African Whiptail Catfish (Phractura ansorgii)

Choose an African Whiptail Catfish for a cool, flowing river tank

The African Whiptail Catfish is Phractura ansorgii, a small, slender catfish from West Africa that spends its life on the bottom of clear, flowing water. It belongs to the Amphiliidae, known as the loach catfishes because, as Planet Catfish notes, they superficially resemble the flat-bellied hillstream loaches. Its genus name comes from the Greek for "fenced-in tail", a reference to the bony plates that enclose its long, thin tail stalk. The species was described by Boulenger in 1902 from Agberi in southern Nigeria, and in Germany it is known as the "Roter Kaulquappenwels", the red tadpole catfish.

FishBase gives its range as the lower Niger, the Niger delta and the Oshun River in Nigeria, and it has also been reported from the Mono River basin in Togo. It lives in flowing water and, like other Phractura, among the plants that grow in the current; ScotCat describes it spending much of its time clinging to leaves such as Vallisneria. Planet Catfish describes a ventrally flattened body with wide, horizontal pectoral and pelvic fins that grip smooth surfaces in the flow, small upward-facing eyes and short, tough barbels. FishBase lists the species as Endangered on the IUCN Red List (assessed in 2019), so each fish deserves a well-planned home.

Tell it apart from the South American whiptails

"Whiptail catfish" in UK shops usually means the armoured suckermouth whiptails from South America. This fish is unrelated and needs different care.

Select one fish and plan its companions

One purchase supplies one live African Whiptail Catfish in the standard size we receive. Sex is not specified. Planet Catfish and ScotCat both note that females grow larger and show dark brown bands across the body, while males stay plain and pale and turn reddish all over at spawning time, so a banded fish is most likely a female. The gallery images are representative, prepared from a reference photograph, and do not show the individual you will receive.

Decide how many to keep

• One fish: possible in a quiet, well-planted tank, as long as it can reach food without competition.
• Two or three fish: Planet Catfish calls the species peaceful and says several can be kept together, so a small group works if every fish has its own leaves and stones to rest on.
• Any number: plan the feeding first. This catfish does not compete strongly for food, so every fish must be able to find its share after dark.

Read our delivery and Live Arrival Guarantee policy before you order, and have the aquarium running and tested before the fish arrive.

Plan the aquarium around a 9 cm adult

FishBase records a maximum of 9.0 cm total length, and Planet Catfish gives 90 mm standard length, measured without the tail fin. Much of that length is the slender tail stalk, so the adult is a light, narrow fish rather than a bulky one. Some sellers quote larger sizes; we use the published figures.

Planet Catfish recommends a largish but shallow aquarium such as a 30–40 US gallon breeder tank, which is 120–150 litres, planted heavily with bogwood and hiding places and with some open areas. A long, shallow tank gives more floor and leaf surface for a bottom-dweller than a tall tank of the same volume, and it is easier to keep moving and oxygenated from end to end. Our tank volume calculator turns your tank's measurements into litres.

Run a three-step space check

1. Measure the floor: choose a long, shallow footprint in the 120–150 litre range rather than a tall cube.
2. Count the bottom-dwellers: every fish that feeds on the floor competes with this catfish, so keep their number low.
3. Check flow, oxygen and lid: plan a filter outlet or small circulation pump that moves water across the whole floor, and a secure lid, which OATA recommends for catfish aquariums.

Build a stream bed with plants, wood and open sand

Recreate a clear, plant-lined stream. Use fine sand, which OATA advises for all catfish because it protects their sensitive barbels, and add smooth, rounded river cobbles that the fish can rest on in the current. ScotCat describes this species moving across sand with a side-to-side, sidewinding motion as it forages, so leave open sand between the stones. Add long-leaved plants such as Vallisneria in the flow, because this catfish likes to perch on leaves, plus bogwood and a few shaded hiding places.

Divide the floor by function

Our hillstream loach guide describes the same style of stream aquarium, with its emphasis on clean, moving, oxygen-rich water over stones.

Set cool water values and hold them steady

This is a cool tropical fish. All three sources agree on 20–24°C, which is lower than many community aquariums run. The pH ranges differ slightly, so the target column uses the band where they overlap.

Keep the pH up. ScotCat's author lost a pair of these catfish when the pH fell below 6 and saw the survivors recover once it was raised to about 7, and notes that the species is less hardy than the South American whiptails. Avoid soft, acidic blackwater set-ups. Hardness and pH of UK tap water vary from region to region; your water company publishes figures for your postcode, and our water matcher compares them with this fish. Our water chemistry guide explains how to adjust readings slowly.

Because 24°C is the top of its range, keep the aquarium out of direct sunlight and away from radiators and other heat sources, as OATA advises, and check the temperature during warm weather.

Separate habitat values from waste readings

These waste limits come from OATA's freshwater catfish care sheet. A tank can sit at the right temperature and pH and still be unsafe if ammonia or nitrite are present, so test both kinds of reading every week.

Keep oxygen high with strong, clean flow

Planet Catfish asks for clean, cool, well-oxygenated water with ample plant cover, and its feature on the species stresses generous dissolved oxygen and brisk water movement, with a circulation pump pushing water over smooth cobbles and fine sand, and low nitrate. Choose a filter rated comfortably above the tank's volume, direct its outlet along the length of the tank, and keep the surface rippling. Fit a sponge guard over every intake: this is a slim fish that rests close to surfaces. Our guide to aquarium filtration explains how mechanical and biological filtration work together.

Follow a weekly maintenance sequence

1. Test ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH before you start.
2. Change at least 25% of the water, the weekly minimum OATA recommends for catfish.
3. Treat the new water with a tap water conditioner that removes chlorine and chloramine, and match its temperature.
4. Siphon debris from the open sand and between the cobbles.
5. Rinse filter media only in water removed from the tank, never under the tap.
6. Check that the circulation pump, intake guards and heater are clean and working.

Feed small live and frozen foods in measured portions

Planet Catfish lists live, frozen or freeze-dried bloodworm, tubifex, grindal worms, chironomid and other small larvae, and notes reports of it also eating algae. ScotCat found frozen bloodworm the clear favourite, with tablet foods, grindal worm and white worm also taken; algae were recorded in the diet but ignored by its author's fish, and vegetables such as courgette and lettuce can be tried. Planet Catfish's feature adds quality sinking catfish pellets as a staple, with frozen bloodworm and Artemia.

This catfish is not a strong competitor, so feeding needs a plan, especially with lively tank mates.

Build one measured meal

• Feed after lights-out: Planet Catfish recommends an evening feed when the main lights go off, so the catfish feeds without competition from day-active fish.
• Place the food: drop sinking food on the open sand near its resting places, downstream of the strongest current.
• Measure the portion: offer only what is eaten within a few minutes, once a day, as OATA advises for catfish.
• Clear leftovers: remove uneaten food next morning so it does not foul the water.
• Check the belly: a well-fed fish has a gently rounded underside; a hollow belly means it is being out-competed.

Introduce it gently and watch the first week

Before the fish arrives, confirm a mature filter, zero ammonia and nitrite, 20–24°C and a pH of 6.5–7.2. Use the floating bag method OATA describes: switch off the aquarium lights, float the sealed bag for about 10 minutes so the temperature equalises, then add small amounts of aquarium water to the bag over up to 20 minutes, and release the fish with as little bag water as possible. For sensitive fish OATA also describes drip acclimation, slowly dripping aquarium water into the transport container through an airline. Our guide to acclimatising new fish covers both methods step by step.

Use a first-week checkpoint plan

Read its behaviour and act on changes

Expect a quiet fish that perches on leaves, wood and stones in the current and forages across the sand. It is easy to overlook in a planted tank, so make a point of finding it at every evening feed. OATA's catfish care sheet lists the changes worth watching for in any catfish.

Pair each observation with an action

If a problem continues, record your readings and contact us with them.

Choose calm tank mates that leave food on the floor

Planet Catfish suggests smaller characins and cyprinids, and warns that this catfish is best not kept with more aggressive or larger species because it does not compete strongly for food. Choose fish that stay in the upper and middle water, tolerate the same cool, flowing water, and do not crowd the floor at feeding time.

Decide from the suits and avoid list

From our range, consider the small Three-Lined African Tetra or the peaceful, midwater African Glass Catfish, checking that their own water needs overlap with this fish. For another small African catfish see Bates' Dwarf Synodontis, and if stream-style tanks appeal to you, the Marbled Hillstream Loach enjoys similar flowing, oxygen-rich water. Browse all our African catfish, our wider range of catfish and plecos and our bottom-dwelling fish, and check any mix with our tank mates tool before you buy.

Know what the breeding reports describe

This species was bred in an aquarium as early as the 1950s by Dr Walter Foersch, and the account is summarised in Baensch's Aquarium Atlas, volume 3. ScotCat relates the details: chirping sounds were heard, the male curved into a U-shape over the female for a few seconds, and the female laid about 100 eggs with a thick, jelly-like coat that resembled amphibian eggs. The fry hatched after two to three days, began to feed five to six days later, and the survivors looked like newt larvae at 12 mm. Many fry were lost, and Planet Catfish holds no hobbyist breeding reports for the species. Treat breeding as a bonus, not a plan.

Answer African Whiptail Catfish buying questions

What is an African Whiptail Catfish?

It is Phractura ansorgii, a small loach catfish of the family Amphiliidae from the lower Niger in Nigeria, with reports from Togo. It has a slim body and a long, thin tail stalk enclosed in bony plates. It is not related to the South American whiptail catfish sold as plecos.

How big does an African Whiptail Catfish grow?

About 9 cm. FishBase records 9.0 cm total length and Planet Catfish gives 90 mm standard length, so expect a slender adult of roughly that size, much of it tail stalk.

What size aquarium does it need?

Planet Catfish recommends a largish, shallow tank such as a 30–40 US gallon breeder, which is 120–150 litres, with plenty of plants, wood and hiding places and some open sand. Floor area matters more than height.

What water does it need?

Cool, clean and well oxygenated: 20–24°C and a pH between about 6.5 and 7.2, where the published ranges overlap. FishBase gives 10–18 dH. Do not let the pH fall below 6; ScotCat records losing fish when it did.

What does it eat?

Small live and frozen foods: bloodworm, tubifex, grindal worms, white worm and other small larvae, plus sinking tablets. It does not compete strongly, so feed in the evening after the main lights go off.

Can I keep more than one?

Yes. Planet Catfish describes it as peaceful and notes that several can be kept together. Give each fish its own resting places on leaves, wood and sand.

Which tank mates suit it?

Small, calm characins and cyprinids that enjoy the same cool, flowing water. Avoid larger, aggressive or boisterous fish, and fast bottom feeders that would take its food.

How can I tell males from females?

Planet Catfish and ScotCat say females are larger and show dark brown bands on the body, while males are plain and pale and turn reddish when they spawn.

Consult the care references

• FishBase: Phractura ansorgii: classification, common name, maximum length, water range, distribution, habitat note and IUCN status.
• Planet Catfish: Phractura ansorgii: names, type locality, etymology, size, sexing, distribution, water values, feeding, aquarium, tank mates and breeding history.
• Planet Catfish Catfish of the Month, December 2020: Phractura ansorgii: body shape, barbels, flow, oxygen, water quality and evening feeding.
• ScotCat: Phractura ansorgii factsheet: synonyms, habitat on plant leaves, water values, low-pH losses, feeding, sexing and the 1950s breeding account.
• OATA: How to look after freshwater catfish: UK guidance for catfish on water quality, sand, introduction, handling, feeding and health signs.
• OATA: How to look after wild caught freshwater fish: UK guidance on acclimatising sensitive or wild-caught fish, including drip acclimation.
• Tropical Fish Co delivery policy: current dispatch days and Live Arrival Guarantee terms.