Driftwood Catfish (Trachelyopterus sp.)

Choose a driftwood catfish that hides by day and prowls at night

This Driftwood Catfish (Trachelyopterus sp.) is a stocky, mottled South American catfish that spends the day jammed into wood or a cave and comes out at dusk to feed. "Driftwood catfishes" is the name FishBase uses for the whole family Auchenipteridae, and the colour of these fish copies a piece of waterlogged wood remarkably well. They are hardy, characterful and easy to feed, provided they are kept with fish too large to swallow.

The label "sp." means the exact species has not been identified. Several Trachelyopterus reach the aquarium trade. The best documented is the common woodcat, Trachelyopterus galeatus, which FishBase describes as widespread in northern South America, and the care below uses its published values. ScotCat notes that in the 1970s and 80s, under its old name Parauchenipterus galeatus, it was one of the few woodcats you could buy in the UK.

Check the names on the label

The genus name comes from Greek words for neck and fin. Planet Catfish explains that the long bony shield on the head makes the dorsal fin look as if it starts at the neck. FishBase describes T. galeatus as stocky, with a slightly flattened head, a slightly projecting lower jaw and a skin-covered head shield. ScotCat adds a dark blotch on the gill cover and below the dorsal fin, over a brown, mottled body.

Know exactly what you receive

One purchase supplies one live Driftwood Catfish. The size option is "Standard": the fish is sent at the size currently available, which is smaller than the adult. Sex is not chosen or guaranteed.

The photographs show the type of fish, not the individual you will receive. Planet Catfish stresses that pattern and colour vary a great deal between individuals, with water and lighting, and between regions, so expect your fish to look different from the pictures.

Plan for the largest likely adult

• Size: Planet Catfish and ScotCat give 22 cm standard length for T. galeatus; FishBase records up to 30 cm total length, with females to 23 cm.
• Growth: ScotCat says it is not a fast grower and takes several years to reach adult size.
• Sexes: in mature males the first rays of the anal fin form a mating organ. Planet Catfish says this does not show until the fish is at least three-quarters grown.

Because the species is not named, plan for the upper size and check our delivery information before ordering.

Plan an aquarium of at least 90 cm

ScotCat recommends a tank over 90 cm (3 ft) long for a pair and says the larger the tank, the better, so the fish can reach its full size. For a single fish with a few large companions, treat 90 cm as the minimum length and add width for caves and wood.

Run a three-step space check

1. Measure the length: at least 90 cm, with room for a cave per catfish.
2. Count the large fish: its companions must be big, and big fish need space too. Our stocking calculator helps you check the total.
3. Allow for growth: the fish you receive will keep growing for years.

Fit a secure lid. OATA advises a heater all year round and a position away from draughts, direct sun and heat sources to keep the temperature steady.

Give every catfish a cave

Planet Catfish says juveniles under about 5 cm need tangles of bogwood to hide in, and that floating plants or clumps of Java moss also help. Larger fish need a cave each, and black PVC drain pipe is the easiest way to provide one. ScotCat adds that they jam themselves into pipework until dusk, and that a dimly lit tank lets you see them more often.

Divide the aquarium by function

ScotCat suggests either small round gravel or sand, and OATA's catfish care sheet explains that soft substrates protect sensitive barbels. Choose a pipe or cave just wide enough for the fish to wedge in, and replace it with a larger one as it grows.

Keep the water at 20–24°C and stable

FishBase, Planet Catfish and ScotCat agree on 20–24°C and pH 6.0–7.5 for T. galeatus, and FishBase gives hardness up to 18 dH. Planet Catfish says slightly soft water is preferable but not essential, because this is a hardy fish. FishBase notes that in the wild it lives in swamps and copes with oxygen-poor water, but that is no reason to accept poor water at home.

Match your tap water to the range

The waste limits come from OATA's catfish guidance. A range of 20–24°C is cooler than many tropical community tanks are run, so choose companions that also suit it. If your tap water already sits inside the pH and hardness range, use it as it is with a dechlorinating conditioner. Our water chemistry guide and guide to pH for tropical fish explain the readings.

Filter and maintain for a big appetite

ScotCat calls it an easy catfish with no special demands, but stresses that regular water changes are best kept up. A greedy fish that eats large meals produces plenty of waste, so filter for the adult fish and its companions from the start.

Follow a weekly routine

1. Test ammonia, nitrite and nitrate at least weekly, as OATA advises.
2. Change up to 25% of the water each week.
3. Siphon leftover food from in and around the caves.
4. Check filter flow and rinse media in tank water only.
5. Look into each cave with a torch to check the fish.

OATA warns that adding fish too quickly causes "new tank syndrome", with rising ammonia and nitrite, so stock gradually and test after each addition.

Feed a glutton with care

In the wild, FishBase records adults eating small fishes, arthropods, worms and sometimes fruit. In the aquarium Planet Catfish says most prepared foods are taken; live or frozen foods speed growth but are not needed to keep it in good condition. ScotCat lists tablets, pellets and frozen bloodworm, and says it will even take food from your hand in a dimly lit tank.

Planet Catfish gives one important warning: this fish is a glutton and eats all the food present. Dry foods that swell in water can expand inside it and cause internal injury, so presoak them before feeding.

Build one measured meal

• Staple: sinking catfish pellets or tablets, presoaked if they swell.
• Frozen variety: thawed bloodworm and other meaty frozen foods.
• Timing: feed at dusk or just after lights-out, when it comes out.
• Portion: a measured amount it clears within a few minutes of emerging; do not keep adding food because it still looks hungry.

Remove anything left by the next morning. A swollen belly after feeding means the portion was too big.

Introduce it to a mature aquarium

Add it only to a cycled aquarium with zero ammonia and nitrite and its cave already in place. OATA notes that catfish are double-bagged because their spines can pierce a bag, and that most catfish carry spines on the pectoral fins, so handle it carefully; FishBase describes the spiny pectoral fins of T. galeatus.

Use OATA's floating method with the lights off: about 10 minutes floating, then small amounts of tank water over up to 20 minutes, and release with as little bag water as possible. Our guide to acclimatising new fish shows each step.

Use a first-week checkpoint plan

Choose tank mates too big to swallow

Planet Catfish describes it as boisterous rather than aggressive, but says smaller fish are at risk because of its large mouth and its prowling at night. ScotCat agrees that it is not greatly aggressive yet cannot be trusted with small fish, and is better housed with species larger than itself.

Screen each companion

Our Perugia's Woodcat is a much smaller member of the same family; it shows the family's habits but should not share a tank with this fish. The Spotted Raphael Talking Catfish and Striped Raphael Catfish belong to the closely related thorny catfish family and share the same hide-by-day lifestyle. Check any mix with our tank mates tool, and browse more bottom dwellers, catfish and plecos or the full South American catfish range.

Watch for problems early

Pair each sign with an action

OATA describes a healthy fish as having clear eyes, intact fins, no ulcers or bumps, normal swimming and steady breathing. Check it after dark with a dim torch, when it behaves normally.

Breeding notes

Driftwood catfishes breed by internal fertilisation. FishBase explains that the spiny pectoral fins let the male hold the female during mating, and that sperm can be stored in the female for several months; Planet Catfish puts this at up to four months. FishBase reports adhesive eggs of 3 mm. The young are 1.5 cm nine days after hatching and start hiding under branches and rocks at around 11 days.

Planet Catfish lists breeding as not recorded in the aquarium. It also describes two females in a UK public aquarium laying huge numbers of jelly-coated eggs without a male present, so a female may lay infertile eggs in a home tank too.

Answer Driftwood Catfish buying questions

What is a Driftwood Catfish?

Driftwood catfish is the common name for the family Auchenipteridae. This listing is a Trachelyopterus species, a stocky, mottled, nocturnal catfish from South America that hides in wood by day. The exact species is not named.

Which species will I receive?

The fish is sold as Trachelyopterus sp., so the species is not identified. The care on this page uses the published values for the common woodcat, Trachelyopterus galeatus, the best-documented member of the genus.

How big does a Trachelyopterus get?

Planet Catfish and ScotCat give 22 cm standard length for T. galeatus, and FishBase records up to 30 cm total length. ScotCat notes that it grows slowly and takes several years to reach adult size.

What size aquarium does it need?

ScotCat recommends a tank over 90 cm (3 ft) long for a pair, and says the larger the tank, the better. Give each fish its own cave.

Is it safe with small fish?

No. Planet Catfish says it is boisterous rather than aggressive, but its large mouth and night-time prowling put small fish at risk. Keep it with fish larger than itself.

What water does it need?

FishBase, Planet Catfish and ScotCat agree on 20–24°C and pH 6.0–7.5, with hardness up to 18 dH. It is a hardy fish, but keep ammonia and nitrite at zero.

What should I feed it?

Sinking pellets, tablets and frozen foods such as bloodworm. Planet Catfish warns that it is a glutton, so presoak dry foods that swell in water before feeding them.

How many fish come with one purchase?

One live fish of the standard size currently available.

Consult the care references

• FishBase: Trachelyopterus galeatus — identification, size, water values, wild diet and reproduction of the common woodcat.
• Planet Catfish: Trachelyopterus galeatus — names, size, water values, feeding, décor, compatibility and sexing of the common woodcat.
• ScotCat factsheet: Trachelyopterus galeatus — UK history, tank length, décor, colour, compatibility and diet of the common woodcat.
• OATA: How to look after freshwater catfish — UK group-level catfish guidance on water quality, substrate, introduction and handling.
• OATA: How to test water quality in your freshwater aquarium — UK guidance on water testing, conditioners and weekly water changes.
• Tropical Fish Co delivery policy — current dispatch days and Live Arrival Guarantee terms.