Tiny & Terrific!

There is a tiny, and we mean really absurdly small catfish available to aquarium keepers that most hobbyists are unaware of and maybe it's because of its amazing camouflage, or its minuscule size keep people from noticing it in their local fish store. Its scientific name is Hara jerdoni and you'll see it get called several different common names, like Dwarf Anchor Catfish, Mountain Stone Catfish, Asian Stone Catfish and/or some combination of these names. Their body shape vaguely resembles an anchor, and their camouflage makes them look a bit like a stone, and the dwarf part is pretty self-explanatory. You may also see it called Sylhet Hara, this is rare in north America, but more common in Europe. You'll occasionally see the scientific name Erethistes jerdoni and this is an old name for the same fish but is no longer correct.

With an adult size just shy of an inch, and a maximum of around an inch and a half, these are one of the smallest Catfish you'll ever see in an aquarium. They're also very peaceful, and love to be in small groups, so you could keep a group of six (our suggested minimum) in a tank as small as ten gallons! This tank should feature a soft sand substrate for them as they can get irritated by sharp stones. It can feature plants and driftwood and a variety of rocks but keep smooth edges in mind when designing. They will perch on décor at many levels of the tank, not just the bottom, so give them some choices!

The flow in the aquarium should be gentle to mimic the slow-moving mountain streams of India and Bangladesh that Asian Mountain Stone Catfish come from. Filtration in these systems needs to be strong, so a balance will need to be achieved between these two competing needs. These diminutive Cats need excellent water quality; nitrates in their tank should never get above 5ppm, and ammonia/nitrite should never be evident. The water in these streams is usually cool, clear and well oxygenated. Keep temperatures between the mid-60s and low 70s Fahrenheit. Regular water changes and some forced oxygenation will help keep the water clean and the oxygen high. They'll like soft water (less than 15 degrees) that is neutral to acidic (pH 5.5 – 7.0); they can be sensitive to high pH, so be careful of this if your tanks run high. If your Asian Mountain Stone Cats start to shed skin, you'll know you have some problems with the water and need to make some adjustments to your husbandry.

These are small fish (remember), and they don't see all that well, so the biggest challenge when feeding them comes in getting them enough. In the wild, they eat small invertebrates and do a bit of scavenging. They aren't overly light sensitive, but are more active in low light times, so we suggest feeding them just after lights out, or just before they come on, once a day is plenty. Asian Mountain Stone Cats need small food. Gamma's Mini Bloodworm is perfect for them, as are their Tubifex and Daphnia. We also feed them a mix of stuff including Rotifers, Artemia and all of the Gamma Brine Plus products (Garlic, Omega and Spirulina). Some individuals will take pellets, but others are pickier. They'll also love live Artemia and Tubifex if you grow your own or have a good source for them. Live foods are a great way to leave some food in the tank for them to discover over time. Some hobbyists report that their Jerdonis will change color (to a small degree) based on the food they regularly eat.

These are cool Cats and get along with pretty much anything that won't eat them and like the same conditions they do. Keep as many of them together as you have space for, but you could also include other fish like Danios, Darios (Badis) and many people even keep them with Ornamental shrimp. Your AMSC will likely eat the offspring of the shrimp, but adults will usually be too big for them to consume. Some people have had success keeping them with various small Loaches and even fancy Guppies or the more peaceful, small Tetras, but you'll need to find a temperature overlap they can both live with. Ornamental Snails and Clams are great choices too. Avoid other bottom dwellers so that your cats don't have too much competition for food and avoid fish that are large enough to eat them, especially bigger Catfish.

You've been waiting for a tiny catfish that actually has that “classic catfish” appearance, or maybe you've been scouring the internet to find some cool fish for your little desk top tank, and here they are! While they aren't necessarily beginner fish, they are hardy if you can deliver the water chemistry and quality they like. Tiny, cool looking, peaceful and interesting, what's not to like?!? Ask your LFS (local fish store) about getting you a nice big group of Hara jerdoni from Aquatropic today!