Tiger Shovelnose Catfish

The Tiger Shovelnose Catfish (Pseudoplatystoma fasciatum) can grow very big and reaches a length of at least 1.2 m / 4ft. There are reports that they can grow to twice that size. They seldom grow larger then 1 m / 3.3ft when kept in aquariums. The species grows quickly and will soon need a large aquarium even if you buy a small specimen. One year old fish can easily be more then 40 cm / 1.3 ft long. You might be able to slow their growth rate a little by feeding them less often but they will still grow to huge catfish and you will need an aquarium of at least 1000L / 200 gallon if you want to keep Tiger Shovelnose Catfish.

The characteristic pattern that gives Tiger Shovelnose Catfish their name isn’t developed in small specimens and they need to grow to about 15 cm / 6 inches before they start to display their beautiful stripe pattern.

A Tiger Shovelnose aquarium should be decorated using large rocks or fine grained sand to cover the bottom. Gravel should be avoided since the catfish will eat gravel when hunting for other food and the gravel can’t always pass through their system. Use a couple of large pieces of bogwood or rock to create large hiding places where the fish can rest. Tiger Shovelnose Catfish does not like to small spaces and you should avoid creating such spaces when decorating. This species is known to jump out of the aquarium or sometimes even break aquariums if they are kept in to small spaces/aquariums. Tiger Shovelnose catfish are also very easily frightened and should therefore be given an environment they feel safe in and not be kept with other nervous fish that can agitate them further. They usually splash around a lot during water changes.