African Glass Catfish (Pareutropius debauwi)

Identify the fish and choose its dispatch size

African Glass Catfish (Pareutropius debauwi) is a freshwater member of the Schilbeidae, or schilbid catfish, family. The Wikipedia summary of Pareutropius debauwi also places it among the ray-finned fishes.

FishBase records an African range including rivers in Gabon, the Republic of Congo and Angola, together with most of the Congo River basin apart from the Zambian Congo. It reports a maximum length of 12.6 cm standard length and describes a riverine fish that forms schools.

This fish suits a keeper prepared to plan for a school, its adult length and the demands that several fish place on a mature biological filter. The aquarium must provide usable swimming space, suitable cover and water that remains within the stated working ranges.

Understand the offer

The gallery images are representative of this type of animal rather than photographs of the exact animal supplied, so colours can look slightly different from the live animal.

Use the selector for the dispatch size, then set the purchase quantity from your school and stocking plan. You can also browse the wider catfish and plecos collection when comparing different types of catfish.

Plan the aquarium around the recorded maximum length

FishBase reports a maximum length of 12.6 cm standard length and separately records a maximum total length of 148 mm, or 14.8 cm. Use 12.6 cm as the adult figure throughout the care plan rather than assuming a 4 cm or 5 - 7 cm dispatch fish will remain near its arrival size. A recorded maximum is a planning reference, not a promise that every individual will reach exactly that length.

The same species account describes gregarious habits and school formation. OATA’s freshwater-catfish guidance advises at least five for shoaling catfish such as Corydoras. Applied alongside the species’ documented schooling behaviour, five is a practical starting benchmark for this fish; choose a larger school only when aquarium dimensions, filtration and the complete stocking load can support it.

Use volume as a starting check, not the only check

OATA recommends an aquarium of at least 80 litres for a shoal of smaller catfish and explains that larger aquariums generally hold temperature and water quality more steadily. Treat 80 litres as the initial catfish benchmark. Then assess swimming length, usable open space, the planned school, adult dimensions and all other residents before deciding that a particular aquarium is suitable.

• Start with the whole school: space must work for all planned fish at their adult planning length.
• Check usable dimensions: plants and shelter should not remove the area needed for the school to move together.
• Check biological capacity: the filter must process the waste from the complete community, not just the new arrivals.
• Leave a margin: an aquarium operating at its stocking limit gives less room for gradual additions and normal growth.

A long, uncluttered swimming route alongside planted or sheltered areas gives the school both movement space and places to retreat. Aquarium volume alone cannot describe that layout, so inspect the actual footprint before choosing a quantity.

Check the decisive care numbers before ordering

OATA’s freshwater-catfish sheet gives group guidance of 22–27°C, pH 6.0–8.0 and general hardness of 4–18°dH. It also sets ammonia and nitrite at 0 mg/l, with nitrate no more than 20 mg/l above the normal tap-water level. Treat these figures as working boundaries rather than a precise optimum for Pareutropius debauwi.

Check whether the plan fits

Shape the aquarium for a moving school

We class the care level as intermediate. The fish needs a planned school, a mature biological filter, regular testing and a compatibility decision based on the complete community. Those jobs are manageable when the aquarium is prepared in advance, but they leave little room for guessing about water quality or adding several fish to a new filter.

Choose this fish when the foundations already fit

• Your aquarium is mature, filtered and large enough for the complete school at the adult planning length.
• Your measured temperature, pH and hardness fit the stated working ranges without forcing abrupt changes.
• Your weekly routine includes water tests and partial water changes.
• Existing residents leave enough swimming space, filter capacity and feeding access for the school.

If one of those checks fails, correct the aquarium plan before choosing a dispatch size. A larger arrival size does not reduce the need for a school, biological capacity or adult-size planning.

Begin with an aquarium whose dimensions can accommodate the full school at the 12.6 cm planning length. The layout should preserve a clear route through the tank rather than dividing every part of the aquarium with tall ornaments. Schooling fish need room to change direction together, and that usable area matters alongside the nominal litre capacity.

OATA advises live plants for smaller or shy catfish because they provide cover, while also noting that many catfish appreciate wood, pots or caves. For this riverine, schooling animal, combine sheltered edges with an open central or front swimming route. Plants and wood can define the retreat areas without forming a solid barrier across the tank.

Divide the layout into useful zones

Walk through maintenance before settling the final layout. Make sure a siphon can reach the substrate, the filter intake remains clear and decorations do not create inaccessible pockets where solid waste accumulates. A visually dense aquarium that cannot be cleaned reliably works against the water-quality routine this fish needs.

Check the finished design from end to end. Five planning-length fish must be able to occupy the aquarium without every sheltered feature consuming the swimming route. Other residents also count towards that space. If the proposed community already fills the open water or pushes the filter near its limit, use a larger aquarium or revise the stocking plan rather than squeezing in the school.

Secure every ornament so routine maintenance cannot dislodge it. Catfish commonly have fin spines, so use calm, deliberate handling around equipment and avoid unnecessary netting once the fish is settled.

Hold the water inside the working ranges

Measure the aquarium rather than estimating its chemistry from appearance. Keep temperature between 22 and 27°C, pH between 6.0 and 8.0, and general hardness between 4 and 18°dH. Our water chemistry guide explains what the common tests measure, while the water matcher helps compare your measured values with these working boundaries.

Read each number in context

Nitrate is judged against the normal tap-water reading rather than against a single universal total. OATA says it should not exceed 20 mg/l above that baseline. For example, if conditioned tap water measures 10 mg/l nitrate, the aquarium should remain at or below 30 mg/l under that rule. If the tap-water baseline is 25 mg/l, the corresponding ceiling is 45 mg/l. Record both results so the comparison remains meaningful.

Test with the same method each week and write the readings down. A sequence of results shows whether nitrate is rising between water changes and whether pH or hardness is moving towards a boundary. One acceptable result cannot show a trend.

Do not chase the middle of each range with abrupt adjustments. First establish what comes from the tap, how conditioning affects it and how the aquarium changes through a normal maintenance week. The practical goal is water that stays within the boundaries while ammonia and nitrite remain at zero.

Mature the biological filter before adding the school

A working biological filter is essential. The RSPCA’s aquarium welfare guidance explains that fish release toxic ammonia, beneficial bacteria convert it to nitrite, and further bacterial action produces the safer nitrate. Ammonia and nitrite are both toxic, so clear-looking water is not enough to show that an aquarium is ready.

Prepare and mature the aquarium before livestock arrives. Our first tropical tank guide sets out the preparation sequence. Use tests to confirm ammonia and nitrite are 0 mg/l, and check temperature, pH and hardness against the working ranges before deciding the filter and water are ready.

Use a readiness gate

1. Run the aquarium with its filter properly installed and maintained.
2. Measure ammonia and nitrite; both must read 0 mg/l before the planned addition.
3. Measure nitrate and compare it with the conditioned tap-water baseline.
4. Confirm 22–27°C, pH 6.0–8.0 and 4–18°dH general hardness.
5. Check that the layout leaves room for the planned school and existing residents.
6. Add livestock gradually enough for the bacterial population to respond to the increased waste and feeding.

OATA warns that stocking too quickly can cause new tank syndrome because the bacterial population cannot process the increased waste. The result can be unhealthy ammonia and nitrite levels. Treat every addition as a change in biological load, even when the aquarium has been running for some time.

A mature filter can still be overwhelmed by a sudden increase. Consider the number and adult planning size of all incoming fish, the current nitrate trend and the filter’s maintenance history. If a test result fails the readiness gate, postpone the addition and restore zero ammonia and nitrite before proceeding.

Do not replace water testing with a calendar rule. The decision depends on measured water quality and the aquarium’s existing load, not simply on how many weeks it has been filled.

Feed for its insect-eating biology

FishBase describes wild Pareutropius debauwi as carnivorous with an insectivorous preference. Choose an appropriate sinking food formulated for carnivorous catfish and suited to the mouth size of the fish. The aim is to match that animal-food preference without treating the catfish as a cleaner that can live on scraps left by other residents.

OATA advises feeding catfish once a day and limiting the portion to what they can eat within a few minutes. Start with a measured, modest amount and watch the entire school. If food remains after the feeding window, reduce the next portion and remove leftovers before they break down into waste.

Judge the portion by what actually happens

Feeding more does not compensate for poor access. Watch where the food travels and whether all members of the school can reach it. A proposed community that repeatedly prevents these catfish from feeding fails an important compatibility check, even when its water requirements overlap.

Overfeeding creates a second problem: uneaten food breaks down and contributes waste that the filter must process. Keep the daily portion tied to the few-minute feeding window and use weekly ammonia, nitrite and nitrate results to check that the maintenance routine is controlling the resulting load.

Do not add food on the assumption that every catfish scavenges. This species’ documented wild diet points towards animal food, especially insects, and the aquarium diet should reflect that biology.

Complete the same maintenance cycle every week

Carry out a 25% partial water change at least once every week. OATA strongly recommends this schedule and advises testing ammonia and nitrite at least weekly. Test nitrate at the same time so you can compare the aquarium result with the normal tap-water baseline and keep the increase within 20 mg/l.

Use a repeatable weekly order

1. Record temperature, pH, general hardness, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate before disturbing the aquarium.
2. Inspect fish behaviour, breathing, colour, fins, scales and body condition.
3. Siphon solid waste from accessible substrate while removing 25% of the water.
4. Treat replacement tap water with conditioner to remove chlorine or chloramine before it enters the aquarium.
5. Check the filter and intake for blockages.
6. Record the amount changed and the final observations so next week’s results can be compared.

When filter media needs cleaning, rinse it lightly in aquarium water removed during the water change. Do not run it under the tap because chlorine or chloramine may kill part of the beneficial bacterial population. The aim is to clear obstructing debris while retaining the bacteria responsible for processing ammonia and nitrite.

Use the test results to adjust the routine. For example, a tap-water nitrate result of 8 mg/l gives an aquarium ceiling of 28 mg/l under the stated rule. If the aquarium reaches that boundary before the weekly change, reassess feeding, waste removal, stocking load and the effectiveness of the maintenance schedule.

Check the filter after maintenance to ensure water is moving through it normally and no intake has been left obstructed. Test again when a blockage, interrupted operation or unusually heavy waste load may have affected biological performance.

Consistency is more useful than occasional large interventions. The combination of weekly tests, a 25% partial change at least once a week, conditioned replacement water and careful filter-media cleaning protects the bacteria on which the aquarium depends.

Acclimatise with the store’s arrival sequence

Arrange for someone to receive the live-fish parcel because it must not be left unattended. Check the confirmed delivery window and prepare the aquarium before the parcel arrives: the filter should be running, ammonia and nitrite should be 0 mg/l, and the measured water values should already fit the working ranges.

Follow the current delivery and Live Arrival Guarantee policy when the parcel arrives. Float the bag in the aquarium for 20–30 minutes before release. Never pour the bag water into the aquarium.

Work through the arrival in order

1. Be present to receive the parcel.
2. Start filming before the sealed parcel is opened, with the outer box visible.
3. Keep filming in one continuous take while opening the parcel and showing the fish still inside the sealed bag.
4. Float the bag for 20–30 minutes.
5. Release the fish without pouring the bag water into the aquarium.

Do not combine arrival day with an unplanned large increase in other livestock. OATA advises increasing fish numbers slowly because the filter’s bacterial population must respond whenever fish and feeding are added. The school requirement still matters, so plan the complete addition with the aquarium’s filter capacity before placing the order rather than improvising once the parcel arrives.

During the first week, compare each day’s behaviour and feeding with the previous day. Look for changes rather than expecting every individual to behave identically. Continue the established daily feeding limit and weekly maintenance cycle; arrival is not a reason to overfeed.

If ammonia or nitrite rises above 0 mg/l, treat it as a water-quality problem immediately and pause further livestock additions. Check filter operation, feeding and the stocking increase. A correctly timed float equalises temperature, but it cannot compensate for an immature filter or unsuitable aquarium water.

Respond to health changes with observation and water tests

Learn the normal appearance and behaviour of each fish so that a change is easy to recognise. OATA recommends watching swimming, colour, temperament, breathing, external appearance, body condition and feeding. These observations do not identify a treatment by themselves, but they give an early signal to check the aquarium.

Match each warning sign to an immediate check

Begin with measured values: ammonia and nitrite should remain at 0 mg/l, temperature at 22–27°C, pH at 6.0–8.0 and general hardness at 4–18°dH. Compare nitrate with the tap-water baseline and review whether the weekly water change or feeding amount has changed.

Also inspect practical causes. Confirm the filter is running and free of blockages, replacement water was conditioned, no uneaten food remains and the aquarium has not received a sudden stocking increase. Record the time and the affected fish so you can tell whether the condition is improving or spreading.

If you are concerned about a health change, contact us after testing the water and recording the signs. Do not choose medication from appearance alone; use the observed symptoms, water results and aquarium history to guide the next decision.

Screen every proposed tank mate individually

Compatibility cannot be reduced to a universal list for this catfish. OATA notes that catfish vary widely: some suit community aquariums, while others are extremely predatory and require caution when mixed. FishBase establishes that Pareutropius debauwi forms schools and has a carnivorous, insect-focused wild diet, but those facts do not settle every aquarium pairing.

Use a screening process based on the exact animals, their adult dimensions and the aquarium they will share. The decision must work in both directions: existing residents must not continually disrupt the school, and the catfish must fit the community’s size, water and feeding plan.

Apply five compatibility checks

Predatory fish and catfish require particular caution. Do not assume that a shared broad label such as community fish or catfish settles the decision. Adult size, individual behaviour and feeding method can differ markedly within those labels.

Observe the aquarium after introduction. Repeated missed meals, damaged fins, abnormal hiding, erratic swimming or persistent displacement are reasons to reassess the mix and test the water. Ask us for a stocking and compatibility assessment using the aquarium dimensions, measured water values, filter, current livestock and intended school size.

Calculate the school before setting the purchase quantity

One purchase quantity supplies one African Glass Catfish in the selected size. Set the quantity from a complete stocking plan rather than from the appearance of one dispatch fish. FishBase records school formation, while the practical OATA benchmark for shoaling catfish starts at five.

For example, a plan for five fish requires a purchase quantity of five because each purchase unit is one animal. That arithmetic does not complete the suitability check. The aquarium must still accommodate five fish using the 12.6 cm maximum length as the adult planning reference, alongside every existing resident.

Complete this pre-purchase calculation

1. Write down the intended school: begin with at least five as the practical benchmark.
2. Apply the adult reference: plan around a maximum length of 12.6 cm for each member rather than the selected dispatch size.
3. Check the aquarium: begin with the at least 80-litre catfish benchmark, then assess footprint, open swimming area and shelter.
4. Add the current community: include the adult dimensions and behaviour of every resident.
5. Review filtration: ammonia and nitrite must be 0 mg/l before the addition, and stocking must proceed at a pace the biological filter can support.
6. Check feeding: each catfish must be able to obtain appropriate food during the daily few-minute feeding period.

Do not use the larger dispatch label as a substitute for adult planning. A 5 - 7 cm fish still has potential growth towards the recorded maximum, while a 4 cm fish needs the same long-term social and water-quality plan.

If the calculations leave little swimming space or put the aquarium close to its biological limit, revise the community or choose a larger aquarium. Reducing the school below its social benchmark is not the right way to make an undersized plan fit.

After introduction, reassess the calculation with real observations. Confirm that every fish feeds, the school can move without continual disturbance, and weekly tests continue to show 0 mg/l ammonia and nitrite.

Answer the key buyer questions

How big does African Glass Catfish get?

African Glass Catfish reaches a recorded maximum length of 12.6 cm standard length, so plan the aquarium around that adult reference rather than its 4 cm or 5 - 7 cm dispatch size.

What size aquarium does African Glass Catfish need?

Start from OATA’s at least 80-litre benchmark for a shoal of smaller catfish, then confirm that the aquarium has enough dimensions, open swimming space and biological capacity for a school reaching 12.6 cm per fish.

How many Pareutropius debauwi should I keep together?

FishBase records school formation, so use at least five as the practical starting benchmark drawn from OATA’s advice for shoaling catfish, subject to aquarium capacity.

Does African Glass Catfish suit beginners?

We class African Glass Catfish as intermediate because it needs a planned school, a mature filter, regular water testing and an individual compatibility assessment.

What does African Glass Catfish eat?

Feed African Glass Catfish an appropriate sinking carnivorous catfish food that reflects its insectivorous preference, once daily in an amount eaten within a few minutes.

What temperature and pH does this fish need?

OATA’s freshwater-catfish group guidance gives 22–27°C, pH 6.0–8.0 and general hardness of 4–18°dH; keep ammonia and nitrite at 0 mg/l.

Is it aggressive or likely to nip fins?

Its species account describes schooling but does not assign a general aggression or fin-nipping rating, so screen behaviour in both directions and reassess any mix that causes attacking, harassment, damaged fins or persistent displacement.

What kinds of animals can it live with?

Compatibility varies by species and individual; choose animals that pass checks for water overlap, adult dimensions, behaviour, feeding access, swimming space and total biological load, with particular caution around predatory fish or catfish.

How does this fish arrive alive in the UK?

Start filming every delivery with the parcel still sealed and the outer box visible. Someone must be present to receive it; keep filming continuously as the parcel is opened and the fish is shown inside the sealed bag, float the bag for 20–30 minutes, then release the fish without pouring the bag water into the aquarium.

Read the scientific and welfare references

• FishBase: Pareutropius debauwi — identity, family, distribution, recorded length and wild biology.
• Wikipedia: Pareutropius debauwi — concise taxonomic and common-name summary.
• OATA: How to look after freshwater catfish — aquarium water, feeding, stocking, maintenance and health guidance.
• RSPCA aquarium environment advice — biological filtration and nitrogen-waste processing.
• Tropical Fish Co delivery and Live Arrival Guarantee policy — delivery-day preparation and acclimatisation sequence.