Most catfish need very good water conditions, very low nitrates. Extremely sensitive to medication and water impurities, generally the first type of fish to experience disease or death in a tank if somethings off.
Catfish newbie
- Thread starter Cichlid savage II
- Start date
Most catfish need very good water conditions, very low nitrates. Extremely sensitive to medication and water impurities, generally the first type of fish to experience disease or death in a tank if somethings off.
FWIW, I don't think so. You'd be very hard pressed to find an expert to agree with the above sentiments. In fact, I am sure you'd not find one.
I've kept all catfish species I could get my hands on for 13 years and FWIW in my experience they are not different from other fish kinds on average, that is if we can generalize over the 3500 known catfish species, ~6000-7000 all together, and the hundreds of them found in the ornamental fish trade.
...
The tank will be 300 to 400 gallons.
***Gotta be concrete, 300 or 400, and we need to know the dimensions?
For the life of the fish.
***OK
I would prefer a more active fish.
***OK
I want a catfish that is attractive to me.
***No one knows it but you. Please browse through the Cat-eLog on Planet Catfish site and show us by the way of examples which ones you fancy.
Depends on the fish.
***OK
Variety of apecies in the tank.
***OK
I've kept all catfish species I could get my hands on for 13 years and FWIW in my experience they are not different from other fish kinds on average, that is if we can generalize over the 3500 known catfish species, ~6000-7000 all together, and the hundreds of them found in the ornamental fish trade.
...
The tank will be 300 to 400 gallons.
***Gotta be concrete, 300 or 400, and we need to know the dimensions?
For the life of the fish.
***OK
I would prefer a more active fish.
***OK
I want a catfish that is attractive to me.
***No one knows it but you. Please browse through the Cat-eLog on Planet Catfish site and show us by the way of examples which ones you fancy.
Depends on the fish.
***OK
Variety of apecies in the tank.
***OK
What sentiments are tou referring to?
Why does the tank "gotta be concrete"?
Since I'm interested in doing a SA Biotope, I'm confident that will eliminate some of the 6000+ different catfish.
At this point I'm more interested in learning about catfish and what people have kept successfully. I'm not going to just throw a fish into my tank for the sake of having a catfish.
I think he’s arguing my point that catfish are hypersensitive!
thebiggerthebetter
pretty much does this for a living though so his word is probably better than mine ? he’s got quite the collectionI’m not sure what he meant by concrete though
I think he means that 300-400 is a large range, a specific gallonage in mind would make selection easier.
I will have a better idea of the actual tank tomorrow after a little window shopping and talking to a LFS owner that I know.
...
96Lx 36Wx30H approximately 425 gallons is what I've found on the internet. I like these dimensions.
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Thank you all.
Yes, the first part of my prior message was addressing the Potato Patatto's post. Then yours, after the ... Sorry.
Yes. Concrete as in specific. Sorry.
So the width of the tank will be the most important size-limiting factor. It'd help us help you if you, again, browsed the Cat-eLog and showed us the looks of which catfish under 1.5' max size but probably not less than 1' or so you'd like, so that it doesn't outgrow the tank nor is preyed upon by the arowana and pbass. Don't bother with the catfish with no or few photos (which means they are rare and unavailable in the trade), only look at the ones with many photos. Give us 5-10 examples, please.
The tank is not big enough to house a silver arowana for life, though. IDK if you considered that. It's too small for all but the smallest pbass species too. Again, if we are talking for life.
Yes, the first part of my prior message was addressing the Potato Patatto's post. Then yours, after the ... Sorry.
Yes. Concrete as in specific. Sorry.
So the width of the tank will be the most important size-limiting factor. It'd help us help you if you, again, browsed the Cat-eLog and showed us the looks of which catfish under 1.5' max size but probably not less than 1' or so you'd like, so that it doesn't outgrow the tank nor is preyed upon by the arowana and pbass. Don't bother with the catfish with no or few photos (which means they are rare and unavailable in the trade), only look at the ones with many photos. Give us 5-10 examples, please.
The tank is not big enough to house a silver arowana for life, though. IDK if you considered that. It's too small for all but the smallest pbass species too. Again, if we are talking for life.
I looked at several catfish. In no particular order:
1. Ripsaw Catfish
2. Fisher's woodcat
3. Giant Bumblebee Catfish
4. Chocolate Pleco
5. Bolt Catfish
If those are fish you like the look of, then for life fish for that tank that are similar could include,
1. Pterodoras granulosus
1. Megalodoras uranoscopus
1. Girraffe catfish (most of them)
3. Larger jelly cats (although they may be a little on the small side)
4. A number of the larger plecs
5. A number of the larger pim types
Tigrinus
Jurense
Wyckii
Liearius
Vulture cat
1. Pterodoras granulosus
1. Megalodoras uranoscopus
1. Girraffe catfish (most of them)
3. Larger jelly cats (although they may be a little on the small side)
4. A number of the larger plecs
5. A number of the larger pim types
Tigrinus
Jurense
Wyckii
Liearius
Vulture cat
