Aquariumcatfish · freshwater
Pictus Catfish: adult size, tank size & tankmates
The Pictus Catfish (Pimelodus pictus) grows to about 5.7 in (12 cm SL). It needs a tank at least 47 inches long and about 64 gallons. Keep at least 6 together, at 72–77°F.
How big it really gets
Drawn to scale against common tank lengths. Green bars meet the minimum tank length from our sources.
Outgrows most home tanks. Sold small as a community catfish but needs a 120 cm tank and eats neons, guppies and similar-sized fish.
Will it fit your tank?
Quick facts
- Adult size
- 5.7 in (12 cm SL)
- Minimum tank
- 47 inches long and about 64 gallons
- Temperature
- 72–77°F
- pH
- 5.8–6.8
- Hardness
- 1–15 dGH
- Group size
- 6+
- With other fish
- semi-aggressive
- With its own kind
- peaceful
- Swims
- bottom of the tank
- Diet
- carnivore
- Care level
- intermediate
- Lifespan
- 8 years
Watch for: eats small fish · eats shrimp · eats snails
Pictus Catfish tankmates
Checked with the same rules as our tank builder: temperature overlap, pH and hardness, predation and mouth size, fin-nipping and temperament. Tank size is left out here; check it in the builder.
Good tankmates
- Dwarf GouramiNeeds careAdult ~4.2 in · 72–81°F
- Pearl GouramiAdult ~5.7 in · 75–86°F
- BettaNeeds careAdult ~3.3 in · 72–86°F
- KribensisAdult ~4.7 in · 75–81°F
- AngelfishNeeds careAdult ~7.1 in · 75–86°F
- Kuhli LoachAdult ~4.7 in · 70–79°F
- Bristlenose PlecoAdult ~5.9 in · 70–79°F
- Tiger BarbNeeds careAdult ~2.8 in · 68–79°F
- Firemouth CichlidAdult ~5.7 in · 68–90°F
- Electric Blue AcaraNeeds careAdult ~7.1 in · 72–82°F
Use caution
- Harlequin RasboraPictus Catfish can bully smaller, peaceful Harlequin Rasbora.
- Cherry BarbPictus Catfish can bully smaller, peaceful Cherry Barb.
- Rummy-nose TetraPictus Catfish can bully smaller, peaceful Rummy-nose Tetra.
- GuppyPictus Catfish can bully smaller, peaceful Guppy.
- PlatyPictus Catfish can bully smaller, peaceful Platy.
- Honey GouramiPictus Catfish can bully smaller, peaceful Honey Gourami.
- Bolivian RamPictus Catfish can bully smaller, peaceful Bolivian Ram.
- Bronze CoryPictus Catfish can bully smaller, peaceful Bronze Cory.
Avoid
- Neon TetraPictus Catfish eats small fish, and Neon Tetra only grows to about 1.4 in.
- Cardinal TetraPictus Catfish eats small fish, and Cardinal Tetra only grows to about 1.7 in.
- Ember TetraPictus Catfish eats small fish, and Ember Tetra only grows to about 0.9 in.
- Chili RasboraPictus Catfish eats small fish, and Chili Rasbora only grows to about 0.9 in.
- Celestial Pearl DanioPictus Catfish eats small fish, and Celestial Pearl Danio only grows to about 1 in.
- Black Neon TetraPictus Catfish eats small fish, and Black Neon Tetra only grows to about 1.7 in.
- Glowlight TetraPictus Catfish eats small fish, and Glowlight Tetra only grows to about 1.9 in.
- Lemon TetraPictus Catfish eats small fish, and Lemon Tetra only grows to about 1.9 in.
All 105 species we checked against the Pictus Catfish
| Species | Verdict | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Angelfish | Compatible | No conflicts found |
| Bala Shark | Compatible | No conflicts found |
| Betta | Compatible | No conflicts found |
| Black Skirt Tetra | Compatible | No conflicts found |
| Bristlenose Pleco | Compatible | No conflicts found |
| Buenos Aires Tetra | Compatible | No conflicts found |
| Chinese Algae Eater | Compatible | No conflicts found |
| Clown Loach | Compatible | No conflicts found |
| Clown Pleco | Compatible | No conflicts found |
| Common / Comet Goldfish | Compatible | No conflicts found |
| Common Pleco | Compatible | No conflicts found |
| Convict Cichlid | Compatible | No conflicts found |
| Denison Barb | Compatible | No conflicts found |
| Dwarf Gourami | Compatible | No conflicts found |
| Electric Blue Acara | Compatible | No conflicts found |
| Firemouth Cichlid | Compatible | No conflicts found |
| Kissing Gourami | Compatible | No conflicts found |
| Kribensis | Compatible | No conflicts found |
| Kuhli Loach | Compatible | No conflicts found |
| Oscar | Compatible | No conflicts found |
| Pearl Gourami | Compatible | No conflicts found |
| Rainbow Shark | Compatible | No conflicts found |
| Red-Tail Shark | Compatible | No conflicts found |
| Rosy Barb | Compatible | No conflicts found |
| Scissortail Rasbora | Compatible | No conflicts found |
| Siamese Algae Eater | Compatible | No conflicts found |
| Three-spot Gourami | Compatible | No conflicts found |
| Tiger Barb | Compatible | No conflicts found |
| Tinfoil Barb | Compatible | No conflicts found |
| Upside-down Catfish | Compatible | No conflicts found |
| Weather Loach | Compatible | No conflicts found |
| Yoyo Loach | Compatible | No conflicts found |
| Bleeding Heart Tetra | Caution | Pictus Catfish can bully smaller, peaceful Bleeding Heart Tetra. |
| Blood Parrot Cichlid | Caution | Pictus Catfish and Blood Parrot Cichlid only share 76–77°F. That's a tight window. |
| Bolivian Ram | Caution | Pictus Catfish can bully smaller, peaceful Bolivian Ram. |
| Bronze Cory | Caution | Pictus Catfish can bully smaller, peaceful Bronze Cory. |
| Cherry Barb | Caution | Pictus Catfish can bully smaller, peaceful Cherry Barb. |
| Cockatoo Dwarf Cichlid | Caution | Pictus Catfish can bully smaller, peaceful Cockatoo Dwarf Cichlid. |
| Congo Tetra | Caution | Pictus Catfish can bully smaller, peaceful Congo Tetra. |
| Diamond Tetra | Caution | Pictus Catfish can bully smaller, peaceful Diamond Tetra. |
| Dwarf Neon Rainbowfish | Caution | Pictus Catfish can bully smaller, peaceful Dwarf Neon Rainbowfish. |
| Electric Yellow Lab | Caution | Pictus Catfish (pH 5.8–6.8) and Electric Yellow Lab (pH 7.7–8.6) prefer different pH. |
| Forktail Blue-eye | Caution | Pictus Catfish can bully smaller, peaceful Forktail Blue-eye.; Pictus Catfish (pH 5.8–6.8) and Forktail Blue-eye (pH 7–8) prefer different pH. |
| Giant Danio | Caution | Pictus Catfish can bully smaller, peaceful Giant Danio. |
| Glass Catfish | Caution | Pictus Catfish can bully smaller, peaceful Glass Catfish. |
| Gold Barb | Caution | Pictus Catfish can bully smaller, peaceful Gold Barb. |
| Guppy | Caution | Pictus Catfish can bully smaller, peaceful Guppy.; Pictus Catfish (pH 5.8–6.8) and Guppy (pH 7–8.5) prefer different pH. |
| Harlequin Rasbora | Caution | Pictus Catfish can bully smaller, peaceful Harlequin Rasbora. |
| Head-and-tail-light Tetra | Caution | Pictus Catfish can bully smaller, peaceful Head-and-tail-light Tetra. |
| Hillstream Loach | Caution | Pictus Catfish can bully smaller, peaceful Hillstream Loach. |
| Honey Gourami | Caution | Pictus Catfish can bully smaller, peaceful Honey Gourami. |
| Julii Cory | Caution | Pictus Catfish can bully smaller, peaceful Julii Cory. |
| Molly | Caution | Pictus Catfish can bully smaller, peaceful Molly.; Pictus Catfish (pH 5.8–6.8) and Molly (pH 7–8.5) prefer different pH. |
| Moonlight Gourami | Caution | Pictus Catfish and Moonlight Gourami only share 77–77°F. That's a tight window. |
| Odessa Barb | Caution | Pictus Catfish can bully smaller, peaceful Odessa Barb. |
| Panda Cory | Caution | Pictus Catfish can bully smaller, peaceful Panda Cory. |
| Paradise Fish | Caution | Pictus Catfish and Paradise Fish only share 72–72°F. That's a tight window. |
| Pearl Danio | Caution | Pictus Catfish can bully smaller, peaceful Pearl Danio. |
| Peppered Cory | Caution | Pictus Catfish can bully smaller, peaceful Peppered Cory. |
| Platy | Caution | Pictus Catfish can bully smaller, peaceful Platy.; Pictus Catfish (pH 5.8–6.8) and Platy (pH 7–8.2) prefer different pH. |
| Pristella Tetra | Caution | Pictus Catfish can bully smaller, peaceful Pristella Tetra. |
| Rummy-nose Tetra | Caution | Pictus Catfish can bully smaller, peaceful Rummy-nose Tetra. |
| Silver Tip Tetra | Caution | Pictus Catfish can bully smaller, peaceful Silver Tip Tetra. |
| Sterbai Cory | Caution | Pictus Catfish can bully smaller, peaceful Sterbai Cory. |
| Swordtail | Caution | Pictus Catfish (pH 5.8–6.8) and Swordtail (pH 7–8) prefer different pH. |
| Variatus Platy | Caution | Pictus Catfish can bully smaller, peaceful Variatus Platy.; Pictus Catfish (pH 5.8–6.8) and Variatus Platy (pH 7–8.2) prefer different pH. |
| Zebra Danio | Caution | Pictus Catfish can bully smaller, peaceful Zebra Danio. |
| African Dwarf Frog | Avoid | Pictus Catfish eats small fish, and African Dwarf Frog only grows to about 1.4 in. |
| Amano Shrimp | Avoid | Pictus Catfish will eat Amano Shrimp. |
| Assassin Snail | Avoid | Pictus Catfish eats snails, including Assassin Snail.; Pictus Catfish (pH 5.8–6.8) and Assassin Snail (pH 7.5–8) prefer different pH. |
| Bamboo Shrimp | Avoid | Pictus Catfish will eat Bamboo Shrimp.; Pictus Catfish (pH 5.8–6.8) and Bamboo Shrimp (pH 7–7.5) prefer different pH. |
| Black Neon Tetra | Avoid | Pictus Catfish eats small fish, and Black Neon Tetra only grows to about 1.7 in. |
| Boesemani Rainbowfish | Avoid | Pictus Catfish (72–77°F) and Boesemani Rainbowfish (81–86°F) need different temperatures.; Pictus Catfish (pH 5.8–6.8) and Boesemani Rainbowfish (pH 7–8) prefer different pH. |
| Bumblebee Goby | Avoid | Pictus Catfish eats small fish, and Bumblebee Goby only grows to about 1.7 in.; Pictus Catfish (pH 5.8–6.8) and Bumblebee Goby (pH 7–8.5) prefer different pH. |
| Cardinal Tetra | Avoid | Pictus Catfish eats small fish, and Cardinal Tetra only grows to about 1.7 in. |
| Celestial Pearl Danio | Avoid | Pictus Catfish eats small fish, and Celestial Pearl Danio only grows to about 1 in. |
| Cherry Shrimp | Avoid | Pictus Catfish will eat Cherry Shrimp. |
| Chili Rasbora | Avoid | Pictus Catfish eats small fish, and Chili Rasbora only grows to about 0.9 in. |
| Clown Killifish | Avoid | Pictus Catfish eats small fish, and Clown Killifish only grows to about 1.6 in. |
| Crystal Red Shrimp | Avoid | Pictus Catfish will eat Crystal Red Shrimp. |
| Discus | Avoid | Pictus Catfish (72–77°F) and Discus (79–86°F) need different temperatures. |
| Ember Tetra | Avoid | Pictus Catfish eats small fish, and Ember Tetra only grows to about 0.9 in. |
| Endler's Livebearer | Avoid | Pictus Catfish eats small fish, and Endler's Livebearer only grows to about 1.2 in.; Pictus Catfish (pH 5.8–6.8) and Endler's Livebearer (pH 7–8.5) prefer different pH. |
| Fancy Goldfish | Avoid | Pictus Catfish (72–77°F) and Fancy Goldfish (50–70°F) need different temperatures. |
| German Blue Ram | Avoid | Pictus Catfish (72–77°F) and German Blue Ram (81–86°F) need different temperatures.; Pictus Catfish eats small fish, and German Blue Ram only grows to about 1.9 in. |
| Ghost Shrimp | Avoid | Pictus Catfish will eat Ghost Shrimp.; Pictus Catfish (pH 5.8–6.8) and Ghost Shrimp (pH 7–8) prefer different pH. |
| Glowlight Tetra | Avoid | Pictus Catfish eats small fish, and Glowlight Tetra only grows to about 1.9 in. |
| Iridescent Shark | Avoid | Iridescent Shark eats small fish, and Pictus Catfish only grows to about 5.7 in. |
| Japanese Trapdoor Snail | Avoid | Pictus Catfish eats snails, including Japanese Trapdoor Snail. |
| Lambchop Rasbora | Avoid | Pictus Catfish eats small fish, and Lambchop Rasbora only grows to about 1.4 in. |
| Lemon Tetra | Avoid | Pictus Catfish eats small fish, and Lemon Tetra only grows to about 1.9 in. |
| Malaysian Trumpet Snail | Avoid | Pictus Catfish eats snails, including Malaysian Trumpet Snail.; Pictus Catfish (pH 5.8–6.8) and Malaysian Trumpet Snail (pH 7–7.5) prefer different pH. |
| Marbled Hatchetfish | Avoid | Pictus Catfish eats small fish, and Marbled Hatchetfish only grows to about 1.7 in. |
| Mystery Snail | Avoid | Pictus Catfish eats snails, including Mystery Snail.; Pictus Catfish (pH 5.8–6.8) and Mystery Snail (pH unknown) prefer different pH. |
| Neon Tetra | Avoid | Pictus Catfish eats small fish, and Neon Tetra only grows to about 1.4 in. |
| Nerite Snail | Avoid | Pictus Catfish eats snails, including Nerite Snail.; Pictus Catfish (pH 5.8–6.8) and Nerite Snail (pH 8–8.4) prefer different pH. |
| Otocinclus | Avoid | Pictus Catfish eats small fish, and Otocinclus only grows to about 1.7 in. |
| Pea Puffer | Avoid | Pictus Catfish eats small fish, and Pea Puffer only grows to about 1.4 in. |
| Penguin Tetra | Avoid | Pictus Catfish eats small fish, and Penguin Tetra only grows to about 1.7 in. |
| Pygmy Cory | Avoid | Pictus Catfish eats small fish, and Pygmy Cory only grows to about 1.4 in. |
| Ramshorn Snail | Avoid | Pictus Catfish eats snails, including Ramshorn Snail.; Pictus Catfish (pH 5.8–6.8) and Ramshorn Snail (pH 7–8) prefer different pH. |
| Serpae Tetra | Avoid | Pictus Catfish eats small fish, and Serpae Tetra only grows to about 1.9 in. |
| Silver Hatchetfish | Avoid | Pictus Catfish eats small fish, and Silver Hatchetfish only grows to about 1.9 in. |
| Sparkling Gourami | Avoid | Pictus Catfish eats small fish, and Sparkling Gourami only grows to about 1.9 in. |
| White Cloud Mountain Minnow | Avoid | Pictus Catfish and White Cloud Mountain Minnow only share 72–72°F. That's a tight window.; Pictus Catfish eats small fish, and White Cloud Mountain Minnow only grows to about 1.9 in. |
Care notes
Needs: Very active - needs a long tank (120x45 cm minimum); rigid pectoral/dorsal spines tangle in nets and can cause painful wounds; gorges itself, so feed sparingly.
Group: SF: shoaling by nature; more active and less reclusive in a group of six or more. A lone fish survives but hides by day.
Temperament: semi-aggressive toward other fish, peaceful toward its own kind. Lives in the bottom of the tank.
Common questions
How big does a Pictus Catfish get?
About 5.7 inches (12 cm SL) as an adult, according to seriouslyfish.com.
What size tank does a Pictus Catfish need?
At least 47 inches long and about 64 gallons. The smallest standard tank that meets that is a 75 gallon.
How many Pictus Catfishs should be kept together?
At least 6. SF: shoaling by nature; more active and less reclusive in a group of six or more. A lone fish survives but hides by day.
What fish can live with a Pictus Catfish?
Species that passed every check include Dwarf Gourami, Pearl Gourami, Betta, Kribensis, Angelfish, Kuhli Loach.
Gear for a Pictus Catfish setup
TankSmallest standard tank that meets its minimum: 75 gallon (48 in long).Find on Amazon →HeaterAbout 2 × 200 W for 75 gallons, holding 72–77°F.Find on Amazon →FoodSinking food reaches the bottom before tankmates grab it.Find on Amazon →Test kitCheck ammonia, nitrite and pH. Cycle the tank before adding fish.Find on Amazon →
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Related guides
Sources
Values come from these pages, in our own words. Status: verified (independent spot-check). Last reviewed 2026-10-12.
- seriouslyfish.com /species/pimelodus-pictus/
- fishbase.se /summary/Pimelodus-pictus.html