Glass Catfish - Kryptopterus vitreolus

The Glass Catfish lives up to its name as its body is completely transparent, giving this catfish a very interesting, unique, almost ghostly appearance. When the light hits the fish at a certain angle, it can create iridescent rainbow colors. The natural habitat of this fascinating fish are clear and oxygen-rich rivers and streams with medium to fast current in southeast Thailand. It has a laterally strongly flattened body shape and reaches a size of up to 8 cm.

Care in the aquarium
An aquarium for the Glass Catfish should have an edge length of at least 100 cm or a filling volume of 200 liters, be well planted at the edges of the tank, but also give the catfish enough swimming space. Floating plants provide additional well-being for the timid catfish. This extremely peaceful fish only feels comfortable in a school of at least 10 animals and is quite susceptible to stress, especially if the group is too small and the water parameters fluctuate too much, which makes it more of a fish for more experienced fish keepers. Due to its peaceful nature, the Glass Catfish can easily be socialized with other similarly sized, peaceful and not too hectic or rough fish. Since this glass catfish is a good hunter, socializing with dwarf shrimp is not recommended.

In terms of overall hardness, the Glass Catfish is quite flexible and can be kept at 5 to 15°dGH (ideally below 10°dGH). The optimum pH value is around 6.5, with the possible pH value being in the range between 6.0 and 7.0. However, care should be taken to ensure that the value is as stable as possible, since the Glass Catfish can react sensitively to strong fluctuations. Due to its natural origin, the water should also be as clean as possible, low in nitrate and rich in oxygen and the Aquarium should have a moderate current.

Feeding
The Indian glass catfish is an omnivore, so it feeds on both animals and plants. Since he often only gets used to fish food to a limited extent or only after some time, giving live and frozen food should be preferred.

Sexual dimorphism and breeding
It is hardly possible to differentiate between the sexes in Kryptopterus vitreolus. Females may be recognized by their rounder, fuller build. As far as we know, breeding in the aquarium has not yet been successful.