Monster fish for a partially planted tank???

[thebiggerthebetter]

Your catfish knowledge is obvious;y beyond most....I have researched this a bit. The Planet Catfish searches I do return one or two species at most......If so many are possible can you at least name a few of your favorites? Narrow it to South American species if you like.....I am looking for uncommon and visable fish. Not something that rarely moves or hides all the time. I love plecos but cannot come with plant safe species. I like the bullhead suggestion but would prefer a more colorful fish if possible. I appreciate any guidance here!

Every entry in the PCF Cat-eLog has the following next the max size info: "Find near, nearer or same sized spp."

Have you tried these filters yet?

More colorful bullhead would be the southern brown variant.

...
I have fairly safe stock for now...two larger Angelfish, two Kelberi P-bass and one Borneo Python eel. We plan to plant the end of the tank with the large mangrove pc.

What catfish that do not exceed 18" can someone suggest to add to this mix?? Second....what schooling fish can I add? Obviously Silver Dollars are out....what grows 4-8" and can be kept in groups that will not destroy out plantings? Not planning on adding CO2....annubis and ferns to start I would guess.....maybe some cool moss on large driftwood. Thank you!!!!

Yea, I forgot you specified the tank mates. Although IDK how long it'd be before the pbass will attempt to prey on the tankmates - the angels, the rare eel depending on its size and growth rate, the schooling 4"-8" fish, and the catfish that you will choose.

Angels can turn nasty to all tank mates when they start breeding.

A school of pink tail chalceus is said to look amazing but need a lot of them, perhaps 12+? IDK if they'd go after the plants but I assume they wouldn't being predators.

Let's talk about these before again turning to the catfish, if you will.

 

[Chefken]

Every entry in the PCF Cat-eLog has the following next the max size info: "Find near, nearer or same sized spp."

Have you tried these filters yet?

More colorful bullhead would be the southern brown variant.




Yea, I forgot you specified the tank mates. Although IDK how long it'd be before the pbass will attempt to prey on the tankmates - the angels, the rare eel depending on its size and growth rate, the schooling 4"-8" fish, and the catfish that you will choose.

Angels can turn nasty to all tank mates when they start breeding.

A school of pink tail chalceus is said to look amazing but need a lot of them, perhaps 12+? IDK if they'd go after the plants but I assume they wouldn't being predators.

Let's talk about these before again turning to the catfish, if you will.

The kelberi are still small and I find them to be pretty decent tankmates so far. Not nippy or aggressive except to food sized fish....The eel is 12" and pretty fat....the Angels dont seem to have the tools to do much harm. Do Kelberi get much more aggressive as they grow? They rarely exceed 14-15".....I would think 5=6" angels and and 18" eel fairly safe.....the Chalceus sound intriguing and exactly what I am looking for......6 seems like the fewest to attempt according to sources. Thank you!

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

You've not said if you had tried the filters I pointed out.

The kelberi are still small and I find them to be pretty decent tankmates so far. Not nippy or aggressive except to food sized fish....The eel is 12" and pretty fat....the Angels dont seem to have the tools to do much harm. Do Kelberi get much more aggressive as they grow? They rarely exceed 14-15".....I would think 5=6" angels and and 18" eel fairly safe.....the Chalceus sound intriguing and exactly what I am looking for......6 seems like the fewest to attempt according to sources. Thank you!

As any pbass, kels are voracious predators. Your 4"-6" schooling tank mate can be a meal for a large kel. I've never kept the angels but them too could be eaten, I'd assume.

As for the catfish, if you aim to keep them with the large kels, I'd think that they need to be at a minimum 8" and not wiener shaped. Pictus catfish won't do. Synodontis eupterus comes to mind and other larger riverine synos - notatus, occelifer, decorus, angelicus, etc. Four-line pim catfish too, and other medium Pimelodus, P. ornatus, etc. As stated, suncats. These are some of the common ones. All these may or may not be primarily hiders, depending on the tank setup, tank mates, the number of specimen, and great many other factors which we don't understand.

Large hoplo catfish can be thought of. There is one species that gets up to 10" or so. These would be very visible and helpful. Small Doradids from the Hasar or Doras genus. Even Centrodoras brachiatus can be considered since it grows to only 1.5'. Medium-growing giraffe catfish from the Parauchenoglanis genus or small-growing giraffe cats from the Auchenoglanis genus, like "Volta" river, or senegali who top out at 1'. Several species of Schilbe catfish aka grasscutter catfish. From Heptapretidae - Rhamdia quelen. From Bagridae - Hemibagrus nemurus albino form is all we get.

Bolt catfish. Platysulurus mucosus. Lima shovelnose Sorubim lima. etc.

Anyhow, the field is still too wide so I'll stop here.

 

[Chefken]

You've not said if you had tried the filters I pointed out.


As any pbass, kels are voracious predators. Your 4"-6" schooling tank mate can be a meal for a large kel. I've never kept the angels but them too could be eaten, I'd assume.

As for the catfish, if you aim to keep them with the large kels, I'd think that they need to be at a minimum 8" and not wiener shaped. Pictus catfish won't do. Synodontis eupterus comes to mind and other larger riverine synos - notatus, occelifer, decorus, angelicus, etc. Four-line pim catfish too, and other medium Pimelodus, P. ornatus, etc. As stated, suncats. These are some of the common ones. All these may or may not be primarily hiders, depending on the tank setup, tank mates, the number of specimen, and great many other factors which we don't understand.

Large hoplo catfish can be thought of. There is one species that gets up to 10" or so. These would be very visible and helpful. Small Doradids from the Hasar or Doras genus. Even Centrodoras brachiatus can be considered since it grows to only 1.5'. Medium-growing giraffe catfish from the Parauchenoglanis genus or small-growing giraffe cats from the Auchenoglanis genus, like "Volta" river, or senegali who top out at 1'. Several species of Schilbe catfish aka grasscutter catfish. From Heptapretidae - Rhamdia quelen. From Bagridae - Hemibagrus nemurus albino form is all we get.

Bolt catfish. Platysulurus mucosus. Lima shovelnose Sorubim lima. etc.

Anyhow, the field is still too wide so I'll stop here.

Very helpful....good ideas here. I have a line on 6 Chalceas I may try as they seem perfect and will be brought in nearly the same size as the bass are now.....We shall see!

 

[Chefken]

You've not said if you had tried the filters I pointed out.


As any pbass, kels are voracious predators. Your 4"-6" schooling tank mate can be a meal for a large kel. I've never kept the angels but them too could be eaten, I'd assume.

As for the catfish, if you aim to keep them with the large kels, I'd think that they need to be at a minimum 8" and not wiener shaped. Pictus catfish won't do. Synodontis eupterus comes to mind and other larger riverine synos - notatus, occelifer, decorus, angelicus, etc. Four-line pim catfish too, and other medium Pimelodus, P. ornatus, etc. As stated, suncats. These are some of the common ones. All these may or may not be primarily hiders, depending on the tank setup, tank mates, the number of specimen, and great many other factors which we don't understand.

Large hoplo catfish can be thought of. There is one species that gets up to 10" or so. These would be very visible and helpful. Small Doradids from the Hasar or Doras genus. Even Centrodoras brachiatus can be considered since it grows to only 1.5'. Medium-growing giraffe catfish from the Parauchenoglanis genus or small-growing giraffe cats from the Auchenoglanis genus, like "Volta" river, or senegali who top out at 1'. Several species of Schilbe catfish aka grasscutter catfish. From Heptapretidae - Rhamdia quelen. From Bagridae - Hemibagrus nemurus albino form is all we get.

Bolt catfish. Platysulurus mucosus. Lima shovelnose Sorubim lima. etc.

Anyhow, the field is still too wide so I'll stop here.

I found this little beauty today.....from what I read 6' but very fat. The only fish I ever had that went after Syndont cats was my Butterferi....That fish killed anything put near my 120 gallon. Even my Lents are shoved out of the way by the Syndont in my other tank.

 

[Chefken]

my new small school of Pink tailed Chalceus.....

 

[fishhead0103666]

Nice