Twig Catfish
Farlowella acus
Loricariidae
No photo of this species yet
Got one of your own? Send it and your name goes under it.
About
A twig catfish is a 16 cm stick of armour with a long pointed snout that spends the day motionless on a branch, moving in short hops. It is also, almost certainly, not the species on its label. Seriously Fish states that of the 27 described Farlowella only two are regularly exported, that F. acus "is a species that is highly endangered and imported very rarely, if at all", and that F. vittata rather than F. acus is what is in hobbyists' tanks. PlanetCatfish goes further: "Although numerous aquarium books show photos labelled as Farlowella acus they are most likely all incorrect. It is very doubtful that this fish has ever been exported for the aquarium trade." Real F. acus is IUCN Vulnerable, assessed in 2020, and PlanetCatfish thinks it could be extinct within twenty years. So this page carries the name the shop uses and the numbers of the genus, and the fish you buy is F. vittata or a congener — which matters mainly for pH, where PlanetCatfish puts F. acus at 6.8-7.6 while FishBase gives the same species 6.0-7.0 and Seriously Fish gives F. vittata 6.0-7.0. What does not change is the difficulty. Seriously Fish calls the species super sensitive to poor or deteriorating water, sensitive to medications, prone to heavy losses in the first weeks after import, and recommended only to the dedicated hobbyist. Kept properly it may live fifteen years.
Care
An established, spotless, well-oxygenated tank with gentle current — never a new one. Seriously Fish says it is largely inactive and can live in 90 x 30 x 30 cm (81 litres); FishBase asks 80 cm for a group of five or more and Seriously Fish suggests starting with six juveniles to end up with a pair, so plan on 100 cm and around 90 litres for a group of five. Fine sand, rounded stones and a great deal of driftwood; dim light, and either a planted tank or leaf litter — both work, and it will not eat the plants. Water 24-26 C, soft to moderately hard, pH from 6.0 to about 7.5 depending on which species you actually have. It is very peaceful and completely unable to compete: keep it with small characins, danios and other quiet loricariids, never with cichlids, large plecos or fast boisterous shoalers that clear the food first. Do not move it once it settles, and treat any medication with caution. Buy only well-quarantined fish and reject any with a sunken belly.
Diet
Primarily vegetarian: algae wafers, Spirulina tablets, cucumber, kale and blanched spinach make the bulk, with small frozen or live foods only as an occasional extra. It grazes diatoms and green algae off every surface but ignores brush and beard algae, and it needs an established tank with real biofilm to survive its first months. FishBase's one-line aquarium note says it "feeds on plants and roots", which describes what to put in the bowl rather than damage to living stems: Seriously Fish has it grazing the surfaces of leaves and calls the fish equally at home in a planted tank, so it is not a plant eater in the sense that matters for a planted aquarium.
Tankmate compatibility
Gets along with (225)
Possible with care (157)
Avoid (36)
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.
- Bristles and cheek spinesStrong · from about a year
Male plecos grow odontodes — spiny growths on the cheeks and along the leading pectoral rays. Bristlenose males additionally grow branching tentacles across the snout and over the top of the head.
Also in these lists
Similar species
Same category and the closest water parameters — if this species isn't quite it, start here.
Sold in Lithuania
These Lithuanian shops listed this species in their public catalogue (checked August 8, 2026). Stock moves — ask before you travel.
These links are unpaid: we get nothing for them and ask for nothing.
Frequently asked questions
- What tank size does a Twig Catfish need?
- A Twig Catfish needs an aquarium of at least 90 litres (23.8 US gallons) with a footprint at least 100 cm (39.4 in) long — for this species, swimming length matters as much as raw volume.
- What water parameters does a Twig Catfish need?
- Twig Catfish does best at 23–27 °C (73.4–80.6 °F), pH 6–7.6 and a general hardness of 2–10 °dGH.
- What group size does a Twig Catfish need?
- Twig Catfish is a social species — keep a group of at least 5 so natural behaviour emerges and stress stays low.
- Is the Twig Catfish suitable for beginners?
- Twig Catfish is a demanding species best attempted with some experience — it needs stable, closely watched conditions to thrive.