Striped Twig Catfish (Farlowella vittata) Care Guide
Farlowella vittata is a twig catfish from Colombia and Venezuela, a peaceful, plant-safe algae grazer with a slender stick-like body needing mature, planted tanks.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Farlowella vittata is a twig catfish of the family Loricariidae (subfamily Loricariinae). Its body is extremely slender and elongated, resembling a thin stick of wood, with two dark stripes running from the rostrum through the eyes to the tail. Seriously Fish reports a size of about 15 cm.
Taxonomy
- Family: Loricariidae
- Scientific name: Farlowella vittata
- Subfamily: Loricariinae
- Common synonyms: Banded Twig Catfish
Habitat
The species inhabits Colombia and Venezuela. It is a limnovore that depends on surfaces rich in algae and biofilm, so well-planted, mature aquaria with submerged wood best supply its food and reflect its natural setting.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 120 L (32 gal)
- Adult size: 15-17 cm (5.9-6.7 in)
- Temperature: 24-28 °C (75-82 °F)
- pH: 6-7.2
- GH: 2-10 °dGH
- Lifespan: 8-12 years
Diet
Farlowella vittata is primarily vegetarian. Most of the diet should be vegetable matter, fresh (cucumber slices, kale, blanched spinach) and dried (algae wafers, spirulina tablets). It grazes diatoms and common green algae continually but ignores tougher brush or beard algae; small live or frozen foods are taken only occasionally.
Compatibility
It is described as very peaceful but unsuitable for the general community because of its specialised feeding needs. Calm, slow tankmates are appropriate. Males can be territorial toward one another but rarely cause damage.
Breeding
Spawning takes place at night, with eggs deposited on vertical surfaces; the male tends them and they hatch in around 6-10 days. Males are sexed by a broader rostrum that develops rows of odontodes with maturity, which are absent in females. Fry are notoriously difficult to raise, requiring constant access to soft vegetable matter.
Conservation status
The IUCN Red List assessed the species as Least Concern.
Farlowella vittata Breeding Guide
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.