Need cat for my 220

[chrisb]

I looking for another cat for my 220. I had a silver spotted cat for a week and he vanished. I have
6" silver aro
3" jewel cichlid
3" green terror
3" j. dempsey
4" pike cichlid
and for color and movement
3 silver dollars
4 large danios (for now) till aro makes them meals
and 3 cray fish
any sug. on what i should add?

[Vcygnus1]

What are the deminsions of the tank? That will be the determining factor in what you can and shouldn't have.

[amazonfishman]

Off topic but I would ditch the crayfish, they are probably the factor that led to your cat vanishing and with your other fish being small for the most part they will become a snack for the crayfish as well if you don't ditch them.

As far as catfish go, tank dimensions would really help, also what type of catfish your looking for, do you want one that will clean the bottom of random extra food like a cory cat or smaller pictus cats, or a potential monster like most of the big south american pimeloids like TSN, Tig's, Lima's, etc.

[necrocanis]

Like amazon said either get rid of your crayfish or depinch them. Simple just tug on the pinchers and they will release them theirself. Doesn't hurt them at all, it's a natural defense mechanism to release the claws when grabbed by predator. they grow back during the next molt so be prepared to remove them multiple times! On the other hand if you like the way crayfish look with their pinchers set up a small tank for just them and some guppies that will dissapear slowly!

[necrocanis]

oh and with the other fish you mentioned in there and your tank being a 240 i wouldn't put anything larger than a lima shovelnose depending on the footprint of your tank. Unless you don't like your fish then I suggest you put a bagarius yarelli, and when he starts to mangle and eat all your fish take plenty of pics to post on here, just be ready to upgrade soon! LOL

[Jox]

A sun Cat would be great. They ,to me, are great clean up. THey look really cool though they are shy. THeir #1 love is to eat.

[necrocanis]

I agree with above! Plus i think (don't qoute me) they only get maybe 18 inches in the wild!

[chrisb]

My 220 is 72x24x30, as for the crayfish i put them in there to shut my lady up.As for cats im not to crazy about them but they are good vaccum cleaners in a tank.The only ones that spark anything is the tsn,but gets to big and now causes another problem a good home for it as an adult.With that said i have to be the GOOD aquarium owner and say NO:( since i cant provide a good home as an adult :( I had a hard talking my other half into letting me keep my 220 and keeping my 120 when she came home and the 220 was sitting on the basement floor. But back to the cats, i guess one that cleans but looks kewl,and no channels.

[Gr8KarmaSF]

giraffe cat maybe?

[necrocanis]

just remember they only clean food from the bottom not fish waste. They make gravel vacs for that. Not that you do, but I hear a lot of people say that catfish eat poo, and I have yet to own one that does unless it's by accident, and even then it is readily spat back out.

[necrocanis]

oh and giraffe cats get huge too.

[amazonfishman]

Sun Cats get 8" max though I think and I had 2 of them, they are slow growers and can be very reclusive, however, as far as peacefullness...I would not rate them as that peacefull when they get established in some area of the tank. My 8" one would kick the crap out of the royal pleco and I saw it attack my TSN the other night and that was the final straw so after a 30minute chase he got the boot.

[Carl D]

Depends how big the giraffe is when bought. They grow to 2 - 3 foot, and the tanks only 2 foot wide so it wouldn't have much space. I think the Sun Cats a good idea.

Carl.

[chrisb]

At the top of the page in the banner that says photo of the month, is that a real catfish or pleco?

[necrocanis]

Either way you look at it, that is a real catfish. Now if you are asking is it a smooth skinned catfish or an armor plated catfish, then the answer is it is smooth skinned. From the genus of bagarius i do believe!