Catfish – Royal Whiptail (Sturisoma panamense)

Description

Temp: 24 – 32c
pH: 6.8 – 7

Diet: primarily vegetarian, sinking algae wafers, slices of vegetables, will also take bloodworms, brine shrimp, have been seen to feed on dead shrimp – but only if any of these sink to the bottom of the tank & lie still.

They are a peaceful tank companion.They have beenkept with discus – they never showed any inclination to sucker on to them. They have been kept with the smallest microfish and shrimp when the whiptails were full grown, and never harrassed or hunted them. They are not overly active unless startled by being touched.They are effective algae eaters, regardless of how much they are fed.

As they are primarily nocturnal fish, most of their algae eating is done at night, but unlike many other catfish they do not seem to hide, and are on display the majority of the time. Which is a good thing, as they are a very attractive fish. They spend most of their time on the bottom of the tank or sitting on a low branch, rock or plant during the day.