Asian Stone Catfish

The Asian stone catfish reaches about 3 cm standard length and is one of the smallest catfish species in the hobby. Its body is flattened, mottled brown and beige, designed to blend into rocky and sandy streambeds across northern India and Bangladesh. These are inactive fish that do well in small, species-specific tanks — a base of 30 by 20 cm (about 12.5 L) can house a small group. Temperature of 18–24 °C and pH 5.6–7.6 with moderate hardness suit them; they do not need a heater in most indoor setups. Diet consists of small live and frozen foods such as bloodworm and daphnia, plus fine sinking pellets — they are strictly nocturnal feeders, so offer food after lights out. They are very peaceful but easily outcompeted by active bottom-dwellers, so keep only with other small, gentle species. The genus was recently revised and many fish sold as H. jerdoni may represent other closely related species. They spend most of the day wedged under or on top of smooth stones, emerging at night to forage over the substrate with their sensory barbels. A fine sand or smooth gravel substrate is essential.