Farlowella vittata Breeding Guide

Breeding the Striped Twig Catfish (Farlowella vittata): an open spawner laying eggs on glass, with the male guarding and fanning the clutch. Sexing, setup and fry care.

Overview

Farlowella vittata, the Striped Twig Catfish, is a slender loricariid recorded by Seriously Fish from the Orinoco basin in Colombia and Venezuela, reaching about 15 cm. It is an open spawner, not a cave spawner: eggs are almost always deposited on a vertical surface, very often the tank glass, and are tended by the male. The species breeds readily, though the fry are notoriously hard to raise.

Sexing

Per Seriously Fish, the rostrum (snout) of the male is broader and develops rows of odontodes as the fish matures; these are absent altogether in females, making sexing straightforward in mature, well-conditioned fish.

Conditioning

The species is primarily vegetarian; Seriously Fish recommends fresh vegetables (cucumber, kale, spinach) and dried algae wafers, with occasional bloodworm or daphnia. Condition adults in clean, soft, well-oxygenated water with good flow; in one documented spawning the pair was kept on largely RO water at pH 5.5, GH/KH 3 and 26 degrees C.

Breeding Setup

Provide a mature tank (Seriously Fish suggests a base of at least 90 x 30 cm) with smooth vertical surfaces for egg laying, soft water and good flow. Seriously Fish gives 24-27 degrees C, pH 6.0-7.0 and hardness 3-10 degrees H. Strong oxygenation supports both spawning and egg health.

Spawning Behavior & Trigger

The female lays an adhesive clutch on a vertical surface, usually the glass; documented spawns produced about 38-40 eggs. The male takes over, removing unfertilised eggs, fanning the clutch with his fins and chasing the female away. In one account spawning recurred about every four weeks, prompted by water changes and rescaping. Eggs develop in around 6-10 days (about 8 days at 26 degrees C in one report).

Egg & Fry Care

Some breeders move the clutch to a breeder box with tank water shortly before hatching. Fry emerge over a few days at roughly 1 cm and must have food available constantly. Soft greens such as pre-softened kale or spinach and surface-grown algae are the most reliable first foods; lettuce that fouls the water and causes nitrite spikes can be fatal.

Common Challenges

The fry are particularly susceptible to starvation and to water-quality crashes from decaying vegetable food, so constant soft grazing and pristine, oxygen-rich water are the main challenges. The eggs themselves are reliably reared by the attentive male.