Tiger Shovelnose Catfish

Pseudoplatystoma tigrinum (tiger shovelnose catfish) is one of the largest aquarium catfishes - a nocturnal piscivore of Amazon river systems reaching 100-130 cm. FishBase records a 130 cm maximum, so the profile's sizeCm=100 is a reasonable working figure but slightly conservative. Despite SeriouslyFish's 'peaceful' temperament tag, its size, appetite and activity make it a fish-only specialist species. Confidence note: medium-confidence guidance drawn from published species care information; treat as conservative guidance, not a precise requirement.

FishBase gives a 130 cm maximum length; SF builds its 10,368 L adult tank recommendation around a specimen over a metre long. Growth toward that adult size is substantial, so the 360 cm adult tank must be planned for early rather than upgraded repeatedly. Size the system for the adult animal from purchase. Confidence note: medium-confidence guidance drawn from published species care information; treat as conservative guidance, not a precise requirement.

Nocturnal (FishBase) and piscivorous by night, resting among cover by day; Guidarium also records surface, mid-level and bottom activity. SF describes the species as 'actually quite peaceful' but territorial toward conspecifics - a genuine conflict with the profile's 'Aggressive' that this wave corrects with caveats. Guidarium's stocking guidance is 'Keep at Least 1 (solo is fine)' with no numeric group maximum, so groupSize is omitted; behaviorFlags: nocturnal, territorial, strong-swimmer. Confidence note: medium-confidence guidance drawn from published species care information; treat as conservative guidance, not a precise requirement.

SeriouslyFish's adult tank is 12'x8'x4' (360x240x120 cm) - 10,368 L, over ten times the profile's 1,000 L minimum. Temperature 22-26 °C (SF and FishBase agree; profile max 28 °C is too high), pH 6.0-7.6 (SF) / 6.2-7.2 (FishBase) - profile 6-7.5 sits inside both, no change needed - and hardness 5-20 dGH. Guidarium recommends moderate flow, a sand bed for sifting and driftwood/rock cover for daylight resting; SF requires a large, efficient biological filter sized to the waste of a metre-long catfish. Confidence note: medium-confidence guidance drawn from published species care information; treat as conservative guidance, not a precise requirement.

A 360 x 240 cm footprint provides both the length and the turning radius this fast, highly active catfish needs; LiveAquaria calls it a 'highly active fish' and Guidarium lists 'Hyperactive / Fast Swimmer'. Keep the long axis clear and prioritise floor space over water-column decoration - Guidarium explicitly prioritises floor space. The 10,368 L figure is an adult requirement, not a growth tank. Confidence note: medium-confidence guidance drawn from published species care information; treat as conservative guidance, not a precise requirement.

Carnivore: FishBase documents a nocturnal piscivore taking fish plus crabs and shrimps; LiveAquaria reports it readily accepts worms, frozen foods, sinking pellets and dry foods. Feed meaty, crustacean-rich meals - whole fish, shrimp, mussels - on a controlled schedule. Uneaten meat rots quickly in a 10,000 L system, so siphon leftovers promptly. Confidence note: medium-confidence guidance drawn from published species care information; treat as conservative guidance, not a precise requirement.

Anything fitting into its mouth is potential food - FishBase lists fish as the core of the wild diet - so this is a fish-only proposition; SF's peaceful tag applies only relative to genuinely large, robust tankmates. Shrimp, crabs and similar invertebrates are documented prey, not cleanup crew. Keep species-only, or with very deliberate large companions in a system sized to the SF recommendation. Confidence note: medium-confidence guidance drawn from published species care information; treat as conservative guidance, not a precise requirement.

The tiger shovelnose is a 10,000-litre-class showpiece: 10,368 L footprint, tight-fitting lid (LiveAquaria: tightly covered because it jumps), 22-26 °C and strong biological filtration. The profile's 1,000 L minimum and 28 °C upper temperature are materially wrong, and the 'Aggressive' temperament sits at odds with specialist sources. Feed it meaty, crustacean-rich food and house it alone or with giants - this is a specialist, not a community, fish. Confidence note: medium-confidence guidance drawn from published species care information; treat as conservative guidance, not a precise requirement.