What types of tank mates do you keep with pictus catfish? At the big box store in my town I've seen them with both Old and New World cichlids (I know not the best metric). What's the smallest fish you've kept them with? I'm guessing they'd chow on neon tetras or guppies but what about larger, deeper bodied tetras like diamond or rosy? Are they best kept with South American fish or are they adaptable with Central American cichlids? I'm not currently buying any, just researching.
Pictus catfish tankmates
- Thread starter SCM_2123
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Kept them with checker barbs, young Mellon barbs, no problem with fins either as keep mine with Congo tetras. They have got quite a small mouth for a catfish, although mine have taken a liking to 6mm sinking sturgeon pellets and are happy to feast till they are round.
Hmm,i hasld a different experience, and consider they're mouths a bit large. I would just suggest caution, picture 1 is for size reference, picture 2 presto changeo no more loach...
Maybe better to have bigger fish like Buenos Aires tetras it looks like.
Pictus are generally scavengers ime, not particularly predatory. I think they would swallow neons or guppies but I've had a group of adult pictus with some lampeye tetras for several years now without being eaten. The mouth size is really a good indicator for this fish, they seem to only grab stuff they can quickly scarf down.
Aggressive cichlids typically won't tolerate pictus lurking around unless the tank is sufficiently large or there are hiding places to escape to.
Aggressive cichlids typically won't tolerate pictus lurking around unless the tank is sufficiently large or there are hiding places to escape to.
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I'm sure it was a crime of opportunity, not a high speed chase. Perhaps with the loaches being on the same level they were at more risk while the tetra and danios stay towards the top of the tank