Can I keep Arctic Char in a home aquarium?

No. They require enormous volumes of water, very strong currents, and continuous commercial chilling to keep the temperature below 12°C, making them suitable only for public aquaria or large deep-water fisheries.

What is the difference between landlocked and anadromous Char?

Anadromous Char migrate to the sea to feed and return to freshwater to spawn, whereas landlocked populations spend their entire lives in freshwater lakes, usually having been isolated there since the end of the last Ice Age.

Why do some Arctic Char turn bright red?

The vibrant red or orange colouration is primarily seen in mature males during the spawning season in autumn and winter. It is a visual display to attract females and intimidate rival males.

How cold does the water need to be for Arctic Char?

Ideally, the water should be maintained between 2°C and 12°C. While they can briefly tolerate up to 15°C, higher temperatures cause severe stress, rapid oxygen depletion, and a high risk of mortality.

What do Arctic Char eat?

They are carnivorous and highly adaptable. Their diet consists of zooplankton, aquatic insects, small crustaceans, and smaller fish. In fisheries, they are typically fed high-protein commercial pellets.

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Arctic Char

Salvelinus alpinus

The Arctic Char is a beautifully marked, incredibly hardy salmonid holding the record for the northernmost freshwater fish in the world.

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Ideal Conditions

Temperature: 2 – 14 °C
pH range: 6.5 – 8
Hardness: 4 – 15 dGH
Salinity: 1 – 1.025 SG
Adult size: 40 – 80 cm
Specialist public aquarium or large chilled fishery lake: 10,000 litres+
Lifespan: 10 – 25 years
Diet: Carnivorous
Water flow: High
Preferred setup: Deep, cold, highly oxygenated water with rocky or gravel substrates and powerful filtration or natural flow.

About the Arctic Char

Salvelinus alpinus is a remarkable species renowned for its extreme cold tolerance and extraordinary morphological plasticity. With a circumpolar distribution, it exists in both anadromous (sea-run) and landlocked forms. The isolation of landlocked populations in deep glacial lakes since the last Ice Age has led to fascinating local adaptations, famously resulting in multiple distinct physical morphs existing within single bodies of water, such as Iceland's Lake Thingvallavatn.

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Where Arctic Char comes from

Native range

Circumpolar North, Arctic Ocean Basin, North Atlantic, North Pacific

Countries / regions

Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia, United Kingdom, Ireland

Habitat

Deep, cold, oligotrophic glacial lakes, fast-flowing coastal rivers, and nearshore Arctic marine waters.

Populations are often highly isolated and landlocked following the last Ice Age, resulting in significant morphological variations.

Similar species

Brook Trout
Salvelinus fontinalis
Lake Trout
Salvelinus namaycush
Brown Trout
Salmo trutta
Rainbow Trout
Oncorhynchus mykiss

We’re adding more full species guides as the catalogue grows.

Compatible tank mates

Reviewed guidance based on this species' recorded traits.

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Brown Trout
Salmo trutta
Naturally sympatric in many European lakes and share identical requirements for cold, well-oxygenated water.
Great
Whitefish
Coregonus spp.
Often cohabit deep glacial lakes and occupy complementary ecological niches.
Great
Brook Trout
Salvelinus fontinalis
They share habitat preferences but can freely hybridise, creating sterile 'Sparctic' char.
Compatible with caution
Minnows and small Cyprinids
Will be viewed purely as a food source by adult Arctic Char.
Not recommended
Common Carp
Cyprinus carpio
Incompatible temperature requirements; Carp thrive in much warmer waters than Char can tolerate.
Not recommended

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