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Pangasius Catfish

Iridescent Shark Catfish Family: Pangasiidae

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Pangasius hypophthalmus Photo © Animal-World: Courtesy David Brough

   The Pangasius Catfish or Iridescent Shark Catfish are a beautiful fish to watch as they are very graceful and elegant swimmers!

   They do need a lot of room to swim and is a catfish for a large aquarium, they do get very big! Pangasius Catfish or Iridescent Shark Catfish are best kept in a group or school in a large aquarium. They don't thrive as well if kept singly when small.

   The Pangasius Catfish or Iridescent Shark Catfish does not possess the bottom dwelling habit we usually identify with most catfishes, but rather occupies the middle of the aquarium. They are constantly on the move and will occasionally go to the surface for air. These fish are also diurnal, meaning they are active during the day and enjoy a well lighted aquarium.

   Be cautious! The Pangasius Catfish or Iridescent Shark Catfish have bad eyesight and they are a nervous fish that can be easily spooked!

   Don't tap on the glass or startle the fish as it is likely to injure itself in its' mindless flight. They can get hysterical when frightened and dash madly around the aquarium. They will often bash into the sides of the aquarium, ornaments or other fish. After such a flight, you may see the fish sink to the bottom of the aquarium and lie on its side or back until it recovers.

For more Information on keeping this fish see:
Guide to a Happy, Healthy Freshwater Aquarium

Dream Aquarium Build your own aquarium The Coolest and Funnest Screensaver in the World.

Comments from people who have kept this fish:

I have an asian shark catfish which is a pangasius catfish. He is still quite small (about 3 inches) but he loves to shoal with my silver shark (who is about 7 inches). He does freak out when we change the water and at feeding times. He bullies my red-tailed black shark (which is no bad thing as red is very territorial!) and he also loves to pick at the algae thats growing on my australian red-clawed crayfish (he's very big 9 inches long). I don't have a problem with him growing big as my tank is 4 foot long and approx 3 feet deep and 2 1/2 foot wide, so there's plenty of room for him for a while yet. If I'd known that he would be so entertaining I would have gotten more than one, but in south wales they seem quite hard to find.

I have had my iridescent shark at least 7 years. I call him B.T. named for a school bus driver. He is approximately 7 inches. (He won't stay still long enough for me to measure him.) When I saw how large and how fast they grow, I got very concerned. I only have a 55 gallon tank and no options for getting a larger one. Somehow he still is more then comfortable in his tank. Unfortunatly, he lost one eye to "Pop-eye" and the other just fogged over and is useless. But this has not stopped him at all. B.T. will only eat algae tablets. He used to eat the flake food but does not seem interested any more. My experience with this fish has been very positive. My co-workers all love B.T. and are terrified that he will die while I am on vacation. I constantly wonder how long he will continue to live and how large he may get. But as fish go, this has been a wonderful experience. Long live my Iridescent shark, B.T.

My shop, Environmental science and technology, just got two iridescent sharks and are studing them. They are so interesting.

I have recently bought 2 pangasius catfish and have read up on them only to find that some websites say that they don't like having the tank light on, and some say they love it! I'm confused.

My wife and I just bought two Pangasius Catfish. Each about 7 inches. The aquarium that sold it warned me that they grew big. How big, I didn't realize until I researched on the web. Now, I am WORRIED!!!. Planning to build a HUGE pond for them. Would be fun to have a huge fish. My tank is 4L X 2W X 1H. I have a water circulator, so they seem very happy. Looking forward to the experience. My thanks to web sites that carry information. (Sri Lanka)

I love my Pangasius. I've had her for about 2 months. She was underweight at the pet shop and that's why I picked her. She was a bit panicky the first day, but she settled right in. She doesn't hide or sleep in any wierd postitions. She likes one spot in the middle of the tank and stays there alot. She does swim around fine and will hide in the corner when I do a water change, but as soon as the lids back on, she's back out again. She eats anything I put in the tank food wise and sometimes has to fight the Pleco for it, but neither gets hurt. Not sure what I'll do with her when she grows, but for now at 3in, she's fine.

I have had these beautiful sharks now for only two years, and love them desperately. Unfortunately my original two died when I asked a friend to fish sit for me, she over medicated them despite my many warnings on how to medicate. Nevertheless I was able to get two more and have had them just about 8 months now. They have grown from about 2 inches to now 6" and 8". If you are interested in these large beauties be sure to do your research ahead of time. I knew they got large but I never fully planned on this much growth this fast, so for the time being they must stay in their 55 gallon tank. They don't seem to mind, they do travel well. I am in college so they come home with me over the summer and Christmas. They don't seem to mind as long as they get the travel tank to themselves. I have 2 other Lace Catfish that they prefer not to ride with because they like to pester them. Manteo and Viet are always together. He does get quite upset and plays dead every time I clean the thank. She doesn't seem to mind, except for the fact that he's playing opossum and she has no one to swim with. She often pokes him until he comes back to. I have a 75 gallon tank waiting for them back home and can't wait to move them over. Hopefully that will last them another year or so until I can buy a house and give them a proper home. Some things to keep in mind about these guys if you are looking into buying one. They like to school, mine almost never leave each-other's sides. Also, they do not like light, they will bash around the thank until it's turned off. I only use my light as a sign that I am putting food in the tank. They do seem to love variety in their diet. They are very sensitive to changes in the tank, so change things over time. They get very large fast so beware. I have many people in the Marine Biology department who say they have had their sharks for 10 years and they never seem to get any bigger than 6". I'm not sure why because my old ones were about the size of these guys and the same age, and I had only had them 7 months. These guys just don't seem to stop growing, it might be that I only feed, medicate, and condition with natural or organic things. They also receive bottled water because I have well water. Don't worry when they play opossum they'll come back to its just a coping device. Its a hard first fish but really fun if you're ready to dive into the deep end. Remember with medications only to give them 1/2 doses. While the large ones might live thru it, the smaller ones will die. they are scaleless fish. If you are a first time fish owner, fish are amazing pets. They really do have personalities. Manteo, my largest shark is the big, lazy football player of the tank. He's shy, but if he's upset he will bowl everything and everyone over in the tank. Viet is somewhere between a girlfriend in tow and a herding sheep dog. She's always in tow and always prodding if he's too lazy or not giving the attention she wants. Guppy, one of my lace catfish is the nerdy little brother that hides, reading a book in the corner until its time for food or he's being pestered by Cleopatra, my other lace catfish. She is the blatant problem child. She's never happy unless she's bothering the others in the tank. Her days consist of chasing the others relentlessly. And lastly there's Cujo, my fish of the night. He is an upside down catfish. During the day he's such a boring fish, he sits attached to the bottom of one of the leaves in the tank, but as soon as night comes he sneaks off to pester the others. Every now and then I can catch him if I come in and turn the light on unexpectedly.

I have owned a Pangasius catfish for about 6 years and have now found another home for it. It has grown to 18 inches and eats cichlid staple pellets (7 handfuls a night. Giving it 1 handful then waiting for it to eat it all before giving it another). This fish will grow to maximum length and weight (between 5 and 10 foot, 96 to 300lb depending on type) it doesn't matter what tank you put it in, and needs plenty of room to swim. I would suggest a 5000 litre tank or larger. It is also likely that you will need plenty of money for food as these fish, when full grown, can eat anything up to the size of a small cat (In the wild a Pangasius Gigas will eat animals that fall into the water, such as dogs!). They eat mainly at night. If you want the fish to be calm give it plenty of attention. It will be scared for a while but gets used to it. The only light you will need is the light of your room (no tank lights). I would suggest looking at other types of fish as these should not be sold to the public under any circumstances and, unless you can fill your living room full of water or build an extremely large heated pond, you will only end up getting rid of it.

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Author: David Brough. CFS.

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