Giant Moth Cats companions?

[Caol_ila]

Hi!

I keep 2 Erethistes pusillus in a 54 litre tank...on their own. Quite a good current and not too warm as youd expect...id like some companions for them...maybe a fish i could see during the day... and sth not to vicious that would outcompete the moths for food.

I saw a gobie at the lfs labeled as Thailand gobie...i found this is "Bangkok Gudgeon" Pseudogobius (Vaimosa) rambaiae...anybody ever heard of them? Havent found anything on the web except for some non information at fishbase...

Any other fish to ass to this tank would be nice...

[Silurus]

Well, I would suggest a school of mid-sized barbs (something like clown barbs, <i>Puntius everetti</i>, or larger rasboras like <i>R. cephalotaenia</i> would be a nice addition), or even a mid-sized <i>Garra</i>.
If you're more adventurous, you might try apollo sharks (<i>Luciosoma</i>) or other some fast-water cyprinids like <i>Neolissochilus</i>.
Most of the cyprinids will like the current, but the gobies certainly will not (unless you get sycidiine gobies like <i>Sicyopus</i>).

[Sid Guppy]

Luciosoma in a 54 liter tank??
that's a fish that reaches between 8-12" in length...a bit oversized for such a small tank IMO.

[Caol_ila]

Hi!

Of course i wonna stay as small as i can go...i think the Moths couldnt even eat 2 cm neons right now...

How about chubsuckers? As this shop also has red finned ones that look quite nice...interesting look to go with that...

[Silurus]

Sorry about the <i>Luciosoma</i> suggestion. Slipped my mind that they will get large and need swimming space (they are also predatory..won't eat the cats, but probably neons).

How about chubsuckers? As this shop also has red finned ones that look quite nice...interesting look to go with that...

Bad idea. They also get large (25-30 cm) and are extremely messy feeders, since they primarily feed off the detritus and small invertebrates in the substrate.
What kind of rasboras/barbs does your LFS offer? I can give you better suggestions if I know what's available to you.

[Caol_ila]

hmm i remeber another shop offering "glasrasboras" which i almost bought but didnt becauz i didnt wonna put them into a SA tank...Rasbora trilineata but they get big right?
Rasbora heteromorpha
the common barbs...tetrazona, pentazona, titteya, barilioides, conchonitus, nigrofasciatus, semifasciolatus "schuberti",
Danios...Brachydanio "frankei", rerio, and malabars

actually i have to say that i never really checked the barbs...my gf has a small group of 6 tetrazonas in her tank...titteya are really nice...
I think i could order even uncommon barbs but i dont wonna break the bank for them...

[Silurus]

I would either go with the <i>R. trilineata</i> (they don't get that big, 6 cm maximum) or the <i>Barbus barilioides</i> (which is actually <i>B. fasciolatus</i>, an African barb which requires conditions similar to your <i>Erethistes</i>).
The hetromorphas might be nice too, provided they are fairly big.

[Caol_ila]

just came to my mind that the shop label read 5 cm for the chubsucker...

[Silurus]

All of the chubsuckers (<i>Erimyzon</i> spp.) I know grow to more than 20 cm. If we are referring to the same fish, your LFS is badly misinforming its customers.

[Caol_ila]

hmm i found this site and it looks like the fish
http://www.petresources.net/fish/cyprinid/pse_che.html
at 7 cm it sounds ok doesnt it?

[Silurus]

Ahh, I see, the dangers of using common names. In the US, chubsuckers refer to catostomids of the genus <i>Erimyzon</i>, while you are referring to balitorine loaches (red-finned ones are probably <i>Gastromyzon</i>).
Yes, they will not get much bigger than 7 cm, however, they are exclusive algae eaters (make sure you have plenty for them) and require cool, well-oxygenated water (they love a current).