Looking for temperate sucker-cats...are there any?

[Don Stephens]

Hi, all,

I'm a "newbie" here, although I've kept tank-fish and other aquatics for over 50 years. I'm also a keeper and breeder of various Herps.

I have several enclosures for "mixed-communities"...eg: small hatchling temperate-climate turtles (non-agressive, non-fish-eaters), white clouds, rosie minnows, toads and newts. I'm wanting to explore adding several hardy algae-lovin' sucker-cats, if there are such things, that could tollerate the temp-fluctuations they'd encounter in these tanks...highs of up to 90*F (32.5*C?) and lows of down to 60*F (15.5*C?).

I'd hope these could compact (to about 6-8", 15-20cm?) at maturity. And I'd want them to be non-agressive, compatible community-mate, algae/water-plant-eaters. Everything in the tanks now gets along, so a turtle-hatchling/amphibian/fish-eating cat would not do!!!...

I live in the inland northwestern US, so would want to have them not be a species "banned" by wildlife departments there, if there are such species?

Anyone care to make any suggestions, given all these parameters?

(I'd also be open to suggestions for non-preditor scav-fish in an outdoor goldfish pond....greedy me!!!...


- Don,
keeper of (hopefully)
peacable kingdoms....

[Bas Pels]

Yes, these exist. However, not many fish from the south of South America come to the north. The easiest solution would be to go to the south yourself - Uruguay for instance.

The Cat-eLog does not list many Loricarids from that far, but believe me, I've been there and they do exist. But most still remain nameless

[Don Stephens]

Thank for your reply...

Are there any from North of the tropics?

or are they all "protected"?

(I'll be in Japan for a couple of weeks in the spring...can one easily bring fish home from there?) - Don

[Bas Pels]

If I translate 'sucker cats' into Loricarids - the answer is no. Loricarids are only found in South America, and in Panama, which is geografically not south America, but many fish came from the south.

If I were to translate 'cucker cats' more broadly into catfish with a suckermouth, a few African species would come into view. These are however very delicate

Had you written 'sucker fish' - some fishes, related to loaches, would be possible. I'd suggest you take alook at www.loaches.com. These fishes, Sewelia and others come from Azia