Banjo catfish are an exquisite species, often available for sale at exotic pet stores. This hardy species can tolerate various environments.
Since they’re nocturnal fish, sand turtles prefer an environment with minimal lighting and are excellent scavengers consuming foods such as bloodworms, tubifex worms, earthworms and pellet-type food like catfish flakes.
Habitat
Banjo catfish make excellent additions to any freshwater aquarium. Highly adaptable, these unique fish can live for several years in captivity. Found primarily in South American rivers, streams, and swamps where their natural habitat includes different substrates such as sand, gravel, leaf litter – the type that should be chosen in a banjo tank will depend on each individual fish’s individual needs and preferences – providing various advantages like encouraging natural behaviors such as burrowing as well as supporting beneficial bacteria growth.
Banjo catfish are bottom-dwelling species that rely heavily on their substrate for both shelter and sustenance. They prefer fine, sandy substrate with plenty of cover provided by rocks, driftwood, large plants and leaves; during the day they tend to hide away buried deep within it while using their barbels to sift through for small prey items that pass their way.
Banjo catfish feed on an assortment of invertebrates found in aquatic environments such as snails, shrimp and other invertebrates such as algae. They also enjoy snacking on eggs from other catfish belonging to their subfamily Aspredininae; due to this behavior female members of this subfamily have evolved specialized adaptations which connect their eggs directly with their stomachs so as to absorb nutrients while protecting against predators.
These fish tend to be shy and retiring when first introduced into a tank. They prefer living alone and rarely interact with other fish; often burrowing themselves under the substrate in order to hide themselves. Because of this, they require plenty of hiding spots and deep substrate in order to feel secure; hence why they are not suitable candidates for aquariums with many active and fast-feeding fish species.
Banjo fish generally prefer slightly acidic to neutral water with a pH between 6.5-7.5, as well as soft to moderately hard water conditions in their tank, along with gentle water movement.
Feeding
The banjo catfish may not be at the top of every aquarist’s wishlist when selecting new species for their aquarium, but these curious-looking fish make great additions. Also referred to as guitarrita catfish due to their similarity to banjos, these species belong to Aspredinidae family of South American waters and make a fantastic addition for captive breeding environments. Although seemingly mysterious-looking, banjo catfish require very minimal care once captured into captivity.
These small, nocturnal fishes are adept scavengers that tend to hide in the substrate or under driftwood and rocks during daylight. With heavily keratinized skin that may feel rough to touch and colors that tend to be subdued in comparison with other freshwater species, male and female banjos appear almost identical, though females usually feature plumper bodies with longer tail fins than their counterparts.
Banjos are natural scavengers, devouring virtually anything they catch. Not fussy eaters, they will consume various flakes, pellets and live food including earthworms, brine shrimp and tubifex worms – though these fish may be overlooked by other tank inhabitants who require fast-moving prey species.
Banjo catfishes in the wild primarily feed on invertebrates such as snails. Furthermore, they are natural spawners, producing up to 200 eggs at one time directly into fresh or brackish waters directly through male spermatophores.
Banjo fish should be kept in large tanks with dense substrate and plenty of hiding spaces, since these fish tend to be shy initially in an aquarium environment and prefer remaining hidden until they feel safe enough to come out and eat. While community tanks may work for keeping banjos, these species prefer living solo and may not tolerate aggressive tankmates.
Rare fish species can be difficult to come by in pet stores, yet are an ideal addition to an aquarium, providing they are kept peacefully. Their unique appearance and peaceful temperament make them popular choices in any home or office aquarium.
Care
Banjo catfish are fascinating species that make for an intriguing addition to any aquarium. Relatively easy to care for, these adaptable fish thrive under all water conditions.
At home, they thrive in freshwater lakes, rivers and ponds with an abundance of organic debris and plant matter. To emulate this environment in captivity it is suggested to use soft, non-abrasive aquarium sand as the substrate and decorate the tank with driftwood, rocks and caves that provide shaded hiding spaces during the daytime for their fish to retreat into during daylight hours. Furthermore, adding dried leaf litter such as that from Indian almond tree (Terminalia catappa) would only further enrich this environment.
These fish are nocturnal and prefer dim lighting during the day to remain hidden beneath sand beds, so it is vital that there is ample dim lighting in your tank for them. Plants like aquatic fern duckweed and water wisteria will further aid their comfort while adding blue moon lighting that switches on just before the main lights go out could also provide them with the ideal habitat. Finally, adding blue moon lighting that activates just before lights out would allow you to spend some quality time watching these lovely fish under their preferred subdued lighting!
As with other freshwater fish, banjo catfish are generally opportunistic feeders and will consume an array of both live and frozen foods. It is best to provide an assortment of foods such as bloodworms, tubifex worms, black and white mosquito larvae, vitamin-enriched brine shrimp, daphnia earthworms as well as sinking catfish pellets/granules as a nutritious diet for these catfish. Incorporating marine flakes that contain additional vegetal-based material may also prove beneficial over time.
As with most opportunistic feeders, banjo catfish should ideally be fed after tank lights have been dimmed for the evening as this way they won’t come up to higher water levels and miss any food that may have settled at the bottom of their tanks.