Care
The Porthole Catfish is known from creeks, ponds, and rivers throughout the Amazon basin in Brazil and Peru. These peaceful fish are excellent bottom-dwellers for larger tanks with medium-sized tankmates, and are best maintained in groups of 5 or more due to their highly sociable nature. There should be a soft sand substrate which will be kinder on the long sensory barbels and plenty of shady hiding places amongst bogwood, rocks, robust planting, and leaf litter. Porthole Catfish do like to dig, so be sure that all structures are secure. Filtration should be efficient, although water movement need not be too vigorous. Dim lighting is preferable; however, brighter illumination can be employed if it is diffused with floating plant species, and the use of a blue moon light is highly recommended for viewing this nocturnal species in the late evening time. A good maintenance and water change regime is a must, as these fish are sensitive to a build-up of organic wastes. Typical tankmates could include medium sized or deep bodied characins e.g. Bleeding Heart Tetras, Black Widow Tetras etc, Rainbowfish, medium-sized Rasbora species, Corydoras catfish, medium-sized Loricariids (suckermouth catfish), and more. Bear in mind that Porthole Catfish can be rather boisterous at feeding times, so be sure to feed at several locations within the tank simultaneously so that the other fish get their share. Nervous species may be reluctant to feed when the Porthole Catfish launch themselves into a frenzied food searching mode, so observe carefully. Acclimatise to the aquarium very carefully and slowly, as the Porthole Catfish is regarded as a particularly sensitive species. These catfish have the ability to breathe air intestinally, so a small gap should be left between the surface of the water and the cover slides in order for the fish to come up to the surface and take air in. They may do this numerous times per day.
Feeding
Sinking catfish pellets/granules/tablets. Frozen foods such as mosquito larvae, brineshrimp, Mysis shrimp, chopped krill etc. Some specimens may eat flake/crisps, but sinking foods should be offered primarily.
Breeding
A small number of aquarists claim to have bred the Porthole Catfish, but detailed reports are lacking (and in part quite conflicting), and thus such claims cannot be verified. This species would make an excellent breeding project for the serious hobbyist. The fish should be conditioned well on plenty of live foods and high protein frozen foods. It is alleged that the fish may be stimulated into breeding by the replication of wet and dry seasons in the aquarium. Eggs are attached to floating plant cover via a bubblenest (as seen in the closely related Hoplo Catfish). However, at least one aquarist claims eggs were deposited in pits dug in the substrate.
