Rineloricaria parva (Common Whiptail)

Remarks:  Rineloricaria parva, typically known as the common whiptail, is one of the most often seen species of whiptail catfish in the hobby. They have the usual long, flat body shape and streamers on the fins of dominant males typically associated with these kinds of catfish. R. parva is such a classic whiptail that it can be easily confused with several species and even hybridizes frequently. Two of the most common whiptails it is often confused with are Rineloricaria lanceolata and Rineloricaria aurata. It can be distinguished from R. lanceolata by R. parva lacking the dark color in the dorsal fin R. lanceolata possesses and it can be distinguished from R. aurata by R. parva having banding on the pectoral fins which R. aurata lacks.

  In the wild, R. parva can be found in Argentina, Paraguay, and Brazil but it is most often known to reside in the Paraguay river basin. Its natural habitat consists of both clear and silty conditions with a soft sand substrate covered in leaf litter. The waters parameters usually are soft with a mild to neutral pH and heavy oxygenation. In captivity, R. parva will do best when these natural conditions are mimicked in the aquarium, but it has been known to be rather hardy for a whiptail catfish that can handle being a bit out of these ranges making them a great beginner choice. One important factor they will not tolerate is in regards to temperatures. R. parva will not tolerate high temperatures like those preferred by discus, quickly growing ill and even perishing. To avoid such an unfortunate event, the temperature of the aquarium should be closely monitored and kept within acceptable ranges.

  R. parva are a very peaceful whiptail so combined with their hardy disposition, they can be kept with a number different species in a community situation or in a group of their own kind. The only time they deviate from this peaceful demeanor is when spawning where they will be protective of their eggs and males may spar occasionally. It should be noted that R. parva can’t handle aggressive tankmates and are easily bullied away from food. Therefore, overly aggressive fish and boisterous feeders that may shove these whiptails away during feeding time should be avoided as tankmates.

  When it comes to feeding R. parva, there is a wide range of options as they are omnivorous and typically not very picky. To ensure these graceful catfish live long, healthy lives, feed them a diet high in both quality and variety with gel foods, fresh vegetables, and frozen thawed foods such bloodworms all being great choices. If fed well and kept in the right conditions, you may even get your R. parva to breed as it is an easy undertaking compared to most whiptails. If you are trying to breed them and don’t have any success after ensuring all their needs are attended to and you have a sizable group, you can help trigger them to spawn by conducting many large water changes over the course of a few days to simulate the rainy season.