I may be in trouble?

[pennyg]

A year or so ago I picked up 4 upside-down catfish for my 55 gallon. At least that was how the lfs had them marked. Well I soon figured out only 2 were upside-down catfish and the other 2 were what I thought was 'lace' catfish because those were the only other ones that store was selling. Now I am worried these guys are actually feather fins? and I think those will get too large for my 55g?
what do you all think?

 

[kno4te]

They are featherfins but should be fine in a 55g. Wouldn’t add anymore.

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

The ID is obviously correct. Bigger is always better but chances are they won't outgrow your 55 gal or if they were, it'd take a long time, over 10 years.

 

[Nilsafeller]

Looks like featherfin to me! Get about 10 inches and ALWAYS find 1 fish to pick on relentlessly lol... 55 may be tight for more than 1 if it Is in fact a feather

 

[Fishman Dave]

Yep, featherfin. As for tank size, well that's gonna depend on what aggression you see. They are well known for aggression to other synos , including your other two much smaller upside downs. However, this does seem to depend on sex, tank size, decor, etc.
I have kept 4 in a 55g before up to 6" with no problems before moving them into my pond, and yet had 2 in a 80g who tore each other to pieces.

 

[pennyg]

Thanks everyone for the confirm on ID
the 2 upside down catfish I already moved to a 10 gallon with only a betta and they seem happier
my 55 is my African mbuna community and the featherfin definitely hold their own with the cichlids. the only thing I worry about is I have some big decor pieces to give the cichlids hiding spots and breaking line of sight. I have 15 (variety of) African rift lake cichlids. There's also a pleco that will be moving to my 120 g soon I think. the pleco and the featherfin are all about 6 inches each. I can get a picture of the tank set up if that helps. I am running 2 HOB for filters and weekly 40 % water changes.

 

[Fishnerd360]

Do upsidedown catfish or others in that family live a long time/really hardy fish?

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

Do upsidedown catfish or others in that family live a long time/really hardy fish?

They are usually quite hardy on a general scale. Eupterus has been reported by many to live for 20-30+ years in captivity.

 

[Fishnerd360]

They are usually quite hardy on a general scale. Eupterus has been reported by many to live for 20-30+ years in captivity.

My upside down catfish is I think around 10 years old, i don't really remember since i didn't keep track and he would usually hide for weeks. But he still seems healthy.