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I have one particular pareutropius debauwi that seems to feed on other fishes' slime coat. He zips out f his hidey hole when the lighs are out and tickles the other fish with his barbels. Then he starts cruising around their faces and nips their tails. Is he just smellng food on them or is he eating their slime off? I heard ocassionaly a pleco will suck a fish dry!

Of course, he is only like two inches long, but what is it exactly its doing? And is it a normal thng for these fishes to do?

Do you have only one or a group of them?

Well, we used to have a few but they died randomly (one just fell into the filter and died, and another just stopped moving and died) but anyways, there is one left. We bought him as company for the other one that ended up alone, but that guy died, so its just the new guy left. Anyway, he's by himself in a community tank, but he's clever and quite easily fed. He gets his fill of flakes, but he comes out and tickles the other fish. Sometimes it appears aggressive. I've tried getting more (they are shoaling species, correct?) but the pet store only has one or two at a time. Could it be he is bored?

This sounds like atypical behavior associated with being alone for schooling species. The only solution to this problem would be to get more fish.

oh. ok... I guess I could do that. THx for the advice on this issue.

I don't know why the first two died though, maybe the water isn't right?
I gotta...

PH 7.6

I have a group of twenty of these that seem to form into two distinct schools during the day,one stays under a large rock overhang and the others stay out in the open,with the lights off they are everywhere

Another question for you is what other fish are in with them/it? They do not really compete that well.

Birger

Well, the tank has been set up for several months, and the fish he was with are goldfish ( i know, not to be mixed with tropical fish but its the only other tank we have) and upside down catfish, In a twenty nine gallon tank.
The water is fine, with 0ppm ammonia. The nitrates are at 5 ppm. As for maintenence, we do a 40-50% water change every week or so. The filter is a Tetra Whisper 30-40. It's cartridge based. The cartridge was changed out on tuesday.

He was in a 70 gallon with a pal that was marked at the petstore as an irridecent shark, (thank goodness they weren't) But he was moved because we thought the other fish would eat him.

How did you ever find twenty?? Here there is usually one or three at the most.

and the fish he was with are goldfish ( i know, not to be mixed with tropical fish but its the only other tank we have) and upside down catfish,

I would say the goldfish are not a great choice of tankmates as they can create a high amount of waste,the upside down cats are a good choice,I like this choice as I have 10 in with the above mentioned group of P. buffei,and as I write this I realize you have been calling yours P. debauwi, double check this in the Cat-eLog usually they get called debauwi cats in the LFS but are actually P. buffei (which is what I have)It explains in the fact sheet how to differentiate.

As for maintenence, we do a 40-50% water change every week or so

I find mine do not like the large water changes too much they show less adverse affects when given smaller changes but done more often.

How did you ever find twenty??

Not sure where in Alberta you are, Riverfront in Calgary often has some of these in stock,I know right now they have a tank full and they do not sell very quickly.

Birger

THX for the info Birger!

Too bad I live way up north and Calgary is like a 10 hour drive...