a large aquarium with open swimming space. It is also known as highfin catfish, lesser salmon catfish, and fork-tailed catfish. It is found in rivers and streams with slower moving water.
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Features of Berneys Catfish:
- Long cylindrical body with large forked tail
- Impressive shark-like dorsal fin
- Dark coloured body with a lighter stomach
- Bottom dweller
- Grows up to 30cm-40cm
- Level of care: Intermediate
The Best Aquarium Size for Berney's Catfish:
Berney's Catfish grow large. Recommended aquarium size is 500 litres for this large growing catfish.
Check out these suitable aquarium brands:
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Tank Mate Compatibility:
Berney's Catfish are a peaceful large catfish. Best kept with other peaceful species that are not prone to fin nipping. Also, do not keep with crustaceans or fish small enough to fit in their mouth which may become a snack.
Here are some great tank mates to consider:
Diet:
Berney's Catfish are omnivores and prefer bulky high protein foods. They will readily eat pellets, live, frozen and freeze dried foods. They are known to eat plant matter and detritus.
Check out our extensive range of aquarium fish foods, or live foods.
Berney's Catfish Tank Setup:
Aquarium Filtration for Berney's Catfish
A good filtration system is necessary as they can be heavy waste producers due to their voracious appetite and size. They prefer a slower flow rate. Ensure your filter has an adequate flow rate to effectively remove waste from the aquarium. Cannister filters are you best option for large aquariums.
Shop our comprehensive range of aquarium filters here.
Aquarium Heater for Berney's Catfish
This fish enjoy temperatures between 22 - 27° C. If you are unable to maintain this temperature naturally, use an aquarium heater. Aquarium heaters also stabilize water temperatures. A thermometer is recommended to monitor the water temperature.
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Aquarium Plants for Berney's Catfish
To mimic their natural habitat, we recommend adding live aquatic plants to your aquarium. Berney's Catfish are a large species and can disrupt plants easily, however they require lots of driftwood in the aquarium for shelter, so we suggest using anubias planted on driftwood. Anubias is a hardy plant with a firm leaf that will tolerate moderate disruption and lower lighting. When planted on driftwood, the plant has no way of being uprooted. It's rooted to the driftwood already, and ready to go.
Check out our Anubias on Driftwood.
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Aquarium Decorations for Berney's Catfish
Berney's Catfish love driftwood and enjoy lots of hiding spots to feel safe in an aquarium environment. Other ornaments large enough to swim around and hide around such as caves and pipes are also great options.
After more nice quality decorations? Check our Aquarium Ornaments.
Aquarium Lighting Berney's Catfish
Berney's Catfish prefer a more dimly lit aquarium. While, plants need sufficient light to grow LED lighting is an excellent choice to provide adjustable lighting as desired. LED lighting is also more efficient and runs cooler than traditional aquarium lights.
Substrate for Berney's Catfish
Aquarium sand or fine smooth gravels are a good substrate to mimic their natural environment.
A variety of Substrates are available at Coburg Aquarium.
*Images used with permission
