Pictus Cat Info..

[nvcichlids]

I know many of you are primarily catfish keepers, am I trying to be come one, but I am running into a dilemma. Would a Pictus Catfish

Pimelodus pictus

work in a tank with Gymnogeophagus Balzanii's? I am trying different tank ideas and different combos. I picked up a 180 gallon tank for free, it holds water and came with the stand and canopy. I want that tank to be a Earth Eater tank, but would also like to highlight/showcase a catfish species, and my fiance loves the pictus cats.

Thanks,

NV

[Bas Pels]

I think you intend to make a P pictus tank, and the tank does look large enough for it.

However, the balzani is not a fish P pictus shares its habitat with. I'm rather surprised for the temps as given in the Cat e log, because it says 'habitat Amazon and Orinoco' and 22-25 C. As far as I know (I've never been there, but I know about temp demands for other fishes form these rivers) this would better be 27 C or so

Perhaps someone could explain this

However, G balzani comes from Paraguay - almost tropical ,but cooler winters, say 18 C for 2 or 3 months and further south (Salto in Uruguay, say 25 in summer, 15 in winter, and summer and winter both take 4 months, the rest is to get from summer into winter, perhaps slightly colder). I would not expect P pictus to like 15 C in winter

Another problem is, both P pictus and G balzani are bootom oriented fishes, which do swim more than one would expect for bottom dwellers - say thay both spend most of their time in the water near the bottom, but not on the bottom

Therefore better options would be fishes which spend their time in other regions of the bottom. Corydoras sp, on the bottom, Hoplosternum sp and some Characidae in the middle waters, Mesonauta sp in the top - just to suggest some species - all from Rio Amazon / R Orinoco sources

[Chrysichthys]

Would a Pictus Catfish

Pictus are a shoaling fish and need to kept in groups; one kept singly will not behave normally. At the very minimum you should have three, and preferably six or more.