If you are looking for new types of Aquarium Catfish to try in your tank, this is the article for you! There are many different species out there that will work well with your environment.
I’ve have compiled a list of The Best 15 Aquarium Catfish Species that we think would be perfect for any fish tank. Check them out below and see if one sounds like it would work best with your needs.
Best Aquarium Catfish Species
1. Cory Catfish/Corydoras
The Cory Catfish is also known as Corydoras Aeneus. These Aquarium Catfish are usually a brown, grey or reddish color with black spots.
They have barbels that hang from their mouths which they use to feel food around them in the substrate. Corys will eat almost anything but prefer sinking pellets and flakes as opposed to wafers.
Cory Catfish come in many different catfish species, making it easy for you to find one that fits your tank size perfectly!
There are catfish of all sizes out there so you can easily find one who’s perfect for your fish tank at home.
Another great thing about these Corydoras Catfish is where they’re originally from: South America!
This makes them ideal because water conditions like pH levels tend to be similar across continents such as this one.
The Cory Catfish needs an environment with plants and decor.
When it comes to water temperature, Cory Catfish should be kept at a temperature between 72 and 79 degrees.
They prefer it when the pH levels of their water are around 6.0 and 8.0.
Corydoras / Cory Catfish Key Stats
- Size: 1-4 Inches
- Minimum Tank Size: 10 Gallon
- Water Temperature: 72-79 degrees
- pH Levels: 6.0-8.0
2. Striped Raphael Catfish
The Striped Raphael Catfish, also known as the Striped Red-Finned Catfish or Striped Raphael Fish is a peaceful fish that will work well in any community aquarium.
They’re very hardy and one of the easier types of catfish to care for.
Striped Raphaels are found near South America: Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay where they live among plants at the bottom of rivers and pools with sandy soil.
These Aquarium Catfish Species come in blackish brown coloring with light red fins and white stripes running along their bodies.
Stripes can vary from deep blue to bright orange depending on each individual type’s coloration so you never know what you’ll get!
Striped Raphael Catfish will grow to be about eight inches long and this, paired with their peaceful nature makes them a great choice for any community aquarium.
The size of the tank should be at least 50 gallons.
Striped Raphael Catfish prefer a water temperature between 72 to 79 degrees and pH levels of about 6.5 to 7.5.
Striped Raphael Catfish Key Stats
- Size: 8 Inches
- Minimum Tank Size: 50 Gallon
- Water Temperature: 72-79 degrees
- pH Levels: 6.5-7.5
3. Otocinclus Catfish
The Otocinclus Catfish is also known as “dwarf suckers” or “otos”.
These are one of the smallest types of aquarium catfish with a body that is brown or olive green. Their bellies tend to be white and their eyes have a red ring around them.
Otos also have two pairs of barbels which they use to feel for food in gravel on the bottom of your tank.
They don’t like bright lights so keep any type of light dimmed until you know how your otocinclus will react.
Otos need lots of plants, rocks and driftwood decorating their environment because it helps provide shelter from strong currents when they’re trying to find some food!
This makes them ideal for planted tanks where there aren’t too many waves.
Otos are peaceful and very hardy so they make a great choice for any community tank. They also eat almost anything!
Otocinclus Catfish prefer water temperatures between 72 and 80 degrees with pH levels around neutral.
They like water that is soft, so keep the hardness of your aquarium’s water between 0 – 15 degrees dH.
Thanks to their small size a 10 gallon tank is perfect to house otos!
Otocinclus Catfish Key Stats
- Size: 1.5-2 Inches
- Minimum Tank Size: 10 Gallon
- Water Temperature: 72-80 degrees
- pH Levels: 6.0-7.5
4. Bristlenose Pleco Catfish
Bristlenose Pleco are a popular aquarium catfish species to help keep algae down in your aquarium.
Bristlenose Plecos have a pinkish white color with black stripes running down their bodies and brown bristles. These stick out from the sides of their heads which they use to break up algae on rocks, plants and decorations in your tank.
Bristlenose Pleco care is easy because Bristlenose Plecos are very peaceful and stay out of the way.
Bristlenoses like to hide so having plenty of plants, rocks and driftwood in your tank will provide them with lots of places to keep their heads down!
Bristlenoses need water that is soft, but they can handle harder conditions too. Keep Bristlenose Pleco at a pH level around 6.5-7.5
They only grow to be about 3-5 inches in length, so Bristlenose Plecos won’t take up too much space.
An aquarium of at least 25 gallon tanks are perfect for housing Bristlenose Pleco!
Bristlenose Catfish Key Stats
- Size: 3-5 Inches
- Minimum Tank Size: 25 Gallon
- Water Temperature: 73-80 degrees
- pH Levels: 6.5-7.5
5. Bumblebee Catfish
If you have a small tank then these are perfect as they only grow to be about 3 inches long!
Bumblebee Catfish are also a peaceful fish, so they will get along with most other community aquarium inhabitants.
Bumblebees have black and white bands that run down their bodies and these stripes make them stand out from the rest of your tank’s residents.
Bumblebee catfish prefer water temperatures between 72 to 78 degrees Fahrenheit and pH levels around neutral (pH level between 6.0 – 7.5).
They live in hard water conditions where there is some degree of alkalinity, but this isn’t too much of an issue if you keep soft water plants like Java Ferns or Anubias Nana Petite in your aquarium as well.
Keeping Bumblebees can sometimes be difficult because Bumblebees like to hide.
To help them feel safe, Bumblebee catfish need lots of plants and hiding places in your aquarium so they can safely come out from under any rocks or driftwood when it is time for food!
Bumblebee Catfish are a great choice if you have limited space since their small size keeps the tank’s footprint quite low.
A minimum of 20 gallons will make an excellent home for these beautiful fish!
Bumblebee Catfish Key Stats
- Size: 3 Inches
- Minimum Tank Size: 20 Gallon
- Water Temperature: 72-78 degrees
- pH Levels: 6.0-7.5
6. Clown Pleco
The Clown Pleco is a small species of Catfish. They only grow to be around four inches long so a 20 gallon tank would be fine.
Clown Pleco have a brown or olive green appearance, their bellies are white and they have red rings around their eyes.
They also have two pairs of barbels near their mouths which help them sense for food on the bottom of your tank.
Clown Plecos don’t like bright lights so keep any type of light dimmed until you know how your clown pleco will react.
Keep these cool water catfish at temperatures between 72 – 86 degrees Fahrenheit.
Driftwood and rocks are great for Clown Pleco habitat and they like to be able to hide under driftwood or between plants.
Keeping the water level a few inches below your tank’s top edge will help mimic their natural environment where pools of water form in hollows during rainy season.
Clown Catfish Key Stats
- Size: 3.5-4 Inches
- Minimum Tank Size: 20 Gallons
- Water Temperature: 72-86 degrees
- pH Levels: 2.0-3.0
7. Asian Stone Catfish
If you have a small aquarium then these are perfect since they only grow to be about three inches long! Asian Stone Catfish are also a peaceful fish, so they will get along with most other community tank inhabitants.
This species of catfish has a black and white banded pattern running down their body which makes them stand out from the rest of your tank’s residents.
Asian Stone Catfish prefer water temperatures between 64 – 75 degrees Fahrenheit and pH levels around neutral (pH level between 5.6 – 7.6).
They get their name from their appearance as they look like rocks with their black and white banded patterning.
Keeping these fish is sometimes difficult because they like to hide, so having lots of plants, rocks and driftwood in your tank will provide them with places that they can keep out of view.
Asian Stone Catfish Key Stats
- Size: 1.2-1.4 Inches
- Minimum Tank Size: 10 Gallon Tank
- Water Temperature: 64-75 degrees
- pH Levels: 5.6-7.6
8. Glass Catfish
Just like their name they are very transparent making them a great fish for small tanks since they only grow to be about 5 inches long! They are also known as the Ghost catfish.
Glass Catfish are also considered peaceful, so they will get along with most other aquarium inhabitants.
They have two barbels on their chins which help them sense food in the bottom of the tank.
Glass Cat Fish prefer water temperatures between 75 – 80 degrees Fahrenheit and pH levels around 6.5.
The appearance is similar to that of Corydoras catfish as both catfish species have spots all over their body and like to feed off the bottom of an aquarium’s substrate.
Keeping glass catfish can sometimes be tricky because they often hide under rocks or driftwood.
They can live for up to 8 years and are fairly easy to care fore.
Glass Catfish Key Stats
- Size: 5 Inches
- Minimum Tank Size: 30 Gallons
- Water Temperature: 75 – 80 degrees
- pH Levels: 6.5
9. Pictus Catfish
Pictus Catfish look just like you would expect a catfish too look like.
They grow to be about 5 inches long making them a good size for most aquariums.
They are quite peaceful and will get along with other community tank inhabitants as long as they aren’t too small or aggressive towards the Pictus Catfish.
Pictus Catfish have two barbels near their mouths that help them sense food on the bottom of your tank’s substrate.
The Pictus catfish like to bury themselves in gravel which may make it difficult to feed them, but you can always try hand feeding these cool water catfish live foods since they usually love bloodworms!
Keeping Pictus Catfish is not very hard because they don’t need much besides some driftwood, rock caves and plants so having an under-gravel filter would be beneficial if you wanted even more hiding places.
Pictus Catfish Key Care Guide Tips
- Size: 5 Inches
- Minimum Tank Size: 50 Gallons
- Water Temperature: 75 – 80 degrees
- pH Levels: 7.0 – 7.5
10. Upside Down Catfish
The upside down catfish is also known as the Monocirrhus polyacanthus.
Now if you are looking for an interesting and quirky catfish, this is it. They do spend most of their time swimming upside down.
Upside Down Catfish are considered peaceful so they will get along with other community tank inhabitants, but keep an eye on smaller or more aggressive species of fish that may harass this cool Aquarium catfish.
They have a black stripe through their body which makes them stand out from the other residents of your aquarium.
The Upside Down Catfish should only be housed with larger tank mates since they grow to around 3-4 inches long and prefer slow moving waters when young.
However once grown these active swimmers like to swim all over your aquarium looking for food!
You will want a tank that is at least 30 gallons.
They prefer water temperatures around 72-82 degrees Fahrenheit and pH levels between a range of 6.0 – 7.5.
Upside Down Catfish Key Stats & Water Parameters
- Size: 3-4 Inches
- Minimum Tank Size: 30 Gallons
- Water Temperature: 72 – 82 degrees
- pH Levels: 6.0 – 7.5
11. Chinese Algae Eater
The Chinese Algae Eater is a type of catfish species that belongs to the family of Gyrinocheilidae.
They are also known as the Chinese Algae Catfish, Sucker Loach and Whiskers Fish.
These fish eat algae off rocks so you don’t have to do it yourself which is great for lazy people like me!
These cool water bottom dwelling fish grow up to be between 10-11 inches long. However when in captivity they can grow up to around 6 inches.
Chinese Algae Eaters prefer water temperatures around 72- 82 degrees Fahrenheit. Keep an on these fish because although peaceful they can become aggressive during feeding time.
They are great for tanks that will only hold a few fish because they don’t need much besides some drift wood and plants to keep them happy.
Be careful with any smaller or more aggressive species of fish if you have large community tanks since these cool water bottom dwellers like to eat anything in their path!
If you plan on housing the Chinese Algae Eater with others then it’s best too house no more than one male per aquarium as males tend to fight over territories when kept together.
These Catfish prefer slower moving waters so an under-gravel filter would benefit your tank greatly.
Chinese Algae Eaters Key Stats & Water Parameters
- Size: 3-4 Inches
- Minimum Tank Size: 30 Gallons
- Water Temperature: 74 – 80 degrees
- pH Levels: 6.5 – 7.5
12. Twig Catfish
The Twig Catfish is a funny little fish that looks like a piece of driftwood or a sunken tree branch.
They grow to be around six inches long but only if they are kept in a healthy environment.
This Aquarium Catfish is very peaceful and will get along with other community tank inhabitants, however keep an eye on any smaller or more aggressive species of fish since these cool water catfish eat anything that fits into their mouths!
The Twig Catfish has two barbels near its mouth which help it search for food at the bottom of your aquarium’s substrate.
They prefer temperatures between 75-81 degrees Fahrenheit as well as pH levels between a range of about 6.0 to 7.0.
The water quality in the tank is of upmost importance as they are very sensitive to poor water conditions.
You will want a filter that can handle lots of debris in your aquarium’s substrate since these fish like to search for their food at the bottom and sometimes you won’t see it so well if there’s not much light or algae growth on plants.
Twig Catfish Key Stats & Water Parameters
- Size: 6 Inches
- Minimum Tank Size: 20 Gallons
- Water Temperature: 75 – 81 degrees
- pH Levels: 60 – 7.0
13. Gold Nugget Pleco
If you want an impressive looking catfish you’ve come to the right place.
The Gold Nugget Pleco is one of the most popular Catfish species because of how good they look and grow up to be around 9 inches long!
They are peaceful catfish and should be in a tank that is at least fifty gallons.
However if the aquarium is small they can become territorial since Gold Nugget Plecos like to swim all over your fish tank looking for food!
They should be kept in a tank by themselves since they will fight with any other Catfish.
Gold Nugget Plecos prefer water temperatures around 73-79 degrees Fahrenheit and pH levels between a range of about 6.5 to 7.5.
They are nocturnal bottom feeders so you won’t see them much during the day but at night when it’s time for feeding. Ideal tank mates include Guppies and Goldfish.
Gold Nugget Pleco Key Stats
- Size: 9 Inches
- Minimum Tank Size: 55 Gallons
- Water Temperature: 73 – 79 degrees
- pH Levels: 6.0 – 7.0
14. Tiger Shovelnose Catfish
The Tiger Shovelnose Catfish is only suitable for experts who own at least a 250 gallon tank. They are very active and grow up to be between two and three feet long!
Females tend to be smaller than males but only slightly.
They can be hard to look after because they are a challenge and need to be fed properly.
As adults they eat small fish, worms and pieces of raw fish. They will eat plants but they do need protein in their diet.
They live for 18-25 years so you will have this Catfish in your home for quite some time. These fish are beautiful.
Their bodies are light brown with a black stripes that runs all the way down their body.
Tiger Shovelnose Catfish need a tank with water temperature of between 72-79 degrees Fahrenheit and pH between a range of about 6 to 7.5.
Overall great catfish but not ideal for a beginner or hobby aquarium enthusiast.
Tiger Shovelnose Key Stats
- Size: 2-3 Feet
- Minimum Tank Size: 250 Gallons
- Water Temperature: 72 – 79 degrees
- pH Levels: 6.0 – 7.5
15. Redtail Catfish
You should only get a Redtail Catfish if you have experience. They can be very demanding and hard to keep healthy.
These Catfish are incredibly active and will need a tank that is at least 1000 gallons, but many recommend 2000. This is because they grow up to be between four and five feet long!
These Catfish Species are not picky when it comes to water so the temperature should be between 68-80 degrees Fahrenheit with pH levels are 6-7.5
The Redtail Catfish look incredible. They are covered in large sections of white and black with a red tail that looks like the Catfish is on fire!
These Catfish can be aggressive so you should keep an eye out for any smaller or more passive species of fish since they will eat anything that fits into their mouths.
You also need to make sure your aquarium has a filter that can handle a Catfish of this size otherwise you will have to clean the tank very often.
Redtail Catfish Key Stats
- Size: 4-5 Feet
- Minimum Tank Size: 1,000 Gallons
- Water Temperature: 68 – 80 degrees
- pH Levels: 6.0 – 7.5
FAQ
Q: How many Catfish Species are there?
A: There are well over 30 catfish species. Although not all of them can survive in captivity.
Q: How long are Catfish?
A: The length of the Catfish does depend on the species. They grow rapidly so they will change size within a few months of being in the tank. It is good to know how big your fish will get when you choose which ones to keep in your aquarium!
Q: Will Catfish eat other fish?
A: Catfish Species are known to be very aggressive and they will go for anything that fits into their mouths. It is a good idea to keep Catfish Species in tanks by themselves or with large, passive species of fish since Catfish can easily out swim smaller active ones!
Q: What Is the pH level should my aquarium water have?
A: You need your tank’s pH levels between a range of about 6.0 and 7.5 because some Catfishes don’t do well in acidic conditions while others prefer it slightly more acidic. Make sure you research what type of Catfish you want before getting them so you know how much effort needs to go into keeping them healthy!
Q: What Catfish Species can live together?
A: Catfish are aggressive so it is usually a bad idea to keep different Catfish species in the same tank. However, some Catfishes aren’t as aggressive and will be fine if they have enough space!
Bottom Line
Catfish are an incredible fish to have in your tank.
Now, it’s time to choose which of this 15 best catfish species you want to welcome into your Aquarium.
Keep in mind that with the exception of two on our list (they should only be kept by experienced aquarists), there are no worries as long as you read care requirements and take them into consideration.
Once again, we hope this article helped you make your decision!
Hey! I’m Charles. I have always wanted a fish tank but found them confusing. It wasn’t until I turned a room into an office that I started looking into how to set up my own Aquarium. I have spent countless hours/days/weeks learning, now I want to share what I’ve learnt with you.
