What tank size does a Glass Catfish need?

A Glass Catfish needs an aquarium of at least 90 litres (23.8 US gallons) with a footprint at least 90 cm (35.4 in) long — for this species, swimming length matters as much as raw volume.

What water parameters does a Glass Catfish need?

Glass Catfish does best at 20–26 °C (68–78.8 °F), pH 5.5–7.5 and a general hardness of 2–12 °dGH.

What group size does a Glass Catfish need?

Glass Catfish is a social species — keep a group of at least 6 so natural behaviour emerges and stress stays low.

Is the Glass Catfish suitable for beginners?

Glass Catfish sits in the middle of the difficulty scale — manageable for a careful beginner who has done the reading, but it has specific needs worth researching first.

Species library

Glass Catfish

Kryptopterus vitreolus

Siluridae

FishDifficulty: ●●●○○Data: well-established

📷 Francesco Loda · CC BY 3.0 · resized · Wikimedia Commons

Glass Catfish — Kryptopterus vitreolus — 📷 Francesco Loda · CC BY 3.0 · resized · Wikimedia Commons

About

The glass catfish is a remarkable, almost fully transparent silurid from the slow, tannin-stained blackwaters of peninsular and southeastern Thailand, its internal organs and backbone visible through a clear body. Unusually for a catfish it hovers and shoals in open mid-water rather than resting on the bottom, and it is a shy, delicate species that only settles when kept as a tight group in a mature, stable aquarium.

Care

Keep in a shoal of 6 or more (ideally 8+) in a mature, well-established tank with soft, slightly acidic water, gentle flow, subdued light and open mid-water swimming space framed by planting. Sensitive to poor or fluctuating water quality.

Diet

Micropredator that hunts tiny invertebrates and zooplankton drifting in the water column; offer small live and frozen foods daily and use fine dry foods only as a supplement.

Tankmate compatibility

Computed by the AquaSage engine for a spacious reference tank — always check the full verdict for your exact setup in the calculator.

Telling males from females

What works for this species, most reliable first.

Adult sizeA hint only · only across animals of the same age
In many cichlids, catfish and loaches one sex simply grows larger — usually the male, though there are well-known reversals.

All the methods, with diagrams

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Frequently asked questions

What tank size does a Glass Catfish need?: A Glass Catfish needs an aquarium of at least 90 litres (23.8 US gallons) with a footprint at least 90 cm (35.4 in) long — for this species, swimming length matters as much as raw volume.
What water parameters does a Glass Catfish need?: Glass Catfish does best at 20–26 °C (68–78.8 °F), pH 5.5–7.5 and a general hardness of 2–12 °dGH.
What group size does a Glass Catfish need?: Glass Catfish is a social species — keep a group of at least 6 so natural behaviour emerges and stress stays low.
Is the Glass Catfish suitable for beginners?: Glass Catfish sits in the middle of the difficulty scale — manageable for a careful beginner who has done the reading, but it has specific needs worth researching first.

Sources

Water & tank

Temperature20–26°C

Optimal temp.22–25°C

pH5.5–7.5

Hardness (GH)2–12°d

Carbonate (KH)0–8°d

Adult size6.5 cm

Min. volume≥ 90 L

Min. tank length≥ 90 cm

Group size≥ 6

Swimming zoneMid

TemperamentPeaceful

Water typeFreshwater

FlowLow

Lifespan~7 yrs

Try in the calculator