Catfish for my 220

[Fish Tank Travis]

Thanks guys. This is why I'm here. I have tried to do some research but I seem to get a lot of different info about all these catfish, especially when it comes to size and aggression. I appreciate your patience while I ask many questions and change my mind many times.

At this point, I'm more leaning away from the pictus cats because I think I want something bigger than 4-5".

I'm also leaning away from, but not for sure ditching the idea of, the Lima shovelnose because I would like to have something fairly active, and I get the impression that they are not (please correct me if I'm wrong, because that would significantly change my views on them).

The vulture cat, although beautiful, seems to get too big at its activity level for my tank. I have also read a lot of stories about them having aggression issues during feeding times.

I have not ruled out the bolt catfish but I also have some more questions regarding it. Is it aggressive towards other fish, or just other bolt cats? It appears to get up to 13" long. Is it active or does it more hide all the time? At its size, will my 220 be large enough for it?

Lastly, I've been looking into the four line catfish. I do still have some questions about it as well though. Does it like to school like the pictus cats do and, if so, what's the minimum quantity I should have for them to feel comfortable? Is it active like the pictus is? Does it have any aggression issues that might interfere with other fish in the tank?

Again, thank you all so much for your help.

P.S. Why can't they just have a mini TSN? That is by far the best looking catfish I have ever seen. Lol

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

No problem. Ask away. You don't appear a flake but someone seriously thinking and responsive too.

FTT: I'm also leaning away from, but not for sure ditching the idea of, the Lima shovelnose because I would like to have something fairly active, and I get the impression that they are not (please correct me if I'm wrong, because that would significantly change my views on them).

TBTB: IME when things are right (no stress, no bullying, presence of kin, no strong current, no bright light), they are very active, swimming often in parallel in a school, head down either vertically or at an angle. It looks great. But need probably at least 8-10 of them and quiet spots. Vertical plants or wood would help too but mine 8 do it in a largely bare tank. They almost never rest on the bottom, always in the water column.


FTT: I have not ruled out the bolt catfish but I also have some more questions regarding it. Is it aggressive towards other fish, or just other bolt cats? It appears to get up to 13" long. Is it active or does it more hide all the time? At its size, will my 220 be large enough for it?

TBTB: Mine two don't seem to bother any other fish but only each other. They are active, I'd say, in my 4500 gal. The smaller the tank, the less active they may get. Just my thought.


FTT: Lastly, I've been looking into the four line catfish. I do still have some questions about it as well though. Does it like to school like the pictus cats do and, if so, what's the minimum quantity I should have for them to feel comfortable? Is it active like the pictus is? Does it have any aggression issues that might interfere with other fish in the tank?

TBTB: They appear to quarrel in small groups and in small tanks. I have about 6 in 4500 gal and they get along well, not so much schooling but hanging together. Same with pictus, I'd not call it schooling per se.


FTT: Why can't they just have a mini TSN? That is by far the best looking catfish I have ever seen. Lol

TBTB: It's done so that you progress. Once you set up a tank of several thousand gal, you can have all the TSNs you can handle.

 

[moe214]

That's not true. I can't say for certain which species get to which sizes, but I can tell you for certain that there have been plenty of examples of 15-24" lima shovelnose cats in the US. haynchinook334 owns (or at least owned) one of them, if I remember correctly. I've seen plenty of them posted here over the years, and I've even seen one in person in an aquarium at my university that was around 20".

Unfortunately I was never able to grow one up myself. I've had some really bad luck with limas. My first two got mutilated by a pacu, then my next one was presumably eaten by my silver arowana, and my final attempt, with a 9"+ individual that I was sure would do just fine, my ~12" Synodontis frontosa randomly decided to beat it up one day, and it died overnight. I finally gave up after that incident.

Though it was addressed, the key word is reported' I said no more than 2 have been reported in the u.s; that I know of anyway. We can't simply trust ones word, or even a picture without something to reference size. Other wise I could say I grew a Lima to three feet. Elongatus are known to max at 1' true limas are between 20-24" AFAIK.

Thanks guys. This is why I'm here. I have tried to do some research but I seem to get a lot of different info about all these catfish, especially when it comes to size and aggression. I appreciate your patience while I ask many questions and change my mind many times.

At this point, I'm more leaning away from the pictus cats because I think I want something bigger than 4-5".

I'm also leaning away from, but not for sure ditching the idea of, the Lima shovelnose because I would like to have something fairly active, and I get the impression that they are not (please correct me if I'm wrong, because that would significantly change my views on them).

The vulture cat, although beautiful, seems to get too big at its activity level for my tank. I have also read a lot of stories about them having aggression issues during feeding times.

I have not ruled out the bolt catfish but I also have some more questions regarding it. Is it aggressive towards other fish, or just other bolt cats? It appears to get up to 13" long. Is it active or does it more hide all the time? At its size, will my 220 be large enough for it?

Lastly, I've been looking into the four line catfish. I do still have some questions about it as well though. Does it like to school like the pictus cats do and, if so, what's the minimum quantity I should have for them to feel comfortable? Is it active like the pictus is? Does it have any aggression issues that might interfere with other fish in the tank?

Again, thank you all so much for your help.

P.S. Why can't they just have a mini TSN? That is by far the best looking catfish I have ever seen. Lol

I find blochii to bicker with one another and not to active once larger especially. And I find them not as active as pictus. It can be a little territorial but ime it's only towards other catfish and any fish who messes with it and even so it only tries to stab them with its spines, never successful ime. I think TBTB would help more than I could as far as bolt cats. But the 220 is big enough imo.

I don't wanna seem pushy lol but I feel the ornate pim is what you're looking for. It looks better than a blochii IMO, grows to the same size roughly, likely less territorial, and are known to do nicely in a group like their smaller cousins, pictus. DB junkie reports his group do well together, are very active, greedy, and keep to themselves.

 

[Fish Tank Travis]

Though it was addressed, the key word is reported' I said no more than 2 have been reported in the u.s; that I know of anyway. We can't simply trust ones word, or even a picture without something to reference size. Other wise I could say I grew a Lima to three feet. Elongatus are known to max at 1' true limas are between 20-24" AFAIK.


I find blochii to bicker with one another and not to active once larger especially. And I find them not as active as pictus. It can be a little territorial but ime it's only towards other catfish and any fish who messes with it and even so it only tries to stab them with its spines, never successful ime. I think TBTB would help more than I could as far as bolt cats. But the 220 is big enough imo.

I don't wanna seem pushy lol but I feel the ornate pim is what you're looking for. It looks better than a blochii IMO, grows to the same size roughly, likely less territorial, and are known to do nicely in a group like their smaller cousins, pictus. DB junkie reports his group do well together, are very active, greedy, and keep to themselves.

Well, that's looking like a pretty good option. I like that it can be kept in groups and is supposed to remain pretty active. I'd like to look into getting three or four of these guys.

Any idea where I can get some of these?

 

[moe214]

Jeff raps gets them in from time to time, email him and out a request if he has none in stock. Go to the vendor section and check some out.

 

[jclyde13]

Me neither. But everyone's experience differs. Mine matches Moe's. What you may be recalling are, at least in part, large LSN from Europe posted on MFK. That'd be true in my readings. Europe tends to get more true lima. In the US, I've not come across more than 1-2 examples of true lima. It doesn't mean there are no more there. It's what I've come across.

I have a humble write-up of my experience and understanding of the lima vs elongatus story, if you are interested. It's been evolving with time. I am always happy to adjust my views upon being presented with compelling evidence. No problem there.

I guess that's possible. I would be interested to read your write-up.

Here I go again. Sorry, don't mean to be argumentative. I'd naively think with nice filtration, the slim eels and slim LSNs would not overstock the tank but the margin of safety will be small, that I'd agree with.

If they do indeed max out at 1', then I would agree with you there.

Though it was addressed, the key word is reported' I said no more than 2 have been reported in the u.s; that I know of anyway. We can't simply trust ones word, or even a picture without something to reference size. Other wise I could say I grew a Lima to three feet. Elongatus are known to max at 1' true limas are between 20-24" AFAIK.

I see what you mean. I can only think of one example that included a tape measure in the photo, but I don't recall who posted it, let alone where they were from, and I wouldn't even know where to begin to try and dig up that image, so that doesn't do us much good, I suppose. I would be interested to see what Haynchinook would have to say about this though. I'm not sure if he's still active these days.

 

[Fish Tank Travis]

Ok, I was looking to see if anybody has the ornate in stock and I came across the white dorado catfish at Bluegrass Aquatics. I really like the looks of that guy but I can't find any info on them. I saw a thread that thebiggerthebetter started sometime last year, but I didn't end up getting any info on them.

Anyone have any info on these guys or are they a mystery?

 

[fishnatics]

As for the blochii's, my 2 are not active at all. Very territorial and will make mad dash when food is thrown in. Had 3 but constantly fight so I rehomed 1 and they both seem to have settled down in their own corners. Beautiful sight when they do come out. This is just my experience with mine.

 

[justarn]

I just keeping thinking of that video of the 3ft fire eel as fat as a man's Thigh....
They can get huge!!!

 

[justarn]