Raphael catfish
Platydoras costatus
- Tank length
- 45 cm18 in
- Start with
- 1
- Temperature
- 22–28 °C72–82 °F
- pH
- 5.5–7.8
- Adult size
- 15 cm6 in
- Lifespan
- 15–20 yrs
Armoured with spiny plates that snag nets; hides by day, so avoid very small tankmates it could eat at night.Armoured with spiny plates that snag nets; hides by day, so avoid very small tankmates it could eat at night.
Tank sizes
Good tankmates
Avoid with
- Alligator gar
Alligator gar may eat Raphael catfishAlligator gar may eat Raphael catfish
- Arapaima
Arapaima may eat Raphael catfishArapaima may eat Raphael catfish
- Asian arowana
Asian arowana may eat Raphael catfishAsian arowana may eat Raphael catfish
- Australian pearl arowana
Australian pearl arowana may eat Raphael catfishAustralian pearl arowana may eat Raphael catfish
- Bullseye snakehead
Bullseye snakehead may eat Raphael catfishBullseye snakehead may eat Raphael catfish
- Butterfly peacock bass
Butterfly peacock bass may eat Raphael catfishButterfly peacock bass may eat Raphael catfish
- Channel catfish
No shared temperature rangeNo shared temperature range
- Clown knifefish
Clown knifefish may eat Raphael catfishClown knifefish may eat Raphael catfish
- Common river stingray
Common river stingray may eat Raphael catfishCommon river stingray may eat Raphael catfish
- Congo bichir
Congo bichir may eat Raphael catfishCongo bichir may eat Raphael catfish
- Cuban gar
Cuban gar may eat Raphael catfishCuban gar may eat Raphael catfish
- Dourada
Dourada may eat Raphael catfishDourada may eat Raphael catfish
Data used by the planner
| Temperature | 22–28 | AqAdvisor (aqadvisor.com), retrieved 2026-10-04; agrees with FishBase (fishbase.se), retrieved 2026-10-04 · medium confidence |
|---|---|---|
| pH | 5.5–7.8 | AqAdvisor (aqadvisor.com), retrieved 2026-10-04; agrees with FishBase (fishbase.se), retrieved 2026-10-04 · medium confidence |
| Hardness (dGH) | 1–15 | AqAdvisor (aqadvisor.com), retrieved 2026-10-04 · low confidence |
| Origin | Coastal rivers of the Guianas and northeastern Brazil | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · low confidence |
| Beginner friendly | Yes | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium confidence |
| Care level | easy | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium confidence |
| Activity | sedentary | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium confidence |
| Swimming level | bottom | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium confidence |
| Temperament | peaceful | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium confidence |
| Nips fins | No | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium confidence |
| Long fins | No | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium confidence |
| Territorial | No | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium confidence |
| Lives in groups | No | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium confidence |
| Minimum group | 1 | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium confidence |
| Diet | omnivore | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium confidence |
| Lifespan (years) | 15–20 | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · low confidence |
| Months to adult size | 24 | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · low confidence |
| Safe with plants | Yes | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium confidence |