The Redtail Catfish (Phractocephalus hemiliopterus) is a giant fish that is from South America and also goes by the name of Caiaro, Pirarara, Banana Catfish, Flat-Nose Catfish, Antenna Catfish, and South American Redtail.
Unsurprisingly, this fish has an orangey-red caudal tail and sometimes dorsal fin, which gives it its name.
It’s found in the Amazon and Orinoco basins of South America and happily inhabits the flood plains, streams, rivers, and lakes of these regions.
This is a huge freshwater fish, so it’s unlikely most hobbyists can handle one of these fish in the home in a tank.
More often, they are housed in suitably temperate ponds or commercial aquariums. These fish grow rapidly and continue to be sold in the trade, but the reality is that the majority of hobbyists cannot house this species.
So this guide is partially a warning to let you know that this particular catfish should not be acquired by the hobbyist thinking that it will be something they can handle or handle to the extent that they are not destroying the life force of this creature in cramped surroundings.
Redtail Catfish also live for around 15 years, so they are not a specimen to take on if you are not able to consider providing it a long-term home that suits its size and habitat needs.
Let’s read on for the conditions you would need to house this fish comfortably and humanely.
Redtail Catfish Behavior
When these fish are juvenile, they can be fairly reticent and shy. They will tend to hang out in cave areas that you provide them.
What you need to also consider is that given their size, you will only have a single Redtail Catfish at any one time. Their size pretty much demands this for the hobbyist not privy to a commercial-sized aquarium tank.
Even if you can have a single one, you will not be able to have other fish with it if that species is even half of its size. So that is quite limiting in terms of bioload for the tank, which is already dealing with a gigantic fish.
The discussion on their behavior does vary between those in the know in the hobby. Some say they are peaceful, while others say they are downright aggressive.
The reality is that these fish will do what comes naturally, so if predating on other fish in the tank is a behavior, then that may appear aggressive to a hobbyist who only knows peaceful tropical fish of a smaller size.
What they are going to do, however, is act a nature intended and eat what is available to them that fits in their mouths. These fish do not normally go out of their way to actively harm other fish outside of their feeding habits so bear that in mind.
Usually, you will see Redtail Catfish on the lower levels of the tank, like most catfish, as they tend to be bottom dwellers. Being the size that they are, it is also important not to overload the lower stratum with too much dense plant life that might impede their swimming needs at that level in the tank.
Redtail Catfish Lifespan
If you cater to the needs of your Redtail Catfish, you could expect them to live for around 15 years. The quality of their tank conditions will impact their lifespan, as always, so you can expect a longer life if you meet their requirements meticulously.
We will discuss more on tank requirements a little later in this article.
Redtail Catfish Appearance
As far as the Redtail Catfish goes, it’s a classic by-the-book type of catfish. Large and expressive barbels punctuate the mouth area and are quite strong. These inflexible barbels help these fish locate food in murky waters as they usually have poor eyesight.
The base color of the body is a dark grey, and the underside of the fish near the had and the latter third of the body is white. The midsection of the underside of the fish retains the dark grey coloring that perpetuates the top.
As their name implies, the caudal fin is red, and the top third of their dorsal fin which gives them their trademark.
Redtail Catfish have a squat body shape that is flatter and usually associated with other bottom-dwelling fish. They are quite thick in the anterior portion of the body that tapers off towards their tail.
In captivity, these fish reach 3 – 4 feet in length! It is not possible to keep them in a smaller tank size than recommended (more on that later), hoping that they will stay a more diminutive size.
Keeping these fish in smaller than required tanks is actually harmful to the health of these fish and should be absolutely discouraged as a practice. Not only will they not outgrow the tanks people are trying to keep them in, but it is inhumane to try and force any animal to live in insufficient space for their needs.
There is no sexual dimorphism with Redtail Catfish, so sexing these fish isn’t really possible just by looking at them. As with most female fish, they can become more rounded when it comes time to reproduce, so this may be your best indicator.
As far as a catfish species goes, these are some of the most attractive species out there, but it’s too bad that they are all but impossible to have in a conventional tank environment in the home due to their size.
Redtail Catfish Habitat And Tank Requirements
We ideally want to achieve optimum health for fish we keep in captivity by closely mimicking their natural habitat. Their wild origins are the river basins of South America in Peru, Brazil, Colombia, and Venezuela.
These catfish are not fussed if the water is still or fast-flowing!
Let’s look at some specifics that are needed to provide these fish with a great quality of life that best suits them for optimum health. We might add that this is rarely the preserve of any home hobbyist or indeed anyone without a commercial-sized tank to accommodate this fish.
Not only that, these fish will eat anything that fits into their mouths, along with the occasional item that doesn’t, which can lead to choking, so bear this in mind if you are considering one should you have the wherewithal to have the space to house one.
Tank Conditions
First, to note, you cannot have any other fish, plants, or decorations in the tank if you are serious about having one of these fish. They will simply be their usual opportunistic predator selves and gobble them up.
A canister filter would be essential to filter the waste for a fish of this size and keep the water clean. A point to note here is that apparently, the fish may even try to consume your filter! So it needs to be protected to avoid this issue.
When we said this fish likes to eat everything and anything, we meant it.
What many owners of this fish choose to do is have an indoor pond, something akin to what many people do with Koi Fish. Any indoor pond should be at least 2000 gallons and upwards, but this is the most common way to acquire these fish and keep them happy.
Water changes need to be frequent due to the bioload of their waste and at least 20 – 30% changed over for optimum water quality.
Water conditions should be noted and maintained as follows:
- pH of 6.0 – 7.5
- Water hardness between 5 – 20 dGH
- Temperature between 68 – 77ºF (20 – 25ºC)
- Lighting conditions can be standard as they don’t experience much direct sunlight in the murky river water and often dredge up sand in the tank
Tank size
The minimum tank size for a single Redtail Catfish is 1500 – 2000 gallons, so nothing short of a colossal tank and definitely not for a beginner! Even an expert hobbyist would struggle to deal with the needs of a tank of this proportion.
Choosing Tank Mates For Redtail Catfish
When it comes to finding species appropriate for your Redtail Catfish, you need to consider things carefully, given their behavior and propensity for opportunistic predation.
Keep in mind that it’s possible to house other species with this fish as long as you have enough room to allow for the territorial behaviors and you avoid anything too small that will be seen as a food supply for your Redtail Catfish.
It really isn’t possible to house more than one of these fish in any single dwelling, be it tank-sized or in a pond.
Some decent tank mate pairings that would work well include:
- Oscars
- Large Plecos
- Large Gar or Datnoids
- Any fish larger than your Redtail Catfish
- Iridescent Sharks
- Large Stingrays
- Giant Gouramis
What you should avoid is anything smaller as they will indefinitely get eaten. And if you do decide to have tank mates, you will need to add that to your tank size just so everyone can get along.
Notes On Feeding Redtail Catfish
When you have a catfish or any catfish experience, it becomes readily apparent that these fish like to eat. They will eat whatever you throw at them, so taking care to ensure that they have a nutritious diet is important.
It’s also important to realize that having a fish of this size means it will need to consume a lot at full maturity!
Live foods work best, such as earthworms, shrimp, and other small fish or cut-up fish meat.
If you add in commercially prepared foods like pellets, ensure that they sink so your bottom-dwelling Redtail Catfish can consume it.
They are omnivorous and will eat plant matter, fruit, and invertebrates along with other fish readily.
Be prepared to supply feeder fish if necessary, along with algae wafers, blanched veggies, and suitable crustaceans.
These fish can easily overeat, though, so you need to be careful not to overfeed these giants. Adults only need to be feed once or twice a week, juveniles every other day.
How To Breed Redtail Catfish
Breeding Redtail Catfish is exceedingly difficult. Since sexing the fish is incredibly difficult, and the size of the tank required to house more than a single specimen is prohibitive, it’s unlikely anyone would attempt to breed these fish.
Even professional breeders find it difficult to get these fish to reproduce, so even if you are able to have a single one (and good for you!), it’s highly unlikely that you will be able to get two to breed successfully.
Is A Redtail Catfish On Your Radar As Something To Aspire To?
Well, it depends on your ability to deal with an aggressive fish and manage the spatial requirements needed to enable you to have one in the first place.
They are not straightforward, although managing their habitat is easy enough even for a new hobbyist as they don’t require much except for perhaps some driftwood or whatever happens to be in your pond.
It’s just that managing their diet and having enough space to have one is an achievement in itself, so they are definitely not for the faint of heart.
What you need to consider is if this long-living fish is something you can commit to as they are definitely a long-term species.
If you decide to go for a Redtail Catfish, get that pond ready in a suitable climate that will help them thrive.
