can i house a catfish with my fish ?

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R

rob1984

Jack Dempsey
MFK Member
May 9, 2012
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ontario canada
i have 72L x 18W x 24H tank with a fx5 and right now i have a 5"ish tiger oscar, 8-10" albino oscar, 4" convict, 4" tailspot ctenopoma, 6" cichlasoma dimerus, 7" black ghost knife.....

i have white PFS some driftwood and 3 fake plants .... now am i able to stick a red tail catfish in there ? if so what size should i be looking for so he dont get bullied when introducing him into the tank as it seems anyone new in the tank gets it... very similar to jail FRESH MEAT ! lmao

also do catfish help reduce algea on the substrate and decor's ? and can i just feed him NLS sinking pellets ? are they safe to have ur hand sin the tank with ? as ive heard and read of guys getting stung or bite realllllly bad by some.....
 
Doh !! So then what other catfish is there that have the same look as a RTC then ? I like the looks of em as well as the all black/charcoal colour .... And do catfish help control brown algea or anything like that, I don't want a BNP they make more of a mess then they clean
 
rob1984 said:
Doh !! So then what other catfish is there that have the same look as a RTC then ? I like the looks of em as well as the all black/charcoal colour .... And do catfish help control brown algea or anything like that, I don't want a BNP they make more of a mess then they clean
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Go with a black bullhead. That is probably as close as your going to get.


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R: i have 72L x 18W x 24H tank
T: so that's a 120 gal tall

R: ...with a fx5 and right now i have a 5"ish tiger oscar, 8-10" albino oscar, 4" convict, 4" tailspot ctenopoma, 6" cichlasoma dimerus, 7" black ghost knife..... i have white PFS some driftwood and 3 fake plants .... now am i able to stick a red tail catfish in there ?
T: please take a look at the stickies and make a search for RTC - they are the most written about catfish here. It will have to be large enough to stand up to your cichlids. From a 2" baby, RTC reaches 1.5'-2' in 1 year, 2'-3' in 2 years, 3.5'-4' in 10-20 years. They've been kept for 30 years by some. Are you prepared for all of that?

R: if so what size should i be looking for so he dont get bullied when introducing him into the tank as it seems anyone new in the tank gets it... very similar to jail FRESH MEAT ! lmao
T: can try a 10"-er, albeit I've seen cichlids beat up and kill 1.5' RTCs when the latter were put into the same tank. It's a big gamble, IMO.

R: also do catfish help reduce algea on the substrate and decor's ?
T: AFAIK, only the grazing kind, like plecos. If you have algae problems, your tank receives too much light. Reduce the light.

R: and can i just feed him NLS sinking pellets ?
T: RTCs will eat any and all pellets, any marine/aquatic fleshy foods, etc. If a tank mates fits in their mouth and can be swallowed, he will end up there if not now but eventually.

R: are they safe to have ur hand sin the tank with ? as ive heard and read of guys getting stung or bite realllllly bad by some.....
T: RTCs are safe. They don't have pain-causing poison on their spines and the spines are sharp but not that sharp. They may mistake a hand for food and bite it - then they can scrape off some skin - not horrible but better avoided, especially knowing about fish tuberculosis and stuff.
 
rob1984 said:
I don't want a BNP they make more of a mess then they clean
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I've never heard that but perhaps we are talking about different things.
 
130g tank it actually listed as.... i just gave the INSIDE meaasurements.... yea seems a RTC is defintly too large for my tank with those others i have... well i have a brown algea issue that 80% water changes weekely arent helping and my light is a t5h0 dual bulb on from 345-915pm (48" light on a 72" tank) i just thought i member hearing or reading that catfish help with algea problems... and yes the BNP i tried one in my tank and with my white sand every morning id wake up to green string poop all over my tank, it drove me nuts like id wanna vaccuum and clean the tank every day !! lol
 
 
well just read threw all them threads and seems that either i need to change/replace my bulbs or leave em on less hrs through out the day and large water changes... so far im only leaving the t5ho lights on for 345-915pm a day and water changes are every monday 80-90%
 
my 125g is those exact dimensions. You will need more than just a fx5 on the tank with that load. I have a fx5, fluval 404, and uv sterilizer (also another form of surface agitator) on that tank. As you've clearly steered away from the rtc, mine outgrew this size tank within 4 months, after getting him at a "cute" 2 inch size, first kept in the 54g, then moved to the 75g, then to the 125g, now kept in the 265g for past year or so. You will need a smaller catfish, much smaller as it will need to get no bigger than 18" to turn around comfortably. Plus, catfish will try to eat anything they think they can. As for brown algae, I used to have a bigger problem with that. Check your water chemistry. My local pet supply store (dont sell fish) told me years ago algae is ok. Green algea means the tank is healthy, brown is bad. Try upping the filtration, increasing water flow, and adding live plants. Catfish are good bottom dwellers and "fish cleaner" as they will eat the weaker fish and dead ones. If you have sand in the tank, which I recommend, they stir up the dirty stuff keeping the tank cleaner. Try pictus catfish as they don't get too big and can fend for themselves. They will also let you know when the water quality's getting bad.
 
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