Glass catfish care
Kryptopterus vitreolus · Thailand
Glass catfish are see-through schooling catfish that hover in midwater facing the current.
- Tank size
- 29 US gal or larger
- Temperature
- 75 to 82 °F (24 to 28 °C)
- Group size
- 6 or more
- Temperament
- Peaceful
- Adult size
- 3 in
- pH
- 6.5 to 7.5
- Hardness (GH)
- 2 to 12 dGH
- Lifespan
- 5 to 8 years
- Diet
- Micropredator
- Care level
- Moderate
In a 29 gallon
30¼ × 12½ × 18¾ in outsideHow to keep glass catfish
Glass catfish are see-through schooling catfish that hover in midwater facing the current. They are shy: keep six or more in a 29 gallon or larger planted tank with calm tankmates and gentle flow.
Diet: Micropredator: small frozen foods, micro pellets, flakes. Fish food types compared · how often to feed.
Where they swim: Middle of the tank.
Glass catfish tank mates
Share the temperature and water, and neither side eats, nips or bullies the other. Check the full group in the stocking checker.
Betta
3 in · 5+ gal · 76–82 °F
German blue ram
3 in · 20+ gal · 78–85 °F
Cockatoo dwarf cichlid
3 in · 20+ gal · 75–84 °F
Emerald corydoras
3 in · 29+ gal · 72–82 °F
Celebes rainbowfish
3 in · 29+ gal · 68–82 °F
Peacock gudgeon
3 in · 15+ gal · 72–79 °F
Bamboo shrimp
3 in · 20+ gal · 72–82 °F
Bolivian ram
3.2 in · 29+ gal · 72–80 °F
Keep apart
White cloud mountain minnow: No shared temperature: glass catfish need 75 to 82 °F, white cloud mountain minnows 64 to 72 °F.
Pea puffer: Pea puffers belong in a tank of their own.
Fancy goldfish: No shared temperature: glass catfish need 75 to 82 °F, fancy goldfish 64 to 74 °F.
Convict cichlid: Convict cichlids are aggressive towards peaceful fish such as glass catfish.
Jewel cichlid: Jewel cichlids are aggressive towards peaceful fish such as glass catfish.
Demasoni cichlid: Demasoni cichlids are aggressive towards peaceful fish such as glass catfish.
What a glass catfish tank needs
A tank of 29 US gallons or more (such as the 29 gallon) with a cover, and the equipment below.
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Aqueon PRO QuietFlow Power Filter 20
Rated by the maker for up to 30 US gal, which covers a 29 gallon glass catfish tank without being built for a far bigger one.
Aqueon QuietFlow Internal Power Filter 15–30 gal
Rated by the maker for 15–30 US gal, which covers a 29 gallon glass catfish tank without being built for a far bigger one.
Cobalt Aquatics Neo-Therm Pro 100W
Glass catfish need 75 to 82 °F; most homes run cooler, so a heater holds the temperature.
API Freshwater Master Test Kit
Tests ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH, the readings that matter most before and after adding glass catfish.
Seachem Prime 100 mL
Removes chlorine and chloramine from tap water at every water change.
Fluval Edge Thermometer
Shows the water temperature at a glance, so you know it stays within 75 to 82 °F.
More choices, each with the reason it is in or out: Filters for a 29 gallon tank · Heaters for a 29 gallon tank. We don’t list fish food: any good brand of the foods under Diet will do. Plan the whole tank's equipment →
Common glass catfish problems
- Alone or in small groups they hide and stop eating.
Test the water first whenever fish look unwell: see what your readings mean, then match the symptom. For disease, a vet who treats fish can diagnose it and advise treatment.
More to compare
Sources
Name, origin and adult size checked against Wikipedia: Kryptopterus vitreolus. Temperature, pH, hardness, group size, lifespan and minimum tank size are common hobby guidance, not figures from that article. Ranges are the range the species tolerates; aim for the middle. Minimum tank sizes are for an adult group. Drawings are our own; photo credits follow.
Photo credits
Real photographs from Wikimedia Commons, resized and cropped to fit; each is used under the license named.
- Glass catfish Martin Fisch, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Betta ivabalk (Pixabay), CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
- German blue ram Eric Mengel, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- Cockatoo dwarf cichlid William Kreijkes, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Emerald corydoras NonstickRon, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Celebes rainbowfish Brent Tibbatts, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Peacock gudgeon Dirk Godlinski, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Bamboo shrimp Faucon, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
- Bolivian ram HenryC88, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- White cloud mountain minnow Petrtyl, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Pea puffer Beta Mahatvaraj, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Fancy goldfish Benson Kua, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Convict cichlid S. Olkowicz, CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
- Jewel cichlid NasserHalaweh, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Demasoni cichlid lee Nachtigal, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Pygmy corydoras Birger A, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Salt-and-pepper corydoras D.W., CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Bronze corydoras Quatermass (English Wikipedia), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- Panda corydoras Chronotopian, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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