Gulper cats and small fish?

[sean-820]

I've been considering getting a gulper cat for a while but i don't really want another competely solo fish (right now i have a elongatus, sanchezi and a breeding pair of rb piranhas)

I understand they probably will eat most fish, but i was thinking if i do a driftwood bog type tank with mayby 2/3 of the tank (125g) with some driftwood logs and a solo gulper cat fish some small fish like guppies, tetras or even convicts could work if the gulper was large and mayby they would be too small for the gulper to care and to quick and agile so they can seek shelter in the driftwood.

I understand some would probably get eaten but i was hoping some breeding cons, cory cats or something may work if they have shelter, the cats well fed and the cats to large to want to chase a guppy when its getting easy food from me. I'd like something that could breed like cons so theres a possiblility that new generations can replace the ones that are eaten.

Tank specs are 125g (6x18") with eheim 2217 and rena xp3 so plenty of filtration for the fish.

With this tank i'd need plenty of driftwood so i would like to know if anybody knows how i can get a buch in canada for pretty cheap. I've found some on great lakes beaches but its usually just branches and im looking for thicker logs/ stumps. Also if i was to get some off ebay or something what would shipping be like for say a 2ftx 2ft stump as i think it could get pricey


thanks for any help

 

[Abyss]

I keep my two Gulpers with Platys, Danios and Silvertip Tetras.

They do not bother at all with them. They actually follow the Gulpers around, and the Gulpers don't care. Even at night, they leave them alone.

As a caveat my Gulpers have been in captivity for over 3 years and seem to have lost the will to get their own food ie, it has to be fed to them on a stick, if I leave it on the bottom, they won't touch it.

Also, my tank is 30" tall, so it is a bit taller than standard heights, meaning the little fish have plenty of space to swim about near the surface (partly why I chose fish that I notice swim near the surface).

I think Gulpers are such individual characters that you would need to try it to make certain what they will do, but be prepared to accept small fish losses.

Having said that, if you look at the mouth of a Gulper and the way it eats, I seriously doubt whether a small tiny fish below say 2" could actually be eaten. Probably wrong, but imagine a huge mouth then an ******* shaped throat that expands and contricts to pull in food (like a snake). Seems to me that unless a smaller fish try and darts through the '*******' throat, its gonna escape. I found this when trying to feed the Gulpers smaller bits of food, they just can't take it, they need a certain size meal to allow them to suck it in. Sounds weird, sorry.

ps. I think heavily scaping the tank (like I have done) also helps. However, be careful not to make any of the bogwood pieces too sharp as I noticed the elastic type skin on the Gulper can get scratched easily.

pps. I have no experience with them, but might the Cons actually make the Gulpers life miserable? Always fidgeting and nipping them?

 

[Columbian Shark 3]

Hmmmm I don't know that just sounds like a recipe for disaster....

 

[sean-820]

I keep my two Gulpers with Platys, Danios and Silvertip Tetras.

They do not bother at all with them. They actually follow the Gulpers around, and the Gulpers don't care. Even at night, they leave them alone.What size is the gupler. Id assume a small gulper would be alot more likley to eat them then a large one

As a caveat my Gulpers have been in captivity for over 3 years and seem to have lost the will to get their own food ie, it has to be fed to them on a stick, if I leave it on the bottom, they won't touch it.This was one of my thoughts too. Being the greedy fish that they are described as i dont see why a 10" fish would want to chase a tetra when it can just get fed a chunk of fillet regularly

Also, my tank is 30" tall, so it is a bit taller than standard heights, meaning the little fish have plenty of space to swim about near the surface (partly why I chose fish that I notice swim near the surface).My 125g is 22" i think. The plan is to do a wood pile mayby 12" tall on average for one part of the tank

I think Gulpers are such individual characters that you would need to try it to make certain what they will do, but be prepared to accept small fish losses.I realize there could be losses the only thing I dont want is all the fish gettign wiped out overnight. Id probably buy a couple dozen feeder guppies and just see how long they last before i spend any money on tetras or any fish that cost a couple bucks

Having said that, if you look at the mouth of a Gulper and the way it eats, I seriously doubt whether a small tiny fish below say 2" could actually be eaten. Probably wrong, but imagine a huge mouth then an ******* shaped throat that expands and contricts to pull in food (like a snake). Seems to me that unless a smaller fish try and darts through the '*******' throat, its gonna escape. I found this when trying to feed the Gulpers smaller bits of food, they just can't take it, they need a certain size meal to allow them to suck it in. Sounds weird, sorry.I see what your saying. Im sure they could eat a small fish but they do seem more built to take down fish similar to their own size so it may be harder for them to catch some guppy then it is for them to catch some larger fish

ps. I think heavily scaping the tank (like I have done) also helps. However, be careful not to make any of the bogwood pieces too sharp as I noticed the elastic type skin on the Gulper can get scratched easily. How easily is easily? I am looking more for log type pieces or stumps so nothing really sharp. Mayby some rounded rocks but to make it more interesting what do you think of some leaf litter (almond or oak leaves) and mayby some small rounded rocks and more branchy wood (but still rounded) for a treeroot sort of look

pps. I have no experience with them, but might the Cons actually make the Gulpers life miserable? Always fidgeting and nipping them?

I have heard of cons being mean to some fish but if the gulper is much larger then it they should leave it alone. If they touched the gulper they would deffinity be removed as im not having a 120$ fish get hurt but a 5$ fish.

thanks for your help

 

[importracer]

Gulper cats have large mouths.........The "GULP....."Any fish smaller than then them would be eaten.......

 

[sean-820]

^Is this from experience or assumption?