Overview

SynonymsBunocephalus bicolor, B. haggini, Dysichthys bicolor, D. coracoideus
Maximum Size15cm (5.9″)
Temperature24-28 deg C (75-82 deg F)
Water ParametersWill acclimatise to a wide range of conditions. pH: 5.8-7.8, dH: up to 20 degrees.
CompatibilityCommunity

Are banjo catfish predatory?

Banjo Catfish Predators and Prey Well known for scavenging, banjos are not picky when it comes to eating. This fish will consume just about any prey that it can catch. Due to their slow-moving nature, they tend to stick with earthworms, bloodworms, and tubifex.

Where do banjo catfish live?

Bunocephalus coracoideus are primarily distributed in smaller streams, ponds, and lakes that all have calm conditions. Banjo Catfish love areas with lots of debris (e.g. wood) and leaf litter to hide under.

What do Banjo catfish eat?

Diet: Omnivorous. High-quality sinking pellets, plants, and freeze-dried or frozen meaty foods will be readily accepted. These fish will eat most types of fish food, but they love live food such as bloodworms and daphnia. They are nocturnal, so they will likely feed at night for the most part.

Do Banjos go to school for catfish?

This fish can live alone or in a small school of its kind. Banjo catfish should be kept with other small, active fish species.

Do banjo catfish shed skin?

All members of the family occasionally shed their skins, although the exact reasons for this are not known. They also have a novel method of propulsion, taking in water through the mouth and expelling it through the gills, giving them a somewhat jerky swimming action.

Do banjo catfish have eyes?

The eyes of these catfish are very small and are situated on the top of their heads. When keeping banjos I have found that they like to bury themselves within the substrate, and sometimes it is only their minute eyes that you can see protruding from it.

Can banjo catfish live alone?

The fish feels quite comfortable in a community tank, but since it is a nocturnal fish species it can be seen very seldom. This fish can live alone or in a small school of its kind. Banjo catfish should be kept with other small, active fish species.

Why is my fish swimming nose up?

Swim bladder disease, also called swim bladder disorder or flipover, is a common ailment in aquarium fish. A fish with swim bladder disorder can float nose down tail up, or can float to the top or sink to the bottom of the aquarium.

Why is it called a banjo catfish?

The name “banjo catfish” is even used to identify all the family’s 43 species and not just this one individually. Described in 1874 by Cope, the first part of its scientific name, “Bunocephalus” means bumpy head in English, absolutely justifying its appearance.

How to take care of banjo catfish?

Banjo catfish doesn’t require any special keeping conditions. It easily adapts to various tank conditions, the main thing is to keep the tank bottom substrate clean; standard water renew scheme – up to 20% every week.

Is the Guitarrita catfish a popular fish?

However, it looks very unusual and it will definitely gain popularity in future. In North America the fish is usually called banjo catfish due to its similarity with a musical instrument banjo, while in Latin America – this is a Guitarrita catfish, which implies that the body shape resembles a guitar.

What does a tree bark catfish look like?

The fish has khaki coloring – large dark splotches on sandy yellow background all these make this catfish look like a piece of tree bark. In the wild this fish can literally disappear against fallen leaves background.