Asian Stone Catfish Care Guide

The Asian stone catfish is one of the smallest catfish in the hobby — a tiny, sluggish, near-blind, stone-mimicking nocturnal fish that all but vanishes into the substrate. That is exactly why it is a welfare trap in a normal community tank: the danger runs toward the fish, which is easily out-competed at feeding and quietly starves, and is bite-sized prey for anything big enough to swallow it.

Asian Stone Catfish at a glance

The sourced figures the welfare engine uses to judge Asian Stone Catfish — the parseable key facts.

Where it comes from

This is Hara jerdoni, from the slow hill streams, small rivers and floodplain wetlands (beels) of northeastern India and Bangladesh, in the Brahmaputra and Ganges drainages. Its home water is clean, relatively cool and high in dissolved oxygen, over soft sandy and silty beds carpeted with leaf litter and fallen wood. FishBase calls it "a very sluggish fish" — a slow, bottom-hugging ambusher with poor eyesight and a strong sense of smell that finds food by scent rather than speed. Every requirement falls out of that biology: cool and oxygen-rich because the hill streams are, fine sand and leaf litter so it can bury and feel secure, gentle flow because it is a weak swimmer, and patient target-feeding because a scent-led, sluggish fish cannot win a feeding race. The name itself is a moving target — it is sold as Hara jerdoni and the older Erethistes jerdoni, in family Erethistidae or, as most catalogues still list it, Sisoridae; say so plainly rather than asserting one settled label.

Did you know?

• It is one of the tiniest catfish in the hobby — a true "stone" at ~2.5–3 cm (large specimens to ~4 cm), smaller than a thumbnail, whose speckled body mimics a pebble or fallen leaf so well it disappears into the substrate.
• "A very sluggish fish" is FishBase's own description — it is so slow and motionless it's often mistaken for a stone or assumed dead, and it hunts by smell, not sight.
• The "moth" and "anchor" names come from its shape: seen from above, the flat body and broad, elongated serrated pectoral spines give a moth-like silhouette and an anchor outline.
• It sheds its skin as a stress gauge — visible shedding is a built-in early warning that water conditions have slipped.
• It is a taxonomic shape-shifter on paper, sold as Hara jerdoni and Erethistes jerdoni, in family Erethistidae or Sisoridae; the species epithet honours Victorian physician-zoologist T. C. Jerdon.

Tank size — and why

A 10-gallon (~38 L) nano is the safe floor for a small group, and the reason is water stability, not body length or bioload. This is a tiny, low-waste fish that physically needs very little room — Seriously Fish notes even a ~12.5 L footprint can work — but a smaller tank "works" only with extreme care to water parameters, because the larger volume is there to hold dissolved oxygen and dilute nitrate, the two things this species is least forgiving of. A bigger tank buys you a buffer against the oxygen and nitrate swings that quietly kill it; it does not need the room to swim.

As a guide, a 20-gallon tank comfortably suits a starter group of about 8–11 Asian Stone Catfish. As floor-dwelling shoalers they want bottom area, not water column, so a bigger group or added tankmates pushes you toward a larger footprint rather than fitting in alongside.

See it to scale

Adult Asian Stone Catfish reach only about 3.8 cm (1.5 in) long — close to the size they are sold at, so what you see is roughly what you get. The catch is the group: a proper shoal still needs about a 10-gallon tank, around 51 cm long.

Adult size is sourced; tank length is approximate for a standard 10-gallon aquarium.

Water parameters in practice

Keep it cooler than a standard tropical tank: 18–24 °C (about 64–75 °F) is the well-supported band across FishBase, Seriously Fish and the hobby guides, distinctly below the usual 24–27 °C. This is a genuine cool-/sub-tropical fish kept in many tanks that are simply too warm for it, and heat is a classic killer because warm water holds less oxygen for an oxygen-demanding fish. pH is best kept slightly acidic to neutral (~6.5–7.5); it tolerates a wide 5.6–7.6 envelope, though sources disagree on the exact floor (FishBase lists 7.0 and above, PlanetCatfish a tighter 6.7–7.2). Hardness sits soft-to-moderate, roughly 8–15 °dH. The load-bearing point is stability: Seriously Fish reports these fish shed their skin when conditions are not ideal and do not tolerate fluctuations in dissolved oxygen and nitrate, so steady, well-oxygenated, low-nitrate water matters far more than hitting an exact pH.

Diet & feeding

It is a scent-led micro-predator — a carnivore that hunts tiny invertebrates on the bottom. Make small live and frozen foods the staple: bloodworm (a clear favourite), Daphnia, brine shrimp, cyclops and white worms, with small sinking micro-pellets as a supplement rather than the main diet. The food itself is the easy part; delivery is the whole problem. It is a slow, non-competitive feeder that faster fish — even ordinary Corydoras — will beat to every meal, so feed after lights-out when it is active, and target-feed sinking food directly to where it rests with a pipette or turkey baster. In any mixed tank, assume it is being out-competed unless you have actually watched it eat. Slow starvation that looks like "unexplained" decline is the single commonest way this fish is lost.

Gear & setup

Fine, soft sand is a requirement, not décor — it lets the fish bury and rest naturally, and sharp gravel works against its sedentary, substrate-hugging life. Pack the tank with cover: dried beech or oak leaf litter, driftwood, roots, smooth stones and caves give this shy, light-averse, cryptic fish the security it needs, and floating plants to dim the light help further. Use gentle filtration that keeps the water well-oxygenated without a strong current, since it is a weak swimmer that comes from slow water but oxygen-rich streams. A lid is sensible housekeeping, though this sedentary bottom-dweller is not a notable jumper.

Temperament & behaviour

Extremely peaceful, painfully shy and highly sedentary — toward other species and its own kind alike. It will never harass a tankmate; the risk is entirely the reverse. It is largely nocturnal and crepuscular, motionless and hidden by day, most active and visible only after lights-out, so expect a fish you rarely see rather than an active display animal.

Group & social needs

Gregarious but not an obligate shoaler — it keeps happily with its own kind, with no conspecific aggression, and Seriously Fish notes it actually prefers to be in a group. A floor of three is well-supported, with four to six better; it does not school tightly like a tetra but behaves more naturally and feels more secure in company.

Compatible tank mates (preview)

A short, engine-cleared shortlist — the species TankStocking's welfare engine clears with Asian Stone Catfish and that suit its size and temperament best. Tap any to load the pairing in the planner.

• Amano Shrimp — Peaceful temperament, similar adult size.
• Assassin Snail — Peaceful temperament, similar adult size.
• Black Neon Tetra — Uses the midwater zone, peaceful temperament, similar adult size.

A note on the shrimp and snails here: Asian Stone Catfish is peaceful and generally invertebrate-safe — but almost any fish will take very small shrimplets given the chance, so give shrimp dense cover (moss, leaf litter) if you want a colony to grow, rather than expecting every baby to survive.

This engine-cleared shortlist is Asian Stone Catfish's tankmate surface for now — a dedicated tank-mates guide can follow for high-demand species.

Breeding & sexing

Reliable information is genuinely scarce, and that is stated honestly rather than padded. Captive breeding is rare and barely documented — it has reportedly been bred, with eggs apparently deposited in spawning mops, but very few details exist and almost all trade stock is wild-caught. Sexing is uncertain: the usual cue is that gravid females look broader than males, with some reports of females having more posteriorly-curved pectoral fins, but treat this as approximate rather than definitive. One thin, single-source account mentions spawning around 72 °F (~22 °C) with fry raised on infusoria then microworms. This is not a fish bought to breed; do not invent fecundity, incubation times or a protocol, because the reliable data does not exist.

Lifespan

Commonly cited at up to about 5 years in optimal conditions, though many keepers report only 2–3 years, and warm or poor water shortens it markedly. The killers are specific: sustained too-warm "tropical" temperatures (lower oxygen for an oxygen-demanding fish), poor water quality and nitrate accumulation, and the under-recognised one — chronic underfeeding because it is out-competed, which is slow starvation. Stress from bright light, lack of cover or boisterous tankmates also drags lifespan down. Treat 5 years as a well-kept ceiling, not a guarantee.

Common mistakes

• Putting it in a normal community with active or larger fish. The single biggest mistake — it gets out-competed at feeding and starves, and is eaten or harassed. It belongs in a quiet nano with tiny calm tankmates, or a species tank.
• Not target-feeding. Expecting it to "find food" in a community tank starves it; feed live or frozen micro-foods after lights-out, delivered to the fish.
• Keeping it too warm. Treating it as a standard tropical fish at 25–27 °C+ shortens its life; it wants 18–24 °C, well-oxygenated.
• Letting water quality drift. It sheds its skin and declines with oxygen and nitrate fluctuation, and a too-small tank makes that worse, not better.
• Coarse or sharp substrate and no cover. It needs fine sand to bury and abundant leaf litter and wood to hide; bare, bright tanks stress it.
• Expecting an active, visible fish. It is nocturnal, sedentary and camouflaged — you will rarely see it by day.
• Treating it as a beginner community add-on. The feeding discipline, cooler water and water-quality sensitivity make it an intermediate species.

Signs of trouble

• Visible skin shedding — the species' built-in early warning that water quality, oxygen or stability has slipped.
• A sunken belly or wasting — almost always means it isn't getting food, not a pathogen.
• Hiding even more than usual and refusing to feed.
• Clamped fins and lethargy beyond its normal stillness.
• Arriving thin or emaciated — wild-caught imports often turn up stressed, so quarantine on arrival.

Is this fish right for you?

Don't buy the Asian stone catfish if you have a typical active community — barbs, larger tetras, gouramis, cichlids, fast bottom feeders — because it will be out-competed at feeding and treated as prey. Skip it if you won't target-feed live or frozen micro-foods after lights-out, if your tank runs warm, or if you want a fish you'll actually see by day. It is not a beginner community add-on; the feeding discipline and water-quality sensitivity make it intermediate. Almost all stock is wild-caught with no real captive-breeding pipeline, so buy only active, non-emaciated specimens, quarantine for possible internal parasites and transport stress, and note there are no dyed or balloon morphs for this species.

Bringing one home

Quarantine new fish on arrival — almost all stock is wild-caught and often turns up thin and stressed, possibly carrying internal parasites — and acclimate gently to a mature, cycled, stable tank, since it reacts badly to swings in oxygen, nitrate and temperature. Keep the light dim and provide sand and cover from the start, and expect a new arrival to vanish into the substrate for a while as it settles.

Common questions

How big does an Asian stone catfish get?

It is one of the smallest catfish in the hobby. Typical adults are about 2.5–3 cm, with large or old specimens approaching ~4 cm total length. The tiny size is the whole point — it makes the fish easily out-competed at feeding and bite-sized prey for larger tankmates.

What temperature do Asian stone catfish need?

Cooler than a standard tropical tank — 18–24 °C (about 64–75 °F). It comes from cool, oxygen-rich hill streams, and sustained tropical warmth stresses it and shortens its life because warm water holds less oxygen. Many tanks are simply too warm for it.

Why is my Asian stone catfish not eating or wasting away?

Most often it is being out-competed and slowly starving — it is a slow, scent-led feeder that faster fish, even Corydoras, beat to every meal. Feed live or frozen micro-foods after lights-out and target-feed them to where it rests. A sunken belly usually means hunger, not disease. Skin shedding points to a water-quality or oxygen problem.

What fish can live with an Asian stone catfish?

Only small, calm, slow or gentle species sharing its cooler, soft-water preference — chili and dwarf rasboras, ember tetras, celestial pearl danios, white clouds, scarlet badis, pygmy Corydoras, kuhli loaches, and adult shrimp. Avoid anything big enough to eat it and anything fast or competitive at feeding.

How many Asian stone catfish should I keep?

Keep a small group — three is a sensible floor, with four to six better. It is gregarious and prefers company, with no conspecific aggression to worry about, though it doesn't school tightly like a tetra.

Sources & confidence

Sources & confidence (9 species)

These back the Asian Stone Catfish figures and the previewed tank mates above. Each figure is read from the TankStocking species database (v2026.06); below is the care reference behind it and how confident we are in that data. Confidence reflects the source quality, not whether any pairing is safe. Full source list and the welfare model are on the methodology page.

• Asian Stone Catfish Hara jerdoni — EasyClean Aquatics; Fish Laboratory (fishlaboratory.com/fish/stone-catfish) medium confidence
• Amano Shrimp Caridina multidentata — Aquarium Co-Op amano shrimp care; Aquadiction high confidence
• Assassin Snail Clea helena (Anentome helena) — The Shrimp Farm (theshrimpfarm.com/posts/assassin-snail-care) high confidence
• Black Neon Tetra Hyphessobrycon herbertaxelrodi — Seriously Fish / Aqua-Fish (Hyphessobrycon herbertaxelrodi) high confidence
• Black Phantom Tetra Hyphessobrycon megalopterus — Seriously Fish (Hyphessobrycon megalopterus) high confidence
• Bronze Corydoras Corydoras aeneus — Seriously Fish (seriouslyfish.com/species/corydoras-aeneus) high confidence
• Cardinal Tetra Paracheirodon axelrodi — Seriously Fish (seriouslyfish.com/species/paracheirodon-axelrodi) high confidence
• Celestial Pearl Danio Celestichthys margaritatus — Seriously Fish (seriouslyfish.com/species/celestichthys-margaritatus) high confidence
• Checker Barb Oliotius oligolepis — Seriously Fish — Oliotius oligolepis (https://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/oliotius-oligolepis/) high confidence

Care-guide sources (7)

This guide synthesises the references below; where they disagree, the range and the disagreement are noted in the text above. The figures in the key-facts box are read from the TankStocking species database (v2026.06). Full welfare model on the methodology page.

• Seriously Fish — Hara jerdoni (Asian Stone Catfish) — ~3 cm SL, temp 18–24 °C, pH 5.6–7.6, hardness 8–15 °H, 30×20×20 cm footprint with extreme-care warning, soft substrate + leaf litter + driftwood, high-oxygen need, skin-shedding and oxygen/nitrate-fluctuation intolerance, peaceful, prefers a group, sexing unknown, bred in spawning mops (few details)
• FishBase — Hara jerdoni (Day, 1870) — authority Day 1870, family Sisoridae, max 4.0 cm TL / common 2.5 cm TL, temp 18–24 °C, pH 7.0+, dH 8–15, India + Bangladesh, IUCN Least Concern (2009), "a very sluggish fish," slow hill streams/sandy bottom/beels, trophic level ~3.1, Jerdon etymology
• Fish Laboratory — Stone Catfish (Hara jerdoni) Ultimate Care Guide — size 2.5–3 cm, lifespan up to 5 yr (often 2–3), temp 64–75 °F (breeding ~72 °F), pH 5.6–7.6, 5 gal individual / 10 gal for >3, sociable, tankmate good/bad lists (Corydoras listed incompatible on feeding competition), live/frozen diet, nocturnal feeder, breeding difficult, females wider/curved pectorals
• EasyClean Aquatics — Asian Stone Catfish (Hara jerdoni) Care Guide — size ~4 cm, temp 18–24 °C (avoid tropical), pH 5.6–7.6, GH 8–15 °dGH, 5–10 gal for group of 3–6, group 6+, extremely peaceful/painfully shy/highly sedentary, non-competitive feeder easily out-competed, nocturnal micro-foods after lights-out, health (heat stress, oxygen, skin shedding, Ich, fin rot, columnaris)
• PlanetCatfish — Cat-eLog, Erethistes jerdoni (Sisoridae) — synonymy Erethistes jerdoni, common names (anchor/moth/mini moth catfish), India/Bangladesh, size 3–4 cm, pH 6.7–7.2, temp 20–23.9 °C, min tank 38 L (10 gal), scent-led/poor-eyesight, wild-caught
• Aquatic Arts — Community Fish Spotlight: Asian Stone / Anchor Catfish (Hara jerdoni) — size 3.8 cm, beige/brown speckled camouflage, nocturnal/shy/peaceful, temp 18–24 °C, pH 6.5–7.5, lifespan up to 5 yr+, group of 3–4, large or fast-swimming species may out-compete them for food leading to malnutrition, sinking/live/frozen diet
• Ng, H.H. & Kottelat, M. — A review of the catfish genus Hara (Siluriformes: Erethistidae) — places genus Hara in family Erethistidae, genus revision context, basis for the Erethistidae-vs-Sisoridae family-of-record disagreement

More on Asian Stone Catfish

Related guides on TankStocking — each scored by the same welfare engine as the planner.

This care guide is a sourced planning reference, not veterinary advice — individual fish, filtration and maintenance all matter. Cycle the tank, test your water, and observe your fish. How TankStocking works →