I am going to be moving my Piranhas into a 40 gallon tank and i need to get a catfish to pick up after them. I just dont know which catfish will be able to. Does anyone know of any catfish that will survive with piranhas? I though about maybe getting a jarupari. What, in your opinion, should I get?
catfish to live with Piranhas?
- Thread starter graham
- Start date
First of all a shoal of piranha can not live in a 40gal tank for life!
Besides that I think the only possible and I stress possible tank mates would be striped and spotted raph cats. Two reasons: one they are relativly cheap, and two they are nocturnal while Ps are diurnal, and three they are some what armored (ok so that was three). I have had a 6-7 inch stripped raph with my mixed pygo shoal with no problems at all but once I added him to my Mac tank the P did some serious minor dammage so I moved him back to my pygo shoal.
I hope to acquire a megaladorus (sp) irwini to add to my pygo shoal. I think, because I have had these fish for 8 or 9 months and I know their personalities, one would work as they are practically jsut giant stripped raph cats. Then again I could be making a costly mistake. That is the life with Ps.
Oh yeah cheap Plecs may work for awhile but....ewww
Besides that I think the only possible and I stress possible tank mates would be striped and spotted raph cats. Two reasons: one they are relativly cheap, and two they are nocturnal while Ps are diurnal, and three they are some what armored (ok so that was three). I have had a 6-7 inch stripped raph with my mixed pygo shoal with no problems at all but once I added him to my Mac tank the P did some serious minor dammage so I moved him back to my pygo shoal.
I hope to acquire a megaladorus (sp) irwini to add to my pygo shoal. I think, because I have had these fish for 8 or 9 months and I know their personalities, one would work as they are practically jsut giant stripped raph cats. Then again I could be making a costly mistake. That is the life with Ps.
Oh yeah cheap Plecs may work for awhile but....ewww
I dont really have a shoal of P's, I have 2. they are really really small right now. I dont want them to get to big so I am only moving them into a 40 gallon (47 gallon if I have enough money) so will I be able to get a catfish at all? Also I have a common pleco in my 75 gallon that is about 4-5inches long, but dont they just eat algea and the like? I need something that will clean up the bottom of the tank so I dont have to.
Catfish do not replace the need for you to do scheduled gravel vacs/water changes. In fact adding more fish to a tank that small will actually increase the need for you to do such tank maintenance because of the extra waste produced. Plecos will eat more then algae though.
Also what do you mean you do not want you fish to get big?!? Are you saying you want to try and stunt your fishs growth? If so you do not need to keep pets or have children the rest of your life!
Also what do you mean you do not want you fish to get big?!? Are you saying you want to try and stunt your fishs growth? If so you do not need to keep pets or have children the rest of your life!
Ouch! That children thing was a little harsh JD.
I would say skip the catfish. Would just tax your filtration system more adding a 3rd fish. And it will probably be killed eventually. When I had P's I added a striped raphael cat. It was killed. Exodons and a pleco too. All killed. One of my P's actually died after having the plecos head lodged in it's throat.
P's are messy fish. Nothing can change that. Water changes and gravel vacs are necessary for your fishes health.
Why don't you try snails or crayfish to clean up some of the scraps? The crayfish will probably also die, but at least it's a cheap, healthy meal.
I would say skip the catfish. Would just tax your filtration system more adding a 3rd fish. And it will probably be killed eventually. When I had P's I added a striped raphael cat. It was killed. Exodons and a pleco too. All killed. One of my P's actually died after having the plecos head lodged in it's throat.
P's are messy fish. Nothing can change that. Water changes and gravel vacs are necessary for your fishes health.
Why don't you try snails or crayfish to clean up some of the scraps? The crayfish will probably also die, but at least it's a cheap, healthy meal.
lol, so funny. can you actully stunt a pirannas growth anyway? i know if you put an oscar in a 10gal or 100gal they get the same size.
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