fish · Callichthyidae
Brown hoplo
Hoplosternum littorale
Wild range: Most cis-Andean drainages north of Buenos Aires: Orinoco, Guianas coastal rivers, Amazon, Paraguay/lower Paraná, Trinidad; introduced Florida (USA) (South America)
At a glance: Brown hoplo care
Compiled reference information. Review the care notes and original sources below.
What temperature is listed for Brown hoplo?
The compiled profile lists 18.0–26.0 °C for Brown hoplo (Hoplosternum littorale). Check the original sources below for context and differing recommendations.
What tank size is listed for Brown hoplo?
The profile lists a minimum tank volume of 40.0 US gallons (150.0 liters). Volume alone does not establish suitability; consider dimensions, group size and other inhabitants alongside the full care notes.
What pH is listed for Brown hoplo?
The compiled profile lists a pH of 6.0–8.0. Review the cited care sources alongside the other water parameters in this profile.
Natural habitat
Wide-ranging callichthyid armored catfish of tropical South American swamps and whitewater floodplains with low dissolved oxygen; obligate intestinal air-breather that gulps at the surface; nocturnal bottom forager on chironomids, insects, microcrustaceans, and detritus; forked caudal distinguishes it from truncate-tailed Megalechis thoracata (trade hoplo catfish) already in this catalog (Planet Catfish, FishBase, ScotCat, Wikipedia).
Where they are found
Catalog primary locked as Hoplosternum littorale (Hancock, 1828) per trade, ITIS TSN 679689 (valid; English common brown hoplo), FishBase SpecCode 5377 (accepted), Eschmeyer’s Catalog of Fishes / Wikipedia CoF citation (originally Callichthys littoralis Hancock, 1828; type locality Demerara, Guyana; Callichthyidae: Callichthyinae), Planet Catfish Cat-eLog, and IUCN Least Concern (FishBase assessment 2020-10-15; Wikipedia cites Frederico 2023). Misspelling Hoplosternum littoralis is invalid (ITIS TSN 553407). Historical synonyms include Callichthys littoralis, C. laevigatus, C. albidus, C. subulatus, C. chiquitos, C. melampterus, Hoplosternum laevigatum, H. stevardii, Cataphractops melampterus, Cascadura maculocephala, H. schreineri, H. shirui, H. littorale daillyi, H. thoracatum cayennae. Regional food/trade names: Atipa, Cascadu/Cascadura, Hassa, Kwi-kwi, Currito, Busco, Tamatá, Clay hoplo, Fork-tailed hoplo. DISTINCT from catalog slug hoplo-catfish = Megalechis thoracata (spotted/hoplo catfish; truncate caudal) — do not merge aliases or care pages.
Aquarium care
Beginner-hardy South American armored catfish for a spacious community with soft sand and a tight lid (Planet Catfish, ScotCat, aqua-fish.net, TankBud, Guidarium, FishBase). Lock ≥40 US gal / ~150 L (aqua-fish.net + TankBud 150 L / 40 gal floor; Guidarium prefers 200 L / ≥120 cm for large adults — upgrade footprint when fish approach 20+ cm). Soft sand or smooth rounded substrate to protect barbels; driftwood/caves and floating plants; they dig and may uproot unpotted plants — pot large Echinodorus or use anchored epiphytes (ScotCat, Guidarium). Obligate air-breathers need open surface access; strong biological filtration for high waste but gentle flow matching swamp biotope (Guidarium low flow). Water locked 18–26°C, pH 6.0–8.0, GH 6–20 (FishBase 18–26 / subtropical; ScotCat 18–26 / pH 6–8; Planet Catfish 18–24 / pH 5.9–7.2 wild-leaning; aqua-fish.net & TankBud preferred aquarium 22–27 / 6.5–7.5; Guidarium 18–28 / 6–8 / 4–20 dGH — locked overlapping hardy band; prefer mid 22–25°C and pH ~6.5–7.5). Keep a pair or small group; jumper — lid essential.
Feeding
Omnivorous bottom feeder; wild diet shifts seasonally between chironomids/detritus and terrestrial insects/microcrustaceans (FishBase, Planet Catfish). In aquaria takes sinking catfish pellets/wafers, frozen/live bloodworms, brine shrimp, chopped earthworms, and occasional blanched vegetables (aqua-fish.net, ScotCat, TankBud). Feed modest evening portions; they are enthusiastic and produce substantial waste — avoid overfeeding.
Compatibility
Peaceful toward similarly sized community fish but large adults may eat tiny fish, fry, and shrimp overnight (ScotCat, TankBud, aqua-fish.net). Good with mid/upper community tetras, rainbows, gouramis, angels, and other armored cats of comparable size. Do not confuse or hybridize care advice with Megalechis thoracata (hoplo-catfish already in catalog) — distinct genus with truncate caudal. communitysafe true for standard community tanks with tankmates too large to swallow; not nanook at the 40 gal / large adult size floor.
Breeding
Bubble-nesting callichthyine with one of the most complex foam/plant nests in the subfamily (FishBase, Wikipedia synthesis, aqua-fish.net, ScotCat). Rainy-season trigger: cooler water change after a warmer dry period plus heavy live foods. Male (enlarged reddish hooked pectoral spine in breeding condition) builds floating nest of mucus bubbles and plant debris; female(s) deposit thousands of eggs; male guards and becomes aggressive — remove female after spawning and often the male after hatch (~2–5 days). Fry take Artemia nauplii and fine crushed foods. Use gentle sponge filtration so the nest is not destroyed.
Sources
Compiled from multiple independent care sheets — not copied from a single site.