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I'm planning a 120g (48x24x24) tank- so far it'll have an oscar and a jack dempsey. I'd like to add a cool catfish to help pick up after the big guys- does anyone have suggestions for a species that:

1) Is not a pleco

2) will be much bigger than the oscar's mouth but small enough to be happy in the 120 long-term

3) has scales- I'd rather not deal with senstitive skin if I can avoid it... plus scaley fish are cooler looking, IMHO

4) doesn't have too much in the way of spines, in case the oscar decides to try to eat it anyway (they do that sometimes)


Does this fish exist? It seems everything I've seen so far is either naked or has spines...

Hoplosterum littorale

has scales- I'd rather not deal with senstitive skin if I can avoid it... plus scaley fish are cooler looking, I.M.H.O.

You are in trouble as the definition of catfish is that they DO NOT have scales.
-Shane

So the plates on corys, hoplos, etc, aren't actually scales?

The care sheets for pictus cats, for example, usually note that since the fish has no scales, it's more sensitive to ich and many medications- that's what I was wanting to avoid if possible. If all catfish have no scales, do they all have that sensitivity, or do the tougher body coverings offer some ich protection like scales would?

Hoplo's are way too peaceful!

I've seen too many Callichthids ripped up by Oscars and Central American scum (like JD's) to last me a lifetime and beyond

this armour does NOT make them invulnerable, nor resistant to cichlid-attacks.....

get a catfish with a load of character and create many hiding places, or anything you add will be ripped to pieces; it's NOT a nice way to die for any fish.

I suggest a pleco, though.
get the most spiny monster you can lay your hand on; Pseudacanthicus or so.
If you buy it at 6" at least or so, the Oscar won't try to eat it; it'll scare him more likely.
Pseudacanthicus spinosus, P sp L097 and a few others get 7-9" or so. the species with the red fin edges get too big for your tank; but there's a species wich I've seen often in the LFS but not in the catelog. it's slate grey with clear black spots and no orange fin edging. that one too reaches 8-9" or so.

They'll not mess with those!

Gryphoemia,
All catfish are scaleless, but some have developed protective scutes and plates. I agree that a large loricariid (pleco) would work well. The second choice you might look into are the doradids. I do not think either cichlid would mess with a four inch plus raphael. Look through the family Doradidae in the Cat-eLog for some ideas.
-Shane