Tanganyika electric catfish
Malapterurus tanganyikaensis
Also known as: electric catfish, Lake Tanganyika electric catfish
This is an electric catfish from Lake Tanganyika that lives around the shoreline and will absolutely eat other fish (FishBase straight-up calls it a voracious piscivore that targets cichlids). Super cool animal, but it is a big, predatory, nocturnal-ish bruiser and you need to respect the fact that Malapterurus can deliver serious electric shocks when handled or stressed.
The Tanganyika electric catfish features a long, slender body with a dark, mottled coloration and elongated dorsal and anal fins.
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Quick Facts
Size
49.5 cm SL
Temperament
Aggressive
Difficulty
Expert
Min Tank Size
180 gallons
Lifespan
8-12 years
Origin
Africa (Lake Tanganyika basin)
Diet
Carnivore/piscivore - mainly fish (in the wild it preys on cichlids); in captivity use meaty frozen foods and appropriate-sized whole prey items
Water Parameters
24-27°C
8.3-9.2
10-13 dGH
Need a heater for this species?
This species needs 24-27°C in a 180 gallon tank. Use our heater calculator to find the right wattage.
Calculate heater sizeCare Notes
- Give it a big footprint and lots of dark cover - think sand, rock piles, and tight caves/pipe it can wedge into. Keep lighting dim unless you want a stressed, constantly-hiding fish.
- Run Tanganyika-style water: hard and alkaline (around pH 8.0-9.0, high KH/GH), 24-27 C (75-81 F). Keep nitrate low because these guys sulk and go off food when the water gets dirty.
- This is not a community fish - it will zap and eat tankmates, and it can nail you too. Only consider tough, non-food-sized Tanganyika cichlids with attitude, and even then expect problems; solo is easiest.
- Feed meaty stuff after lights-out: earthworms, shrimp, fish flesh, quality sinking carnivore pellets. Go smaller portions than you think because they get fatty fast and a bloated electric catfish is a bad time.
- Use a tight lid and no tiny gaps around hoses because they can roam at night. Also cover heater intakes and powerhead guards so it cannot wedge itself in and get burned or stuck.
- Do all maintenance with the power off and keep your hands out when it is active - the shock is real, especially in wet conditions. Use long tongs for feeding and moving decor, and move the fish with a container, not a net.
- Watch for scrapes and infections from squeezing into rocks; smooth the sharp stuff and give it wider caves than you think it needs. If it starts breathing hard or staying out in the open, check for ammonia/nitrite and high nitrate right away.
- Breeding in home tanks is rare and not a casual project - they need space, heavy feeding, and a secure nesting spot, and the adults can be nasty. If you ever see guarding behavior, stop rearranging the tank and keep disturbances to a minimum.
Compatibility
Good Tankmates
- Big, tough Tanganyika cichlids that can hold their ground and are not tiny enough to be seen as food - think adult frontosa or hefty Cyphotilapia-type tankmates in a roomy tank
- Hardy synodontis catfish from Tanganyika (like Synodontis multipunctatus or petricola) - they are armored, quick, and tend to learn the 'give that fish space' rule fast
- Robust Tanganyika 'rock' cichlids (bigger Julidochromis or similar-sized, not dwarfs) if the layout has lots of rocks and broken lines of sight - you want everyone to have their own lanes
- Midwater Tanganyika haps that are not bite-sized and are fast, confident swimmers - the goal is fish that do not blunder into the catfish at night
- A species-only setup or very sparse stocking with just one or two other big fish - honestly this is where these electric cats are easiest, since they are basically an ambush predator with a taser
- Fast, thick-bodied barbs or similar tough 'dither' fish that are too big to swallow (only if you really know what you are doing) - they can work, but you are still rolling the dice
Avoid
- Small schooling fish like tetras, rasboras, juvenile cichlids, or anything slender - they tend to become expensive snacks, especially once the lights go out
- Slow or long-finned fish (angels, guppies, fancy goldfish, bettas) - they cannot dodge and they get nailed when they wander too close
- Other electric catfish or multiple Malapterurus together - unless you have a monster tank and partitions, they are usually a 'there can be only one' kind of deal
- Hyper-aggressive fin-biters or brawlers that will constantly pick at it (some big Central American cichlids, overly mean mbuna-style behavior) - stress goes up, and the cat will eventually 'solve the problem' with a shock
Where they come from
Tanganyika electric catfish (Malapterurus tanganyikaensis) come from Lake Tanganyika and nearby connected waters. Same lake as a lot of the famous cichlids, but this fish is playing a totally different game: ambush predator that can put out a serious electric shock.
They spend a lot of time tucked into dark spots and come alive at dusk. If you are expecting an always-on display fish, this one will test your patience. If you like weird, secretive predators, they are awesome.
Setting up their tank
Plan the tank around two things: they get bulky, and they want secure hiding places. I would not keep an adult in anything smaller than a 75 gallon, and bigger is better once you see the body mass they can put on.
- Footprint matters more than height. Give them floor space and caves.
- Use sand or smooth fine gravel. They are clumsy bulldozers and will scrape themselves on sharp stuff.
- Build hides with big rock caves, large PVC sections, or ceramic tubes. Make entrances wide so they do not wedge themselves.
- Keep lighting fairly subdued and add shaded zones so they feel safe enough to come out.
- Use a tight lid. They can spook and launch, and you do not want an electric catfish on the floor.
Respect the electricity. Do not grab one with wet bare hands. Use a container to move it (big plastic tub or bucket), and unplug heaters/filters before putting your hands deep in the tank. People laugh until they get nailed and drop a rock on the glass.
Filtration needs to be strong, mostly because they are messy eaters and they like meaty foods. I run oversized canisters or a sump, plus extra mechanical filtration you can rinse often. Stable, clean water will save you headaches with skin issues.
Lake Tanganyika is mineral-rich. Aim for hard, alkaline water with steady parameters. Do not chase numbers daily, just keep it consistent and do regular water changes.
What to feed them
These are predators. Mine did best on a rotation of chunky frozen and fresh foods rather than trying to force pellets right away. They learn routines fast, especially if you feed after lights dim.
- Good staples: chunks of fish (tilapia, smelt), shrimp, mussel, squid, earthworms
- Frozen works fine: prawn, krill, mixed seafood, bloodworms for smaller ones (not as a main food for big adults)
- Use tongs. It keeps your fingers away and helps you control portions
- Feed 2-3 times a week for adults. Juveniles can eat smaller meals more often
Skip feeder fish. Besides disease risk, they often lead to fatty fish and a catfish that only wants live prey. If you want movement, use earthworms or tongs with thawed shrimp.
Portion control matters. They will act like they are starving even when they are not. If the belly is staying rounded for days, cut back.
How they behave and who they get along with
They are mostly a sit-and-wait hunter. During the day you might just see a tail sticking out of a cave. At feeding time they can go from statue to missile in a second.
Tankmates are where most people get burned. Anything that can fit in the mouth is food. Anything that will pester it nonstop can stress it into hiding and not eating. I treat them as a single-species fish unless the tank is large and the other fish are tough, big, and not nippy.
- Avoid: small cichlids, small catfish, bottom dwellers that will compete for the same caves, fin nippers
- Possible (with space): large, robust Tanganyika cichlids that stay midwater and do not bully, larger synodontis in very big tanks (still a gamble)
- Best plan: keep one electric catfish by itself and build the tank around it
Do not mix two electric catfish unless you have a huge setup and a backup plan. They can injure each other and the stress is not worth it for most hobbyists.
Breeding tips
Breeding Malapterurus in home aquariums is rare. Most of what you see in the hobby is wild caught or imported from facilities that do not share much detail. If you manage a male and female, they still need space, privacy, and seasonal cues that are hard to replicate.
If you want to try anyway, think in terms of conditioning and security. Heavy feeding with quality foods, big water changes that mimic rainy season swings, and multiple deep caves where a pair can get away from the world. Just be realistic: this is a long-shot project, not a weekend goal.
Common problems to watch for
- Refusing food after purchase: very common. Dim the lights, offer smelly foods (shrimp, mussel), and do not keep hovering at the glass
- Scrapes and sores from rough decor: swap sharp rocks and gravel for smoother stuff and keep water clean while it heals
- Bloat/constipation from overfeeding: cut portions, add earthworms occasionally, and give them days off between meals
- Poor water quality from meaty feeding: rinse mechanical media often and keep up with water changes
- Stress from tankmates: hiding nonstop, fast breathing, and skipping meals usually points back to compatibility
The best indicator that things are going well is a confident fish that comes out at its usual time, eats cleanly, and has clear skin with no hazy patches. If it suddenly becomes a ghost, I check water and stress factors before I start throwing meds at it.
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