Walking Catfish

The walking catfish (Clarias batrachus) is a hardy, air-breathing catfish of Javanese swamps, floodplains, paddies and ditches that can haul itself over land when damp. SeriouslyFish measures adults at 245 mm SL and FishBase records a 47 cm maximum - so the profile's sizeCm=100 is materially wrong. It is greedy, omnivorous, highly predatory toward smaller fish and one of the best-documented escape artists in the hobby. Confidence note: medium-confidence guidance drawn from published species care information; treat as conservative guidance, not a precise requirement.

SeriouslyFish's quick-facts give 245 mm SL for an adult and FishBase's maximum is 47 cm, so profile sizeCm=100 should be corrected to a working adult figure near 30-47 cm. SF notes the growth rate of young fish is 'phenomenal', so juveniles outgrow small systems quickly even though the adult is far smaller than the profile claims. The 210 cm tank minimum is a floor-space requirement, not a body-length requirement. Confidence note: medium-confidence guidance drawn from published species care information; treat as conservative guidance, not a precise requirement.

Highly predatory: SF says it 'will eat any fish it can fit into its large mouth', and once a pair forms the two become territorial, digging spawning pits into substrate or bank. Diet/temperament quick-facts: greedy, omnivorous, 'predatory'. No diel-activity source was found so nocturnal is not claimed, and no numeric group size exists (SF only suggests starting with 'a small group of young fish' to find a pair), so groupSize is omitted. behaviorFlags: territorial, burrower. Confidence note: medium-confidence guidance drawn from published species care information; treat as conservative guidance, not a precise requirement.

SeriouslyFish's adult system is 210 x 120 x 90 cm - about 2,268 L (599 US gal), more than double the profile's 1,000 L - with floor space explicitly more important than depth. Water: 20-26 °C (SF; profile max 30 °C is too high), pH 5.5-8.0 (profile 6-8 sits inside), hardness 2-25 dGH; the species tolerates a very wide range of water chemistry. Set up soft substrate with driftwood, smooth rocks and piping for hiding places, and a tight-fitting cover. Confidence note: medium-confidence guidance drawn from published species care information; treat as conservative guidance, not a precise requirement.

SF's 'floor space is more important than depth' plus its 'very large tank' space rating make the 210 x 120 cm base the core of the requirement. The long, muscular body cruises the bottom and travels overland between water bodies in nature, so give an unobstructed floor run rather than vertical decoration depth. Keep the central floor open with hides arranged along the edges. Confidence note: medium-confidence guidance drawn from published species care information; treat as conservative guidance, not a precise requirement.

Diet correction: omnivore, not carnivore - SF calls it 'a greedy and omnivorous species that will eat almost anything offered' and recommends a mix of dried pellets, meaty frozen foods and vegetable matter; FishBase documents aquatic plants and debris in the wild diet. Feed varied meals but do not overfeed: SF warns this fish 'doesn't know when to stop eating', and adults do not need feeding every day. Confidence note: medium-confidence guidance drawn from published species care information; treat as conservative guidance, not a precise requirement.

SF: 'Definitely not a fish for the general community', yet it 'can be kept with other similarly-sized, robust species, such as large barbs, Loricariids and cichlids' - hence communitySuitability=CONDITIONAL. Tankmates should be introduced larger than the Clarias because juvenile growth is phenomenal, and anything smaller than its mouth is food; invertebrates of edible size are at risk. The defining compatibility facts are its appetite, escape ability and terrestrial wandering. Confidence note: medium-confidence guidance drawn from published species care information; treat as conservative guidance, not a precise requirement.

A walking catfish needs ~2,268 L of floor space, a tight lid (SF: an excellent escape artist that will happily leave the tank), 20-26 °C and an omnivorous diet offered with restraint. The profile's sizeCm=100, tempMaxC=30, diet=Carnivore and tankSizeMinL=1,000 are all materially wrong. Hardy it may be - it survives most mistakes - but its combination of greedy feeding, lid-breaking escape behaviour and land-walking makes it a specialist predator fish, not a community resident. Confidence note: medium-confidence guidance drawn from published species care information; treat as conservative guidance, not a precise requirement.