Glass Catfish Tropical Fish Information

Kryptopterus vitreolus
Glass Catfish
Behaviour Peaceful, shoaling
Typical size 10cm
Max size 14cm
Tank Area Middle, top
Min Tank Size 90cm
Min Number in Tank 6
Temp Min: 22℃ Max: 26℃
Feeding Flake, frozen, live foods
pH Range 6-8.5
Hardness vs,s,m,h,vh
Glass Catfish Kryptopterus bicirrhis
  • Glass Catfish Kryptopterus bicirrhis - thumbnail
  • Glass Catfish Kryptopterus bicirrhis - thumbnail

Glass Catfish (Kryptopterus vitreolus)

Glass Catfish Tropical Fish Learn all about the Glass Catfish's feeding habits and food types, its behaviour, its origins, its natural habitats, is it male or female, breeding advice and information, suitable tank mates, its sizing and growth range, minimum tank size, water PH and more. Use our fish community creator tool to plan your tank set up and ensure that the Glass Catfish is the right fish for your aquarium.

The Glass Catfish provides an instant attraction as 'something different' due to its virtually see-through body. In the aquarium the Glass Catfish is a timid and sensitive fish that is best mixed with other peaceful, small fish. Good water quality is essential and the fish prefer an open swimming area with flowing water, and a few hiding spots. Glass Catfish must be kept in groups and 6 is a recommended minimum, individuals or smaller numbers will become distressed. There are a number of closely related species in the Kryptopterus family, which may all be sold under the name Glass or Ghost catfish

Latin name is Kryptopterus vitreolus. These fish do not like much current, so “prefer an open swimming area with flowing water and a few hiding spots”  should be changed to “prefer a shaded area under floating plants, with slow-flowing water.”

K. bicirrhis grows much bigger, about 25cms, and was possibly the original glass cat. It has quite recently been discovered that the ones farmed for the hobby are K. vitreolus.

Glass Catfish Facts

Family Siluridae (Sheatfishes) | Synonyms Silurus bicirrhis, Cryptopterus bicirrhis, Kryptopterus minor | Other names Ghost Catfish, Ghostfish | Origin Asia; Thailand, Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Borneo | Natural Water Conditions pH 6-8, very soft to hard | Natural Habitat Fast flowing areas of large rivers



Glass Catfish Help and Advice

If you have a question about keeping Glass Catfish's then please use our Glass Catfish help forum. Join 100's of other fish enthusiasts with 1000's of years experience between them caring for and keeping fish like these.


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Check tank mates for the Glass Catfish fish species

You are in the thinkfish community creator for the Glass Catfish fish species, you can learn all about how the tool works in assessing fish tank mate compatibility at the link provided or use the tool tips provided to guide you. Create a test fish community that includes the Glass Catfish species and any other types of fish or crustacean you'd like to introduce - You can assess the best companions, tank size suitability, stocking levels based on filter type and volume and possible negative interactions and warnings as you build up your aquarium.

Please do check your water type for compatibility with your fish, which can be found on the Glass Catfish information box above and your local water company providers website. Don't waste your money and endanger your fish!
Tank Details
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* Recent changes to stocking & filter advice October 2018
* This fishtank will only last for this session - to save your tank please Join/Log in


Stocking
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0-1 months 20%: 0cm
1-3 months 40%: 0cm
3-6 months 60%: 0cm
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fish size for your tank:
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My Fishtank Quantity Stock cm

There are currently no fish in your fish tank. To add fish, you can click the 'Add the Glass Catfish to your tank' button. Or search for a different fish using the options presented above

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