PlanetCatfish.com

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....

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

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

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