After a few weeks, increase the water level using cooler, soft water and feed the fish with live foods.

In extreme cases the filter can be removed and the water hardness can be increased a little bit.

If you're having trouble inducing a spawn, try to lower the water level in the tank, increase the hardness of the water, increase the temperature by a few degrees and starve the fish for a few weeks to simulate the dry season in their natural habitat. The fry should be fed with artemia nauplii or other small live foods, after their yolk sacs have been absorbed. Once eggs are noticed, the adults should be removed, as they may eat them. Add a piece of plastic lid to float at the water surface to provide a potential nest-building site. For breeding use a small group of fish (4-6 fish), and condition them with large amounts of live foods, and do some large cool water changes. Some breeding reports say that this species is a bubblenest builder, others say they lay eggs in a pit which excavated in the substrate or attached to floating cover. Breeding is possible, but only a few, conflicting information available about their breeding. The first few pectoral fin rays are thickened in males, while females are more heavily bodied. Porthole Catfish has long, flattened snout with two pairs of barbels. Dianema longibarbis has large eyes which are placed on the sides of the head, sometimes even a bit on the lower half. The body is covered with black spots, which vary in number and in size. The base color of head and body is grey or brown. Heavily-planted tanks are particularly suitable.ĭescription: In body shape the Porthole Catfish looks like an elongated Corydoras. A few dried leaves are essential if we want to mimic their natural habitat. Decorate the tank with driftwood or twisted roots to provide hiding places. Decoration: Use river sand or fine gravel as substrate.Once settled, it will often feed from the surface. Diet: Omnivorous Not a fussy eater, frozen and live foods such as bloodworm, chopped earthworm and tubifex should be its main diet.It will not harm even the smallest tankmates. Social behavior: A very peaceful catfish that should be kept in a small group, and will do well in a community aquarium.Biotope: Inhabits in slower moving creeks, tributaries, floodplain lakes and ponds.Habitat: South America Peru and Brazil.Synonyms: Callichthys adspersus, Decapogon verissimi.

Porthole catfish