Catfish – Ripsaw Catfish or Turushuki Blue Catfish

Description

Catfish – Ripsaw Catfish or Turushuki Blue Catfish

Ripsaw Catfish
Oxydoras niger

aka: Turushuki Blue Catfish
Water Conditions
Temperature: 70 – 77°F (21 – 25°C) – although can be found in warmer waters in the wild.
pH: 6.0 – 7.0
Hardness: Up to 20°H

Distribution : Found throughout many of the major river systems of northern South America. It’s been recorded from Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Peru, Bolivia and Brazil in the Rio São Francisco and Rio Essequibo basins, amongst others. A population is also thought to exist in the Rio Orinoco.

Habitat: Amazonian river biotope
Maximum Standard Length: 36″ (90cm) – unlikely to attain this size in captivity.
Bear in mind this species does better as part of a group or colony not solitary. Consideration should be given to a tropical pond.

Maintenance
Will appreciate cover in the form of rockwork, roots and bogwood. Plants can also be used but ensure plenty swimming space is also provided. As with most large fish, decent filtration is required to ensure water quality is maintained at optimum levels. Dimmed lighting will encourage the fish to venture out into the open

Diet
An omnivorous detrivore. Wild fish consume anything edible they find as they sift through the substrate, although a large proportion of the diet is composed of benthic crustaceans and the larval forms of various insects. Will accept most aquarium foods. Ensure vegetable matter and live or frozen foods form a regular part of the diet.

Behavior / Compatibility
Gentle giant. Keep with other large peaceful species such as other large cats, arowana and large characins such as pacu and silver dollars. May eat fish small enough to fit in its mouth.

Sexual Dimorphism Not known

There is typically a wait on these catfish from time to time due to  the difficulty in collection.