syno petricola

jus_sum_guy · Post by **jus_sum_guy** » 23 Sep 2004, 05:39

ok i know this might seem like a wierd question but i just recently discovered the petricola and don't know much about them yet. From some research, i found it has only been listed that they mix good with almost any cichlid tank. Now i'm wondering if i can add them to my community tank??
I currently have a 30g hex with 3 rainbows, 3 harlequins, 2 upside-down cats, a few cardinals, and a bristlenose. I currently also have 2 bala sharks, but not for long.
Any help/advice greatly appreciated thx!
By the way, great site

Post by **Silurus** » 23 Sep 2004, 08:12

Probably not a good idea. Petricolas need hard water, which the rest of your fish would do poorly in.

Post by **Barbie** » 23 Sep 2004, 16:24

What water parameters are you currently keeping your fish in? Most of us keep our fish in whatever comes out of the tap and they have adjusted to that, no problem. If that's the case for you, and your water is 7.8 pH or so, S. petricola would definitely work. Although they come from a lake that is very hard and alkaline, IME, they can handle a range of conditions without being stressed. I accidentally crashed my pH in their tank in Anchorage once down to below 6.0. The Ancistrus in the tank went off their feed or I'd never have known. The petricola were still acting normal and eating blackworms by the pound (which was actually the cause of the problem in the first place!) I would say that as long as your water is on the alkaline side, and the petricolas are tank raised stock, you should have no problem keeping them in your community tank. They really won't hurt anything but tiny fry. They WILL graze on your plants a bit, but I've not had them do noticable damage, even at that. Hope that helps!

Barbie