Lini catfish - Platydoras costatus

Like most of the great catfishes, the popular lentil catfish, Platydoras armatulus, originates from the Amazon basin, more precisely from the Rio Paraguay and Orinoco river basin. The most typical and name-giving characteristic of the Lentil Catfish are its spines and thorns, which can even secrete a secretion that is deadly for other fish - especially under stress - therefore these animals should never be caught by hand, but always with suitable aids made of plastic or glass. There is also a danger of confusion with the spiny catfish, Platydoras costatus, which however does not have conspicuous yellow stripes on the head and sides.

Lentil catfish are crepuscular catfish that only go out to forage in the evening and are very rarely active during the day, this should be taken into account when feeding. For a group of 5-7 catfish, an aquarium with an edge length of 150 cm or more is recommended. Depending on the growth and size of the species, the size of the aquarium should also be adjusted. A substrate of Sand or fine gravel, a partially dense planting and many hiding places in the form of roots or stones contribute greatly to the well-being of the catfish. If the substrate is high enough, the catfish will also regularly burrow into it.

At present there are no concrete reports about the reproduction in the aquarium. Also it is difficult to distinguish the sexes purely externally. According to suppositions the hormone composition plays a role also here. On their dark ground color run externally several bright and yellow lines, which were sometimes name-giving. The fish, which can grow up to 30 cm, can even reach a proud age of over 30 years, if they are very well cared for!

Platydoras armatulus can be kept well in soft to medium hard water with a total hardness of 5 to 16, a carbonate hardness between 0 to 7 °dKH, a  pH of 6 to 7.5 and temperatures of  25 to 28 °C. During the day, the Liniendorn catfish often hide, so due to their nocturnal activity, they should only be fed after the lights have been switched off. If the aquarium is rather darkened, for example also by a Floating plant cover with shellflowers or similar, the pretty animals occasionally venture out of their hiding places during the day.

When socializing , you should go for calm but larger by-fish that come from similar water parameters. However, smaller tetras, dwarf shrimp and other smaller fish such as guppies, are seen by this nocturnal hunter as a change in their diet and are therefore less suitable. Among themselves, however, Liniendorn Catfish are peaceful and sociable and value their group size; it is recommended that they be kept with at least 5 animals.

As omnivores Platydoras armatulus accepts almost any food. It eats commercial dry food, granulated food and so-called catfish sticks or food tablets without any problems. His menu can also be spiced up with live and frozen food such as mosquito larvae, daphnia, artemia, but sometimes also with mussel meat or fish fillets, also suitable are scalded vegetables such as Pumpkin- or Bell pepper chipsbut also Algae plateswhich they nibble off with relish.

Our food recommendation: The NatureHolic Catfishfeed for all sucking catfish in the aquarium is a balanced tablet food, which does not cloud the water and the fish like to eat. The catfish tablets also contain NatureHolic active ingredient complexes that provide sucker catfish with everything they need for a strong immune system, healthy growth and great, contrasting coloration. As a snack, supplemental food or vacation food, we recommend the CatfishPlates.

Our plant recommendation: For planting, use NatureHolic InVitros. These are free of snails, planarians and other unwanted co-inhabitants. Also free of algae spores, bacteria and fungi.

Expert Tip: We recommend for fish keeping the NatureHolic 3 Phase Liquid. The care set offers the best all-round protection for your animals. It ensures optimal conditions for successful breeding and keeping.