Size
Average adult can reach a length of 18 inches.
Physical Characteristics and Behavior
The body’s length is considerably condensed, and it has a large head and subterminal mouth. They are yellowish orange in color with darker patches on the dorsal and caudal fins in real life. They have a large, circular black mark on one shoulder that is surrounded by a light-yellow ring. They are greenish yellow on top, brilliant golden on the sides, and white in the belly. The caudal fin has a black base with bright yellow margins and tips.
Keeping and Care in Captivity
- Water Conditions
The Asian Sun Catfish, a native of that area, can be found in Kerala, a state in southwest India. You can find them in swamps, bog pools, lakes, and the relaxed backwaters of rivers. It needs a water supply. Hardness: 5–25°H, pH: 6.0–7.5, and temperature: 74–77°F (23–25°C).
- Feeding
The sun catfish will eat any prepared, frozen, or live food when kept in captivity. But to keep the fish healthy and eager to eat, you need to be sure to diversify its diet. This catfish likes to consume live fish because it is a predatory fish. However, since your fish can consume other things, this is not absolutely necessary. You can use a meaty frozen diet in place of the live fish. The sun catfish’s diet should also contain dried pellets, earthworms, frozen prawns, and mussels. Additionally, there are smaller fish, insects, and plant materials.
- Tank requirements
One sun catfish needs a tank that is 180 cm by 60 cm by 60 cm (648 litres), which is equivalent to 60″ by 24″ by 24″. (170 gallons). Of course, if you want to keep multiple sun catfish or other fish species in the same tank, you’ll need a bigger aquarium. Because sun catfish are nocturnal creatures, your tank should have plenty of hiding spaces and dim lighting. This can take the shape of tangled beech branch clusters, heavy plastic tubing, enormous pebbles, or large bogwood pieces. Due to its size, the sun catfish generates significant volumes of nitrogenous waste. You need an external filter to keep your water clean. Make sure that any decorations you put in your fish tank are either too heavy for the catfish to move or are fixed to the bottom of the tank.
This is especially crucial if your tank’s bottom and middle are decorated, as the fish will spend the majority of their time there. Gravel bottoms are not required in tanks housing sun catfish. If you do decide to add gravel to your aquarium, keep it to a thickness of no more than 1/4 inch. Anything thicker than this will frequently fill with unfinished food, contaminating the water in the process. However, the sun catfish prefers a soft sand bottom to preserve its delicate barbels.
- Tank Mates
Although this catfish is frequently offered for sale as a fish for community aquariums, you shouldn’t keep it in a tank with smaller fish species. Because this catfish will consume anything it can, its tank mates should be at least as big as it.
Large cichlids and other catfish species make the greatest aquarium mates. The reproductive species of this catfish prefer isolation, but the young species enjoy being in the company of others of their kind and can even form schools.
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