Identity and search names

Common name
Glass catfish
Scientific name
Kryptopterus vitreolus
Other names
Ghost catfish, Phantom catfish, Kryptopterus minor (historic trade misidentification), Kryptopterus bicirrhis (historic trade misidentification)
Category
Freshwater fish
Group
Other catfish
Origin
Restricted river and stream systems of peninsular Thailand south of the Isthmus of Kra, draining toward the Gulf of Thailand
Review outcome
PASSED

Environment and housing

Environment
Freshwater
Care level
Intermediate to advanced
Adult size
Usually 8–10 cm total length
Expected lifespan
About 5–8 years
Minimum housing
At least 160 L with shaded open mid-water for a substantial group
Temperature
23–28 °C
pH
6.0–7.5
Hardness or minerals
Soft to moderately hard; avoid abrupt chemistry changes
Salinity
Freshwater
Lighting
Subdued lighting with overhead plant or wood cover
Social structure
Keep at least 10, preferably 12 or more; small groups remain stressed and withdrawn
Placement or swimming zone
Middle water
Temperament
Peaceful, shy and highly social
Compatibility
Use calm similarly sized fish that will not outcompete or nip them; avoid large predators and aggressive feeders
Habitat structure
Mature shaded aquarium with gentle-to-moderate flow, open mid-water, dark refuge, guarded intakes and excellent water quality

Feeding and nutrition

Diet
Small aquatic insects, crustaceans, zooplankton and fine floating or slowly sinking prepared foods
Feeding frequency
Offer small suspended meals once or twice daily and confirm the entire transparent group maintains body depth

Breeding and reproduction

Breeding or reproduction
Reliable routine aquarium breeding is not established; do not invent a generic egg-scattering method
Parental care
Unknown for practical aquarium planning

System demands

Filtration
Use mature biological filtration sized for the full adult group and feeding load, with intake protection where juveniles, long fins or small fish are present. Provide steady turnover without preventing normal swimming or resting.
Aeration
Maintain strong surface gas exchange and stable dissolved oxygen. Increase aeration during warm weather, medication, transport recovery, breeding crowding or any ammonia or nitrite event.
Maintenance
Test ammonia, nitrite and nitrate, remove waste from feeding and shelter zones, and perform regular temperature- and chemistry-matched water changes before nitrate or dissolved organics accumulate.

Detailed husbandry

Identity scope
This profile applies to Kryptopterus vitreolus. Confirm trade identity and preserve breeder, supplier or locality records where relevant.
Adult size and space
Usually 8–10 cm total length. At least 160 L with shaded open mid-water for a substantial group. Plan around adult dimensions, activity, group size, aggression and waste production rather than sale size.
Social structure
Keep at least 10, preferably 12 or more; small groups remain stressed and withdrawn
Placement or swimming zone
Primary zone: Middle water. Keep that zone usable for movement, feeding and refuge.
Feeding ecology
Small aquatic insects, crustaceans, zooplankton and fine floating or slowly sinking prepared foods
Feeding plan
Offer small suspended meals once or twice daily and confirm the entire transparent group maintains body depth
Water stability
Maintain 23–28 °C; pH 6.0–7.5; hardness/minerals: Soft to moderately hard; avoid abrupt chemistry changes. Stable oxygenation and nitrogen-cycle control matter more than chasing one exact number.
Adult projected load
Plan capacity for Keep at least 10, preferably 12 or more; small groups remain stressed and withdrawn at the documented adult size (Usually 8–10 cm total length) in At least 160 L with shaded open mid-water for a substantial group. Include feeding intensity, territorial behaviour and breeding growth rather than counting sale-size juveniles.
Filtration
Use mature biological filtration sized for the full adult group and feeding load, with intake protection where juveniles, long fins or small fish are present. Provide steady turnover without preventing normal swimming or resting.
Aeration
Maintain strong surface gas exchange and stable dissolved oxygen. Increase aeration during warm weather, medication, transport recovery, breeding crowding or any ammonia or nitrite event.
Maintenance
Test ammonia, nitrite and nitrate, remove waste from feeding and shelter zones, and perform regular temperature- and chemistry-matched water changes before nitrate or dissolved organics accumulate.
Habitat structure
Mature shaded aquarium with gentle-to-moderate flow, open mid-water, dark refuge, guarded intakes and excellent water quality
Compatibility plan
Use calm similarly sized fish that will not outcompete or nip them; avoid large predators and aggressive feeders
Breeding plan
Reliable routine aquarium breeding is not established; do not invent a generic egg-scattering method. Parental care: Unknown for practical aquarium planning.
Quarantine
Quarantine new fish in a separate cycled aquarium with dedicated equipment. Match temperature and mineral chemistry gradually, confirm feeding and normal respiration, and never add transport water to the established aquarium.
Welfare checks
Maintain the stated adult space and social structure, verify feeding and intervene early when injury, exclusion, weight loss, abnormal respiration or altered behaviour appears. The common aquarium glass catfish was misidentified for decades and is K. vitreolus, not K. minor or K. bicirrhis. Trade still relies heavily on wild collection, making provenance and group welfare important.
Biosecurity and release
Never release fish, fry, eggs, aquarium water, sediment, plants or live foods into drains, dams or natural waterways. Confirm current Australian import conditions and South Australian possession, trade and movement rules before acquisition or transfer.
Main risk
The common aquarium glass catfish was misidentified for decades and is K. vitreolus, not K. minor or K. bicirrhis. Trade still relies heavily on wild collection, making provenance and group welfare important.
Overridable warnings
The common aquarium glass catfish was misidentified for decades and is K. vitreolus, not K. minor or K. bicirrhis. Trade still relies heavily on wild collection, making provenance and group welfare important. Any override must still preserve adult space, social welfare, stable chemistry, oxygen and filter capacity.

Welfare and risk

Welfare checks
Maintain the stated adult space and social structure, verify feeding and intervene early when injury, exclusion, weight loss, abnormal respiration or altered behaviour appears. The common aquarium glass catfish was misidentified for decades and is K. vitreolus, not K. minor or K. bicirrhis. Trade still relies heavily on wild collection, making provenance and group welfare important.
Main warning
The common aquarium glass catfish was misidentified for decades and is K. vitreolus, not K. minor or K. bicirrhis. Trade still relies heavily on wild collection, making provenance and group welfare important.
Biosecurity
Never release fish, fry, eggs, aquarium water, sediment, plants or live foods into drains, dams or natural waterways. Confirm current Australian import conditions and South Australian possession, trade and movement rules before acquisition or transfer.

Sources

Source note

Current identity or scope, husbandry, system-demand, welfare and Australian biosecurity evidence checked; active retired-source links removed; all AquaNexus wording is original.

Find or compare entries

Return to the AquaNexus aquatic-life database.