250g stocking

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
i have seen many ranges for size, though some often get the sailfin pim mixed with the marbled sailfin pim which grows much larger. i’m pretty sure a sailfin pim fits though

This is a fallacy...idk why people seem to think leiarius pictus is smaller...the video above is proof enough but like i said plenty of examples on mfk, planetcatfish, youtube of both pictus and marmoratus reaching similar max lengths of around 3' and very bulky.

Moreover, pim cats are among the most active of catfish. I give them different standards for tank size vs inactive type catfish like the tocantins armored cat mentioned in your OP. They need space to prowl and graze. Whats a 2-3' catfish going to do in your tank? Shimmy from side to side a bit? Again, watch the video and consider what a fish even half that size is going to look like in your tank.

Leiarius cats are dream fish for me, just never had the tank for them.

It sounds like your mind is made up though. Like i said, it will be a fine growout tank.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: SilverArowanaBoi
I think a vulture cat or similar sized pim would be a better choice....sailfin pims much too large a fish for that tank eventually. Ive seen several examples just here on MFK approaching 3' in length with a whisker span approaching 6'.

Could be a good starter tank for awhile at least though.

All credit to thebiggerthebetter thebiggerthebetter for this detailed video featuring several mature adults in a huge tank.
Didn't realise sailfin pims go to around 3'. Yeah I'd take a pass on that shern shern
 
Didn't realise sailfin pims go to around 3'. Yeah I'd take a pass on that shern shern

Takes awhile and a big friggin tank apparently. To be fair i have seen these fish kept in smaller tanks but never reaching full potential. I believe the lack of space actually stunts their growth.
 
  • Like
Reactions: SilverArowanaBoi
oh, i don’t want to stunt a sailfin, that being said what would be the proper dimensions or gallons for a permanent home for a sailfin
 
  • Like
Reactions: SilverArowanaBoi
This is a fallacy...idk why people seem to think leiarius pictus is smaller...the video above is proof enough but like i said plenty of examples on mfk, planetcatfish, youtube of both pictus and marmoratus reaching similar max lengths of around 3' and very bulky.

Moreover, pim cats are among the most active of catfish. I give them different standards for tank size vs inactive type catfish like the tocantins armored cat mentioned in your OP. They need space to prowl and graze. Whats a 2-3' catfish going to do in your tank? Shimmy from side to side a bit? Again, watch the video and consider what a fish even half that size is going to look like in your tank.

Leiarius cats are dream fish for me, just never had the tank for them.

It sounds like your mind is made up though. Like i said, it will be a fine growout tank.
honestly I'm confused now, I'm getting sources that the sailfin pim (leiarius pictus) grows to around 2' while the marbled sailfin pim grows to 3-4' (Leiarius marmoratus). problem is that I'm getting people calling the leiarius pictus the marbled cat when that should be the achara/marbled cat (leiarius marmoratus). They look extremely similar in appearance and I cant distinguish if one is genuinely smaller or if they're just being clumped together incorrectly. I got this info from skimming through the MFK forums and finding old posts about the leiarius pictus and checking google.
 
  • Like
Reactions: SilverArowanaBoi
i think that they are two separate species with one being smaller but it seems both are documented together?
 
  • Like
Reactions: SilverArowanaBoi
the leiarius pictus seems to have a much larger sailfin than the marmoratus, with much more prominent light beige lines. their fins seem to be also curvier with a rounded top rather than spines.
checking planet catfish, I find that they have very similar characteristics but drastic size differences, as stated
This catfish is sometimes confused with Leiarius longibarbis (formerly known as L. marmoratus). The overall body colour of L. pictus is dark brown with darker spots, with a lighter underside colouration. More noticeable in juvenile specimens this catfish has two pale bands, the first extends from the base of the dorsal fine spine toward the ventral fin, and then laterally along the body to the base of the caudal; the second thinner band lies parallel to the first originating from the base of the third to sixth soft dorsal fin rays.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: SilverArowanaBoi
I think a vulture cat or similar sized pim would be a better choice....sailfin pims much too large a fish for that tank eventually. Ive seen several examples just here on MFK approaching 3' in length with a whisker span approaching 6'.

Could be a good starter tank for awhile at least though.

All credit to thebiggerthebetter thebiggerthebetter for this detailed video featuring several mature adults in a huge tank.
Another substitute could be Lima shovelnose catfish? I think it would be suitable with kelberis
 
lima definitely would work, it didn’t even cross my mind. i’ll try to get my hands on one
 
  • Like
Reactions: SilverArowanaBoi
MonsterFishKeepers.com