A Catfish community!

[Dimidiata]

I was looking for advice on stocking a catfish community tank. The tank in mind is already mostly stock but it could use at least one more species.

What I have at the moment is a 55 heavily wooded aquarium with moderate lighting and a top cover of ricca. Currently I have the following
6 peppered corydora
2 banjo catfish and 1 craggy headed banjo
1 upside down catfish, grabbing 2 more when they come into stock
1 clown pleco, had this dude for 6 years or so now.
2 zodiac loaches
1 paradise gourami
a scatter of least killifish.

I'm running 2 30-60 aqua-techs at the moment but i'm going to upgrade one to a canister.

Like I said, the tanks pretty much stocked.I had a school of 8 silvertip tetra in there but they've finally started dropping from old age and I'm down to 3.

I have wood of all sorts at all levels of the tank which helps keep the bottom free from crowding. The banjos all stay on the bottom of course. The upside down cat is all over the wood at the top of the tank. My clown goes where he pleases and the corys and loaches are also all over the wood at all levels.

I'm wondering about something a little different now. I could expand on my current species or add a small group of something new. I really want something that may swim through the water column, a catfish thats a bit different from all the standard bottom feeders I have. Something like the Glass Cats, which i'm always afraid i'll kill even though i've been keeping for a long while.

Thoughts and Ideas?

Also small sidenote, how on earth do you people get pics of your upsidedown cats? Mine hates the camera with a passion.


Here's a clear pic of that root knot when I first put it in a while back

[bekateen]

How about some

Tatia

or

Centromochlus

?

Cheers, Eric

[Dimidiata]

How about some

Tatia

or

Centromochlus

?

Cheers, Eric

I've always loved Oil Cats but i've got my fair share of "fish that will not be seen this week" with the Banjos. I just got my first pictures of the dudes tonight actually and it was quite the adventure! I will keep both groups in mind though, they would both be 100% in love with the tank.

[bekateen]

If you want to see your banjos, just look at your aquarium early in the morning, about 6AM, just when the lights come on. They should be out and about the tank, and if you have an adult pair, they might be spawning!

... Otherwise, yeah, you're not going to see much of them, unless you are content to see two nostrils, a mouth, two eyes (but not the face in between these three things) and a few inches away, the tip of a tail fin, all sticking up out of the sand all day long.

Cheers, Eric

[Dimidiata]

If you want to see your banjos, just look at your aquarium early in the morning, about 6AM, just when the lights come on. They should be out and about the tank, and if you have an adult pair, they might be spawning!

... Otherwise, yeah, you're not going to see much of them, unless you are content to see two nostrils, a mouth, two eyes (but not the face in between these three things) and a few inches away, the tip of a tail fin, all sticking up out of the sand all day long.

Cheers, Eric

Oh the truth of it all. I'm actually keeping them on pea gravel, which the craggy doesn't mind digging into but the other two seem to prefer laying on(I am the shamed keeper) I do try and make it up to them by providing about 50-80 possible hiding places in the wood though I swear! I actually have one banjo that comes out during the day to join the day time feeding party. I always feed at lights out for the others.

I got some pics of the tank now in the first post.

[bekateen]

[shrimpkeeper222]

how about increasing the loaches number? they like at least 6

[naturalart]

I think you should be ready to try the glass cats. Many years ago I kept Kryptopterus or Parailia sp. not sure which now. And I have a few Pseudetrophius moolenburghea. My experience is glass cats need warm water (no long drops in temperature), can't go too long without food (they burn alot of energy so regular feedings are best), and are not heavy competitors when it comes to feeding time. The only potential problem I think you would have is with the paradise fish. If its a true paradise fish (Macropodus opercularis) you will want to watch that interaction. These fish can be nippers and bullies depending on its other tanks mates dispositions. Most glass cats aren't that aggressive. Once they get though quarantine, and settle into your tank, glass cats can be pretty adaptable and durable. My 2¢, good luck!

[Dimidiata]

how about increasing the loaches number? they like at least 6

Common debate with Zodiacs actually, not all loaches like groups, Zodiacs/biatics are one of those. These are actually some of the smallest territorial loaches you can keep. Trying to keep 6 in a 55 would result in me ending up with probably 4. While keeping multiple is possible, and it's not bad for them to have a little social interaction, any more than 3 or 4 is excessive unless you are trying to do a heavy stock and spread out their aggression. Zodiacs will command an entire area of a tank and will absolutely not allow any other zodiacs within this area.

[Dimidiata]

I think you should be ready to try the glass cats. Many years ago I kept Kryptopterus or Parailia sp. not sure which now. And I have a few Pseudetrophius moolenburghea. My experience is glass cats need warm water (no long drops in temperature), can't go too long without food (they burn alot of energy so regular feedings are best), and are not heavy competitors when it comes to feeding time. The only potential problem I think you would have is with the paradise fish. If its a true paradise fish (Macropodus opercularis) you will want to watch that interaction. These fish can be nippers and bullies depending on its other tanks mates dispositions. Most glass cats aren't that aggressive. Once they get though quarantine, and settle into your tank, glass cats can be pretty adaptable and durable. My 2¢, good luck!

I really am considering them. You are correct with your assessment of Macropodus opercularis for sure. In fact, this is the first tank I've managed to keep him in with a community. The trick is that he literally owns the tank. He doesn't/didn't mind the silvertips after initial interactions but when I used to keep him in a 20 it was all his. He's pretty chilled out for a Paradise for sure but I've always got an eye on him.

I have a soft spot for Gourami and Betta a like and I like the challenge of keeping some of the tougher/odder species (Indian 3 bar gourami are quite fun for anyone looking to get into that) but after 10 years of going through the oddities, I came back to my problematic fave, the Paradise. Not a fish I recommend for most communities for sure.

His attitude towards the glass cats is a big factor here. My main question is, how fast are they?

[shrimpkeeper222]

I see. I never knew that loaches can get territorial.

[shrimpkeeper222]

Glass Cats usually 'hover' and swim against currents, but they can get fast when they want to.

[Dimidiata]

I see. I never knew that loaches can get territorial.

Loaches are as diverse as Catfish. Only a fraction of the species enjoy company. Tiger loaches get about 10" long and are known to kill everything in the tank regardless of species. Zodiacs are like mini tiger loaches (they only get 3 or so inches long), they just aren't big enough to kill other fish. They do demand a huge amount of space though. Mine will attack anything even during feeding frenzies. The exception here is the banjo cats, the loaches either don't notice them, or don't care (it's really freaking weird) they even go at the paradise.

Behold! The face of a killer! Lol.


If the glass cats can dart then the paradise will leave them be. They just need to be able to get out of his way when he gets into a mood. The silvertips had it down to a science.

[pleconut]

Another midwater catfish, is the debauwi catfish, it's an African species, is relatively active but needs to be in groups, the larger the group the better the display, it would be away from the loaches, and can move fast, though not sure how it would fare with the paradise fish.

[pleconut]

Parailia pellucida

Here's a link to the information page for this species, seems it prefers a planted set up, so keeping it would mean possibly adding some plants in. But naturalart has also pointed you in this direction. So it is maybe possible without adjustments to the set up as there's lots of cover.

[Dimidiata]

Parailia pellucida

Here's a link to the information page for this species, seems it prefers a planted set up, so keeping it would mean possibly adding some plants in. But naturalart has also pointed you in this direction. So it is maybe possible without adjustments to the set up as there's lots of cover.

I've got plants in shipping thankfully.

Would this be

Pareutropius debauwi

the first you mentioned.

[pleconut]

Definitely is the one I meant, thank you for pointing it out, the other one goes under the common name African glass catfish, I've seen both of them being confused with eachother elsewhere, but I think either one could possibly work. The debauwi more likely in terms of temperature.

[naturalart]

Yes, most glass cats I've had or observed can move quickly. Don't think you will have problems with them avoiding conflict as long as aggression isn't constant. But water quality should be maintained above average. Good DO and low nitrates.

[Dimidiata]

Yes, most glass cats I've had or observed can move quickly. Don't think you will have problems with them avoiding conflict as long as aggression isn't constant. But water quality should be maintained above average. Good DO and low nitrates.

It could very well work out then. He's not terribly persistent but he does have his moments when he decides he needs to patrol and area. He only chases, never nips. It's a godsend really.

[Shovelnose]

Zodiacs are like mini tiger loaches (they only get 3 or so inches long), they just aren't big enough to kill other fish. They do demand a huge amount of space though. Mine will attack anything even during feeding frenzies.

Mesonemacheilus triangularis are territorial but they don't cause too much harm. The best way to tackle this aggression is to add as many rocks/pebbles in the tank as possible. In fact, a larger group will ensure aggression is minimised in addition to making the tank a lot more lively.

Typical habitat.

[Dimidiata]

Zodiacs are like mini tiger loaches (they only get 3 or so inches long), they just aren't big enough to kill other fish. They do demand a huge amount of space though. Mine will attack anything even during feeding frenzies.

Mesonemacheilus triangularis are territorial but they don't cause too much harm. The best way to tackle this aggression is to add as many rocks/pebbles in the tank as possible. In fact, a larger group will ensure aggression is minimised in addition to making the tank a lot more lively.

Kalur (7).JPG

I appreciate the info but it's all old news to me. I do extensive research before purchasing fish. You can keep aggressive loaches in either very small groups with big spaces, or very large groups. It does not bother them one way or another. I'm not one to stress my fish for the sake of a lively tank though. Overcrowding their aggression is far more stressful than allowing them their space. If these were Kuhli or Chain loaches I'd have about 10-15 of them of course.