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I was debating on setting up a tank for 4-6 species of fish and was wondering what size tank would be recommended as all accounts I have read state they rarely move... Would a breeder style tank (36"x18") be adaquate for these guys>?

Nate
I would say yes if you were going to keep 2, but 4-6 I would think (and if keeping the smaller B.ranius) it would be better to go with a 48"x18", or wider preferably.
I do love these fish myself, so am keen to see this one if it works out.
Martin

I seem to recall these were a little bit quarrelsome when a group of adults were kept together. They were a very inactive fish but got a bit shirty when getting close to each other

Shirty?

Viktor Jarikov wrote:Shirty?

Bossy/temperamental/quarrelsome.

thanks guys for the response... that sucks. I want to set up a micro monster (fish that look BIG but stay under 8")... are there any others you guys may recommend?

Microglanis.

grokefish wrote:Microglanis.

Good call

Generally speaking, Microglanis are very shy. OK I got a Microglanis art from Uruguay which is much less shy - but still, one hardly sees them

Once one of mine Microglanis was ALWAYS very visible: It's hidingplace was a rock supported by the front window

Later this one went into a pond, and coming back into a tank (with the same rock similarily placed) it choose a more conventional hidingplace. I only saw it rarely again

Batrachoglanis raninus stays under 8"

individuals that pass 5" TL are very rare and I have never seen any bigger than 6" TL

however; that tank is tiny! a 36" tank, that's 3 feet........suitable for Corydoras, but definitely not for 6 Batrachoglanis.

for 3 or 4 I'd say get a 4 footer; want 6, get a 5 foot tank.
4 feet long; 20" wide; height is not so important; 12-16" is plenty.

but floorspace is the key since this species is glued to the floor like a rock.

Microglanis are a great little fish but yes they can be a lttle bit absent from regular viewing!
What about some of the smaller woodcats - certainly some more unusual species seem to be popping up over here at the moment?

Or some of the smaller bagrids - mystus, batasio etc

Have a look through cat-e-log & see what you fancy...

Thanks guys for the info. a 5' custom tank should be here January first, dimensions are 60" x 18" (only width that will really fit where it needs to go) and 14" tall. This should work for 5 or so?

Microglanis are some of my favorites, but but Have kept them for 3+ years now.

Smaller woodcats would be a good idea, as I just recently picked up another group of centro. perugiae's who are in a similar sized tank.

careful with combing small fishes and Batrachoglanis

peaceful as for example the raqninus is (it's a very laidback fish), it is a piscivore

small Tatia's can block their spines.

a 4" Batrachoglanis and a 2" Tatia might be a recipe for a small tragedy.....

Microglanis can be easily talked into coming out.
In my opinion many of our 'nocturnal' fish are not really purely nocturnal at all in the wild.
For example microglanis have a cryptic patterning, why have that if you are a purely nocturnal fish?

What I found with microglanis is that if you put enough leaf litter and small pieces of wood such as twigs and shit in the tank, have only small tetras and NO other bottom feeders or cichlids they will scout about in a very relaxed manner hunting around through the leaf litter.
This is especially true if you feed a very constant supply of live food such as water fleas.
It is well worth doing because I believe you are seeing as close as one can get to natural behavior of these fish.
I think the frenzied flying around like headless chicken behavior seen in most tanks is because the wee fellas are basically shitting themselves that they are gonna get eaten.
That is my experience.

Also small wood cats, such as are awesome fish when kept in a very planted tank, theres in nothing so fun as watching 10+ specimen wizzing around when you put water fleas in for their dinner!
It's a mad sight.

In fact I think I can see a plan coming together here.........

Well, one might say he was like a Titanic but it is looking like we are turning Groke around... not without his participation, of course... life is a sine wave...

my microglanis tank is one of my favorites, and the new centro. perugiae's also entertain me when they are out hunting!

I agree with microglanis and twigs/leaf litter. Theya re out ALL the time. I love them. I am just trying to find somethinga little bigger than my typical tiny residents.

I found this past weekend at a LFS what I am ID'ing as either or . The only thing was the two fish were 2-2.5" and each had adult male apistogramma's hanging out of their mouths. The other thing which I cannot find in any pictures, they had BRIGHT orange heads and tiger patterned for the rest of the body, forked tail. I couldn't pick them up as I don't have a tank yet, but i might attempt to sneak back over there and grow them out in a 20 gal L until the 5' tank.

does that description remind anyone of anything in particular

I doubt its raninus from that description.

I would love to keep raninus but one never see them round here.

perhaps?

grokefish wrote:I doubt its raninus from that description.

I would love to keep raninus but one never see them round here.

MA St Albans had a whole tank of 'em last year, biggest single group i've ever seen - if i get the chance to visit in the not-too-distant future, i'll see if there are any left

Richard B wrote:

Pseudopimelodus bufonius

perhaps?

http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/yukio4a3/54168049.html

Richard B wrote:

Pseudopimelodus bufonius

perhaps?

The eyes seemed further back on the head, but all in all, I would say that that should be correct.

I will do some reading up on them and see if its something I want to tackle!