Glass Catfish

COMMON NAMES: Glass Catfish, Ghost Fish.

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Kryptopterus bicirrhis.

DESIGNATION: Tropical.

GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION: Borneo, Java, Sumatra, Thailand.

SIZE: Up to 12 cm (4.7 in), usually smaller.

WATER PREFERENCES: Good oxygen supply -otherwise. not critical. Temperature: around 26°C (79°F).

DIET: All foods, but should receive a regular supply of livefoods.

BREEDING: No successful aquarium spawnings have been reported.

DESCRIPTION: Glass Catfishes, as well as their close relative K. macrocephalus, are mid water shoalers.

The glass cat fish is one of the most unusual fish species that are mainly reared by hobbyists. The fish has a transparent flesh through which the bones and the internal sack covering the body organs of the fish are commonly seen. Since the fish has a specter like appearance with the living skeleton it is also known as ghost fish.

The cat fish variety of the glass fish breed is comparatively sensitive that the other glass breeds. Unlike other glass fish the glass cat fish cannot be artificially pigmented with multiple colors. The fish is quite difficult to maintain but in case they happen to have survived healthily the fish would turn out to be a wonderful fresh water community tank fish. While keeping the fish as pet one should make it a point to introduce at least six in number as they are a shoaling fish variety. Keeping the fish with fish of active variety would not be a nice idea.

For maintaining the fish one should be careful of the diet that has to be served to the fish. At the beginning the fish should be given a combination of frozen and live food. The fish prefers to be fed with worms and especially the blood worms. The blood worms can be either frozen or freeze dried. The tubifex worms can also be given to the fish. In a community tank you are required to give special attention to the feeding habit of the fish. You must make sure that your fish gets adequate amount of food to eat for its survival.

The fish is highly prone towards being affected by bacterial infection. The affected fish would show up a blotchy or an opaque speck on the skin of the fish. As an aquarium owner you are recommended to keep a close watch on the physical appearance of the fish. One should maintain the right temperature conditions and quality of water that would help the fish to stay away from being affected by the blotchy disease. The fish requires a quarantine tank for its survival. The proper quarantining of the tank in which the fish is living would help the fish to become healthy. The tank should go for a quarantine session every after two or three weeks. If you want to try out your hands in breeding the fish it would certainly not be a good idea. The fish has never been reported to be bred in captivity apart from some undocumented claims. The fish ideally thrives in soft and slightly acidic water with a ph level in between 6.2 and 7.