Tetracamphilius pectinatus

Where they come from

Tetracamphilius pectinatus is a tiny African catfish from shaded forest streams in the Congo Basin. Think tea-colored water, leaf litter, tangled roots, and not a lot of light. They spend most of their time tucked into cover, picking at micro-life between leaves and wood.

Setting up their tank

Give them a quiet, dim, leaf-litter stream in a box. A 60 cm tank (20 long) is a nice footprint for a small group and keeps parameters stable. They are small, but they use floor space and hidey holes more than vertical space.

• Substrate: fine sand. Sharp gravel chews up barbels.
• Cover: piles of oak/catappa leaves, alder cones, small twigs, and a few bits of driftwood. Add narrow crevices they can wedge into.
• Filtration: sponge filter or a canister with a spray bar and a sponge pre-filter on the intake. Gentle to moderate flow, high oxygen.
• Lighting: very low. Floaters or heavy shade. They come out more with dim light.
• Lid: tight-fitting. They are sneaky climbers and will find gaps.

I like to run an airstone alongside the main filter. Warm water holds less oxygen, and these little guys perk up with extra aeration.

What to feed them

They are micropredators. Most will ignore flakes at first and only hunt once the room is quiet.

• Staples: live or frozen baby brine shrimp, daphnia, cyclops, small bloodworms, blackworms, grindal worms.
• Backups: tiny sinking carnivore pellets or quality micro-pellets. Pre-soak and feed after lights out.
• Supplement: occasionally crushed frozen krill or mysis for variety.

New imports are shy and thin. I feed small amounts twice a day for the first few weeks, then settle into once daily with a fast day here and there.

How they behave and who they get along with

They are crepuscular to nocturnal, very secretive, and not aggressive. In a calm setup, you will see them weaving through leaves in short bursts, then vanishing into a crack for an hour.

• Best kept in a small group (5-8). They are bolder with company.
• Tankmates: peaceful, quiet fish that do not eat like piranhas. Think tiny African lampeyes, small rasboras, pencilfish. Shrimp adults are usually fine, shrimplets will be snacks.
• Avoid: cichlids, anything boisterous, or day-active bottom feeders that will outcompete them (e.g., larger Corydoras, loaches).

Breeding tips

This species is rarely bred in aquariums, so treat this as experimentation. My attempts have been limited to courtship-looking behavior but no raised fry.

• Condition a group with heavy live foods and cool, clean water.
• Set up a separate, very quiet tank with deep leaf litter, fine sand, and tight crevices under wood.
• Use very dim light and run the tank on rainwater or RO re-mineralized soft. Drop temp a couple degrees with a big, soft-water change to mimic storms.
• If eggs appear, they will likely be scattered and unattended. Pull adults, then raise fry with infusoria, microworms, and later baby brine shrimp.

Common problems to watch for

• Starvation in mixed tanks: they lose food wars easily. Feed after lights out, target-feed, and watch bellies.
• Barbel damage: rough gravel or sharp decor will cause infections. Stick to fine sand and smooth wood.
• Low oxygen during heat waves: add air, keep temps mid-70s F, and avoid big temperature swings.
• Filter mishaps: they wedge into intakes. Use a sponge pre-filter and cover gaps around equipment.
• Parasites on new imports: quarantine 4-6 weeks. I run a gentle deworming course (levamisole or flubendazole) and observe before any other meds.
• Bacterial fuzz on scrapes: keep water pristine, add botanicals for mild tannins, and treat promptly if lesions spread.