Catfish for my coolwater Gymno tank

[crane]

Hi,
I have set up a room temp 55g for Gymnogeophagus and need advice on what tankmates they can have. It is a planted tank with sand and ecocomplete substraute and the temp is 66F now and maybe up to 80F in the summer. I'd love some catfish in there especially if anyone can recommend something that eats algae. The Gymnos are peaceful for cichlids. Please any advice would be awesome.

[MatsP]

If you can keep the temperature ABOVE 66'F, I'd say a

Ancistrus cf_cirrhosus

or perhaps a

sturisoma

of some sort would work well.

--
Mats

[Bas Pels]

I will not recommend any species, but would recommend contacting Jeff Rapps (tangled up in cichlids) in Florida. Jeff has contacts with an exporter in Uruguay, who does regularly have catfishes, amongst which local Ancistrus, Hisonotus and Otocinclus. Sometimes he also has Hypostomus

All catfish from Uruguay are able to life under Uruguyan circumstances - never too hot, and cold in winter.

My labiatum are now - 5 January, at 10 C.

[nvcichlids]

I have a gymno show tank and keep 5 Ancistrus cirrhosus along with a single rhino pleco (that was a rescue). Everything is fine, temp is a consistant 70.

[crane]

Thanks, how long have you had the gymnos?

[sidguppy]

actually when I read this topic the fish fish that'd sort of sprung to mind was Corydoras paleatus, immediately followed by Scleromystax barbatus.......

and if those Gymno's are really nice and peaceful, Rineloricaria latirostris would fit the bill as well.

[hotsauce48]

The bristlenose pleco would be a ideal fish to put in,as it eats algae vigourously.And it is so with a lot of fish and has side stabbers sobig cichlids don't eat it.

[ahodge84]

The key here being coolwater, I would have to recommend hillstream loaches. Before you pass because of the name, check out http://www.loaches.com/species-index/be ... ichowensis

It might not be your answer in terms of a catfish, but if your other fish will not give 'em too much trouble, these should be great additions.

Keep us posted on what you get...

[MatsP]

However, hillstream loaches are best kept in fast-flowing water - Gymongeophagus will definitely prefer slower moving water than the ideal for the hillstream loaches. They are not called "hillstream" for no reason - their natural habitat is small rivers (streams) that run down fairly steep hills or mountains.

--
Mats

[nvcichlids]

I have had my gymnos for a while now (since early summer.) Everything goes well together. I do agree that the plateous corydoras would be the best fit as I believe Mats suggested.

[crane]

Hey thanks for all the ideas. I would love to have paleatus corydora and bristle nose too. I wish I could find those green ottos from uraguay for the algae.

[nvcichlids]

I wish I could find those green ottos from uraguay for the algae.

I had a friend that could have imported them, but his price was $25/fish... and for an oto, that is way too much (IMO).

[crane]

I have a related question. I got zebra danios to liven up the top of the tank and they are dying right and left. I think maybe the cool water is too stressful for them even though it should be okay for them. I was wondering if I should wait until summer to add fish that haven't seen cool water temps for many many generations? Would it be very stressful for a paleatus cory to be suddenly in 70f water?

[nvcichlids]

As long as you aclimate them correctly, they should be fine. I have added some SA killies into the tank with the gymnos and they were being kept in 82 degree water and went into the tank that was 72. No ill effects, I am assuming it was due to correct aclimation?