Care Level: Advanced

Temperament: Semi-Aggressive

Live Plant Safe: With Caution

General Description: The Gulper Catfish, also referred to as the Ogre Catfish, is found in blackwater tributaries of the Rio Negro and Orinoco drainages of Brazil and Venezuela. Gulper catfish are overall brown in color and are very stocky, named after their particularly cavernous mouths. Gulper catfish do not make for good candidates as scavenging fish due to their predatory nature. They can eat a fish at least half their body size, so careful thought must go into choosing tank mates to keep alongside this species. Aim for fish that are at least twice the size of your Gulper catfish. It is best to only keep one Gulper catfish per aquarium. Gulper catfish are more nocturnal in nature, so its activitiy level during the day may be limited. This catfish is scaleless, making it very sensitive to water chemistry parameters and medications. An adult Gulper catfish can reach a size of approximately 10″.

Diet Requirements: In the wild Gulper catfish are carnivores. A Gulper catfish can usually adapt to a prepared food protein-rich diet once it realizes that such items are, in fact, food. Options should include frozen brine shrimp, mussels, krill, silverside fish, prawns, or whitefish. Appropriate frozen food options will vary depending on the size of your specimen. Earthworms make for an excellent treat. Gulper catfish may accept sinking pellet foods, but these should not make up the majority of their diet. Variety is the spice of life in order to maintain color, immune function and longevity of your fish. Even though this species is predatory in nature, we discourage feeding live fish because they are often of little nutritional value and increase the risk of introducing disease. Gut loaded ghost shrimp, that is ghost shrimp fed prior to being fed to the Gulper catfish, are a safe alternative to entice feeding behavior. Do not feed any form of mammalian/poultry meat (e.g., beef or chicken) as certain lipids in these cannot be metabolized by the Gulper catfish, which is detrimental to their health. Adult specimens only need to be fed once or twice a week.

Care Requirements: A minimum 125 to 150 gallon aquarium is ideal for a Gulper catfish. This species should not be introduced into a biologically immature aquarium, as it is sensitive to nitrite and ammonia. Weekly water changes are necessary to keep water parameters pristine (Nitrates < 20 ppm) as Gulper catfish do not like high nitrates and deteriorating water parameters. Equipping the aquarium a canister filter, or a sump system, is also suggested to maintain a more high quality environment for this scaleless species and combat the amount of waste it produces. The aquarium should be aquascaped with copious rocks and driftwood for coverage and places to hide during the day. Floating plants would help to dim intense lighting. Catfish require a sandy to fine substrate; too coarse of a substrate could cause injury to their barbels. The Gulper catfish is not overly aggressive in nature, though its large mouth and predatory behavior makes it a very challenging species to integrate into the home aquarium. Do not house a Gulper catfish with species that will nip at its delicate whiskers. Recommended water conditions, 72-78° F, KH 2-12, pH 5.0-7.0.

Purchase Size: Medium: 3” to 4”

Note: Your item may not look identical to the image provided due to variation within species. Purchase sizes are approximate.