Care
The Black Lancer Catfish is known from large, slow-flowing turbid rivers with muddy substrates. This shy, nocturnal species requires a spacious aquarium with a soft sand substrate. There should be plenty of hiding places/visual barriers amongst driftwood, rocky caves, PVC pipes/flowerpots, and robust planting. The more hiding places that are provided, the more the catfish is likely to venture out and about, as it will get to know it has safe places to quickly retreat to if it feels the need. Ensure that your heater has a safety guard fitted, as these catfish have a habit of resting up against or behind the heater and can end up with severe burns. Dim lighting is preferred, but this can be brighter if it is diffused with broad leaved species or floating plants. A low wattage LED light timed to come on just before the main lights switch off will provide you with time in the evening to watch the nocturnal antics of this catfish under its preferred subdued conditions. Filtration should be efficient, but water flow not too strong. These fish are best maintained singly, or as one male with 2 or 3 females, if space permits. Males can be territorially aggressive with one another and should not be housed together. Most tankmates are safe, even overnight, as the Black Lancer Catfish has a surprisingly small mouth. Fish such as small-medium sized barbs, rainbowfish, rasboras, tetras etc all make good companions (just avoid tiny fish and fry), and large shoals of them may actually help to encourage the catfish out into view a little more.
Feeding
A bottom feeding species which should be offered a varied diet consisting of good quality sinking catfish pellets/granules, frozen foods such as bloodworm, white mosquito larvae, vitamin-enriched brineshrimp, mysis etc, as well as some vegetable matter.
Breeding
This species has not been bred in the home aquarium. During the rainy season, it moves into flooded riparian forests to spawn.
