In northern Central America the common catfish found are Rhamdia which are not often imported, these act and look very much like N American bullheads.
Eden2
Channel cats are similar but unless your tank is 1000 gallons, they will out grow it.
Here in southern Central America the Arius catfish are more numerous.
They are quite active compared to Rhamdia, and especially as young, in constant almost manic motion.
Many are brackish, and oceanic and also get too large. The brackish type that inhabit river deltas, are considered good eating.
Fishermen clean them at sea, but the heads often wash back to shore.
Catfish and cichlids have a sketchy relationship at best, preying on each others eggs and fry, often found together, are really arch enemies.
In nature they keep each others populations in check.
Some people don't think of Pleco's in the traditional sense as catfish.....
There are Central American Pleco's and Farlowella ( stick) catfish
The pleco below was caught with my cichlids in the San Martin area of Panama,
it has doubled in size from about 3" when 1st caught, to almost 6" within a year (1st day is the net photo, net is 4")
it is a fair algae eater, but is also an opportunistic carnivore.
Magnus_Bane
idea of the channel cat for this tank. With a jag in there, all bets are off as to if the cat will be tolerated/left alive, so might as well make it a large, tough, less expensive fish like a channel cat.
