PlanetCatfish.com

I'm planning out a 55G (probably to be upgraded to a 75G in a year or so.) I have it pretty much figured out except for cats, and wanted to check in and make sure I'm not going to go and do anything silly. I'm possibly looking at some sort of Lori (or not, it might be nice to have -one- tank that doesn't need a steady stream of veggies) but that's a different forum, but I'd also like something more active. The Doradidae family looks interesting (although I don't know if it really fits the 'active' role), as does the Pimelodus genus.

The stock that I've settled on will be a sev, blue acara, and some flavor of earth eater (probably Satanoperca leucostia/jurupari,) and a school of green tiger barbs for a dither and because I need a school of something in a tank or I go batty. Whatever goes into this tank is going to need to be a fairly active eater and know how to back down from a fish that's having a bad day I'm thinking.

As far as Pimelodus go, I think I probably need to look at the pictus, maculatus, and albofasciatus species since even with a 75G, a 48" long tank doesn't seem big enough for a 10-12 inch fish that likes to swim. Reading the catelog on here is giving me mixed feelings about mixing them with the barbs. As far as I can tell they'd be fine with the cichIids but the barbs might nip at them. I like that they'll actually come out during the day if you give them somewhere to hide and don't use too bright of lighting.

Doradidae is a little harder since they don't seem to collapse down to just one genus that I can look at. Platydoras costatus and Agamyxis pectinifrons look like they could be interesting. Amblydoras hancockii is pretty but I don't know if if would work with the other fish. I think I'm more interested in these guys as a single fish, since they're pretty hardy, pretty (er, pretty pretty?), and noisy fish are, well, interesting (not that I've been able to listen to the sound clip) assuming you can actually hear it. Would I be able to keep a Doradidae with pims, or is there any way to get them out during the day? I'd like something a little more visible than the clown pIeco I have (that I only see because he hides out on a rock in a crack facing the front) or the two-spot mystus cats I have that never leave the PVC pipes I have for them and my loaches, or at least more visible than that if I'm going to keep more than one.

The other thing I'm thinking of is going with some larger Corydoras or Brochis instead of the pims, but that's a different forum. I'm leaning towards the pims, but if I'm not going to have room for a decent group of pims I may go to something else.

Thanks a lot.

In all honesty, I think your tank is way too small.

You are right thinking 'a 10 inch fish which likes to swim does not fit into a 48 inch tank' However, this does go for cich lids as well

Satanoperca are social fish, they need to be in a group of 6 - preferably, however 8. They grow till over 8 inches (small varieties) or even 10. I had 8 in a 800 l tank - that is over 200 US gallon, with heavy filtration. Thwey did, however, not spawn, because the tank was too small. Later they went into a bigger tank.

Severum will, also, grow to over 8 inches. I had a related art (H efasciatus), they had a territory of a meter (3 feet) across when spawning.

I think you better decide what you want. The tank will be nicely for:

Doridae: 3 Agamystis (Amblydoras are smaller, but very nocturnal, unfortunately)
Callichtidae: 6 Brochis, or Corydoras
no fish from the Pimeloidae, as they grow too big - 6 inches or more, and the smaller species are social, and very active; a related family, Heptateridae might suit you with Brachyrhamdia sp.
Cichlidae: 1 pair of Laetacara dorsigerius or cumingi, Cleithacara maroni will do as well (but prefers a heavily planted tank) ior Krobia species

others: Some smallis (11/2 - 2 inch) Characidae, such as Hyphessobrycon rosae

Personally, I am not filling a tank:
38 inch * 22 * 20 inch (rather 95 * 55 * 50 cm, made on demand)

with:
3 Krobia species, 2 Brachyrhamdia, 3 Corydoras panda and 8 C similis. I think I might ad 10 H rosae.

I definately think tiger barbs would be a poor choice of dither fish when there are so many other great options.

Any doradid is more than likely to be secretive although hardy enough to survive with the sort of things you're talking about although things might be more than a bit cramped