Whiptail Catfish

Whiptail Catfish

Rineloricaria lanceolata

Also known as: Lanceolate Whiptail

💧 Freshwater ✌️ Peaceful 🟡 Moderate 🍽️ Omnivore

Slender, elongated catfish with a long tail filament. Sits flat against surfaces and blends in with sandy substrate.

Tank Size

20 gal
minimum (30+ preferred)

Temperature

73–79°F
23–26°C

pH Range

6–7.5
water acidity

Max Size

4.5"
11.4 cm

Lifespan

5–8 years
typical in captivity

Swim Level

Bottom
preferred zone

Care Notes

Needs sandy substrate and gentle water flow. Peaceful and undemanding once established. Males guard eggs.

Feeding

Sinking pellets, algae wafers, frozen bloodworms, and blanched vegetables.

Compatible Tank Mates

Neon Tetra 1.5" Cardinal Tetra 2" Rummy Nose Tetra 2" Congo Tetra 3.5" Glowlight Tetra 1.5" Harlequin Rasbora 2" Zebra Danio 2" Bloodfin Tetra 2" Lemon Tetra 1.5" Black Neon Tetra 1.5" Diamond Tetra 2.5" Scissortail Rasbora 3.5"

Use Caution With

Black Skirt Tetra 2.5" Serpae Tetra 1.75" Celestial Pearl Danio 1" Buenos Aires Tetra 3" Green Neon Tetra 1" Silvertip Tetra 2" Colombian Tetra 2.5" Dwarf Pencilfish 1.2" Coral Red Pencilfish 1.2" Giant Danio 4" Blue Tetra 2.5" Loreto Tetra 1.2"

Incompatible With

Ember Tetra 0.8" Chili Rasbora 0.7" White Cloud Mountain Minnow 1.5" Phoenix Rasbora 0.8" Exclamation Point Rasbora 0.7" Kubotai Rasbora 0.8" Ruby Tetra 0.7" Wild-Type Ember Tetra 0.8" Oscar 14" Discus 8" Jack Dempsey 10" Convict Cichlid 5"

Check Compatibility

Want to check if Whiptail Catfish is compatible with a specific fish? Use our compatibility checker to build your complete tank.