 Tatia intermedia are a pretty driftwood catfish from South America. Inhabiting the central and lower Amazon basin and rivers and drainages in Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana and Brazil, they are mostly nocturnal.
While we were at last years Catfish Convention in Maryland, we purchased three pair of F1 sub adults. The fish were healthy and in great shape. I claimed two pair and Eric “don’t keep all of your eggs in one basket” took the other pair. Once home, I placed my couples into a forty breeder that was occupied by four Betta fusca. There were, and still is, a few very large “gobs” of Java moss. For decoration, halves of terra cotta flower pots, some pieces of PVC pipe and thick green sunken acrylic mops are on play sand. Filtration is handled by a large sponge filter. Twice per month water changes with regular dechlorinated tap water keeps the pH at 4.7. Since only half of the water is changed twice in a thirty day period, the pH does not fluctuate much.
This tank is close to a sliding glass door, which is only covered by a vinyl vertical blind. During the winter, the water temperature went as low as sixty degrees Fahrenheit. The fish did not seem to mind whatsoever. As the temps began to climb outside, so did the temp in the tank. The temperature remains now at seventy degrees Fahrenheit.
Just as in nature, in the aquarium these fishes are nocturnal. They will hide when bright lights are on them. However, my tank is poorly lit and the surface of the water is smothered in duck weed, riccia, and water sprite. My fish seem to be comfortable in this environment and are out most of the time. They aren’t exactly swimming around like tetras would be; rather they lay about on their sides like beached ships. But when live food is tossed into the tank, these fish are quick to overcome their nocturnal habits and will swim about the tank in a frenzy to get their share. They are not particular about foods; my fish are regularly offered live black worms and frozen blood worm, but they also eat flake and pellet foods.
 What is really cool about these fish is that males internally fertilize females. Males and females can be sexed using their anal fins. The anal fin on the male is modified into an organ that conducts sperm. Once fertilized, she then swims off and lays eggs under something, usually within one or two days. In my case, the eggs were deposited under a half of a terra cotta flower pot. This first spawn was discovered quite by accident. I went into the tank to remove all of the B. fusca only to discover what seemed like an invasion of tiny tadpole-like creatures swimming frantically about. We quickly siphoned the fry into a bucket and transferred them into a few tanks and shoeboxes. We estimate there were as many as two hundred and fifty fry! They were everywhere! The second spawn was found one month later beneath one of the sunken acrylic mops (the killie keeper’s best friend) that was an awful mess. There was Java moss tangled in with the strands. I had completed a partial water change four days prior and the fish were given a large handful of live black worms immediately after wards. I had noticed the females were rotund even a few days later. Soon afterwards, one of the females disappeared. So of course, I had to root around in the tank to see where she was. I lifted one of the mops and found a huge mass of eggs. These eggs are the coolest fish eggs you will ever see.
The eggs are clustered and seem to be held together almost in a slimy jelly. They are quite large, measuring one half of a centimeter. The eggs are clear spheres and the inside of the egg is the embryo. The embryo is cream colored and you can actually watch the fish develop right before your eyes.
 Their tails will wiggle back and forth inside of the egg casing and it is so fascinating to watch. Three days later the fry hatched out. They measured seven millimeters and were cream colored and had egg sacs. Almost three days later the egg sac was gone and they had begun to change color into gray slivers resembling salamanders. The fry are somewhat problematic to feed. A lot of the fry were lost. Their mouths are so tiny. I used sponge scrunge and APR for the first three weeks and then graduated to microworms afterwards. They seem to grow fairly quickly; at two months they are just over half of an inch. And they are beginning to resemble their parents with the white spotting developing on their flanks.
These fish are great tank mates. They don’t bother any other fish, they are not aggressive, they don’t seem to make a lot of “mess” and will eat anything. And if you keep the tank fairly dark, you will get to enjoy watching them.
NOTE: Sometimes these fish are offered as Centromochlus intermedius. The genus Tatia has been revised and Centromochlus is no longer valid for this species and a few of the other smaller driftwood cats.
RLS 04/2009
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