Can pictus catfish live with hatchetfish?

Verdict

No. Pictus catfish and hatchetfish should not share a tank. An adult pictus catfish eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 1.5 inches hatchetfish do.

Pictus catfish72–79°F · pH 6–7.5

Hatchetfish75–81°F · pH 5.5–7.5

What to watch

Deal breakerAn adult pictus catfish eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 1.5 inches hatchetfish do.

What works

Both are fine at 75–79°F.
pH 6–7.5 suits both.
They use different parts of the tank: pictus catfish the bottom, hatchetfish the top.

Water side by side

The green band is the temperature range both can live in.

The green band is the pH both tolerate.

Size to scale

Adult length in an aquarium. A fish can swallow anything that fits in its mouth, roughly a third to half its own length for predators.

Care at a glance

	Pictus catfish	Hatchetfish
Temperature	72–79 °F	75–81 °F
pH	6–7.5	5.5–7.5
Adult size	5.0 in	1.5 in
Minimum tank	55 gal	20 gal
Temperament	Semi-aggressive	Peaceful
Swims at	Bottom	Top
Group	Groups of 3+	Groups of 6+
Diet	Carnivore	Carnivore

Better tank mates for pictus catfish

All pictus catfish tank mates

Better tank mates for hatchetfish

All hatchetfish tank mates

Questions

Can pictus catfish live with hatchetfish?

No. Pictus catfish and hatchetfish should not share a tank. An adult pictus catfish eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 1.5 inches hatchetfish do.

What temperature suits both pictus catfish and hatchetfish?

75–79 °F. Pictus catfish need 72–79 °F, hatchetfish need 75–81 °F.

What size tank do pictus catfish and hatchetfish need together?

At least 55 gal, set by the pictus catfish. Add space for each extra fish.