Channel catfish and Cichlids?

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A

adc-aquatics

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Dec 15, 2005
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Southfield, MI
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I have kept small channel catfish (17") with oscars in the past and had no problems.

Now I have a different dillema. I have a 535 gal Tenecor acrylic tank (8x4x2.5). It is all set up and has been running for the last 6 months. It is basically a South/Central American cichlid aquarium with a few oddballs.

2x Tiger oscars (11")
2x Gold severums (7" and 6")
3x Convicts, a pair (3.5" male and 2.0" female and 2.0" female)
20x Baby cons (1")
A bunch pf Baby cons (newly hatched)
1x Female firemouth (5")
2x Male firemouths (3.5”)
2x Jack Dempsy (6" and 7")
1x Green Terror (6")
2x Juvie Green Terrors (2.5")
7x Silver Dollars (3.5")
1x Rainbow Shark (4")
1x Irridescent Shark (12")
1x Synodontis nig. (4")
1x Synodontis eruptus (4")
1x Common pl*co (9")


There is one fish I really want to add.... a channel catfish

Assuming the catfish reaches 30", will my small fish (convicts, Firemouths, etc) be in trouble even if they have enough cover and moonlights at night so they can see?

I don't really care about the baby cons, I just would hate to see the small cichlids (cons and FM's) get eaten.

Is there anyone with experience with this mix of fish?
 
EVENTUALLy he will eat ALL of your fish. they get huge dude. hahahah. most of the big cats will eat ANYTHING. they will bulldoze your tank decorations over at night time to eat all the fish they can fit into their mouths. they will do this until they are the only ones left in the tank. he will be fine for a few years, but once he hits the size of a foot or so all your smaller fish will begin to disappear. then as he gets bigger and bigger he will work his way up. i have had channels and RTC's and they both get pretty agro with age and size...oh and your pleco will probably be ok. hahahahh.
 
i said your SMALL fish bro!!!!! oscars arent exactly a small meal. baby cons and even parental cons unless HUGE ones will be eaten. all i said was he would start from the bottom and work his way to the top...THEORETICALLY. unless you stunt his growth or keep him so fat that he doesnt want to eat he will out grow and eat most of the fish you have mentioned so far. your oscars can get up to 16" or so and i dont think the cat will grow large enough to eat that size a fish in that size of tank. your GT's may be ok too. in the long run. but if you didnt want my opinion whyd you ask for it. i gave just that, MY OPINION. and you asked if anyone had experience and i do so i commented with MY OPINION. if you didnt want it you should have wrote your post saying "im gonna put a channel cat in with these fish in this size tank and they wont get eaten....who disagrees?"
 
I misread your post. Sorry. That's too bad b/c I have a particular fondness for Channel cats. I was planning on feeding it well every evening so prevent any unintended deaths. I guess the one time I would have forgot to feed it, it would have finished off my smaller fish.

Thank you for talking some sense into me. I guess I was just a little naive. Nice fish BTW (gallery). However your avatar leaves something to be desired.
 
hahahah, nice to meet you bro. glad you can handle my style. hahaha. not always the most polite guy on the forum but i am always friendly to friendly people. thanks for the comments on my fish and my good looks. get some pics of that tank. i am jealous that yours is bigger than mine in this world of MFK where SIZE matters most. WE WANT PICS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Hey adc...or should I say oscar6? You are oscar6 right? Anyway, I agree with CM, channels will try to eat anything, most large catfish will. Have you considered a bullhead? Or white catfish? Both are very channel-like but considerably smaller. They are still large fish but they won't get three feet like the channel catfish will.

Here is the state record white catfish for VA
State%20Record%20White%20Catfish%20and%20Angler.jpg


Here is a state record bullhead from MD, 16" long.
060403frbullheadreese.jpg
 
Hey ST, the registration process wouldn't take "oscar6." Oh well. I just defaulted to adc-aquatics, since I am very familiar with that name.

No catfish for me. I just have to stick with my current fish until I get a bigger tank. :grinyes:
 
BIGGER TANK!!!!!!!!!! isnt this one now 535!!!! you rock dude. thats already huge. we need pics for reals!!! you should get one of those white cats SandTiger is talking about. it looks identical to a channel cat to me. if it stays "small" like that one you would be ok!
 
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