Got a new impulse buy....

[tommybhermitage]

Hello all, long time since I’ve been on here, just got my 200g up and running. I saw what wAs labaled as an “achara” cat at the LFS and I got it.its about 4 inches, do you think I’ll be able to keep him in here?

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

Hi Tommy, long, long time indeed.

4" Fish should be fine in 200 gal

After its barbel span reaches the tank width, it will be the time to upgrade.

 

[tommybhermitage]

Hi Tommy, long, long time indeed.

4" Fish should be fine in 200 gal

After its barbel span reaches the tank width, it will be the time to upgrade.

Cool, thanks! I hate having fish I can’t keep for life, I when he gets that big I will try to upgrade,” hard to find anything this big around here”, maybe do a plywood build. Appreciate the help

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

Cool, thanks! I hate having fish I can’t keep for life, I when he gets that big I will try to upgrade,” hard to find anything this big around here”, maybe do a plywood build. Appreciate the help

If your tank is 2' wide, the time to upgrade will come in 4-8 months when it reaches 1' total length and its maxillary barbel span will be 2'. It will become skittish, stressed and will dart around injuring itself because an instinct will tell it it's trapped and there is no escape.

 

[tommybhermitage]

If your tank is 2' wide, the time to upgrade will come in 4-8 months when it reaches 1' total length and its maxillary barbel span will be 2'. It will become skittish, stressed and will dart around injuring itself because an instinct will tell it it's trapped and there is no escape.

Well, the tank is 4*3*2* but I talked to my LFS where I got it and she said I can bring t back and she will exchange it for something else I want. So I’m prob gonna get a few Raphael cats, had some 10” before loved them, and maybe some cories, because I have a baby TT eel in there I didn’t want the achara to eat as well, lol

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

Then the achara could be more or less adequate for 1-1.5 years. It won't be happy in the last half a year when bigger because of little swimming space. My three in 4500 gal don't swim much but once in a while like to stretch their fins so to speak and take a lap or two. Also, I don't know what they do from midnight until 6 am.

Achara most usually is utterly non-predatory but they can take small tank mates, usually if starved.