Tigrinus Catfish w/ Cichlids

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volcomstone

Candiru
MFK Member
Oct 6, 2006
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I've been wanting a Tigrinus for a while as they are definitely my favorite catfish. So I have an opportunity to purchase one @ around 5" and I'm thinking of placing him in my 8' tank which houses some mid size cichlids and some monster clown loaches.

Does anybody own a Tig where it is housed w/ your cichlids? Any aggression issues towards your cichlids w/ the Tig? I've owned smaller catfish before which did fine in my cichlid tanks but technically I've never owned a monster catfish like a Tig before so would like to hear other people's experience. Tigs should have a similar behavior as other monster catfish. So if anybody owns any other catfish species similar to a Tig and houses them with your cichlids, LMK your experience!
 
Your loaches will quickly become snacks. What kinda cichlids and how big are they? With those long flowing fins on the tigs I feel like he will get picked at constantly.
 
volcomstone;4409440; said:
I've been wanting a Tigrinus for a while as they are definitely my favorite catfish. So I have an opportunity to purchase one @ around 5" and I'm thinking of placing him in my 8' tank which houses some mid size cichlids and some monster clown loaches.

Does anybody own a Tig where it is housed w/ your cichlids? Any aggression issues towards your cichlids w/ the Tig? I've owned smaller catfish before which did fine in my cichlid tanks but technically I've never owned a monster catfish like a Tig before so would like to hear other people's experience. Tigs should have a similar behavior as other monster catfish. So if anybody owns any other catfish species similar to a Tig and houses them with your cichlids, LMK your experience!
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A tigrinus catfish will not have aggression issues with tankmates. He will, however, eventually eat all of them. And he won't feel guilty in the least. Its what they do. They eat whatever will fit in their mouth. And eventually, he'll be big enough that all you fishes will fit in his mouth.
 
I think you guys are talking about TSN cats. Tigs don't get nearly as big and won't be able to eat your cichlids unless they're really small, mine even left the loaches alone when he might have been able to eat one....in fact, everything IME leaves the loaches alone and mine are only 6-6.5". My former Tig, which Flamenco-T now owns, was about 19-20".

Terd, a Tigrinus could very well have aggression issues with tankmates, mine was very territorial and aggressive when he became an adult. Especially at night when the lights go out. When the cichlids are ready to sleep, the Tig comes to life....he was chasing the cichlids around the tank all night long. He stayed under a huge piece of driftwood during the day. If a cichlid wandered into his territory, he would freak out, biting at them and flinging his body all around to get them out of his space.

When the Tig is smaller though, it could be the other way around. Most likely you want to raise him in a separate tank until it gets some size. Don't forget, you don't want to overfeed them, they are suceptible to Sudden Death Syndrome.
 
balton777;4410713; said:
I think you guys are talking about TSN cats. Tigs don't get nearly as big and won't be able to eat your cichlids unless they're really small, mine even left the loaches alone when he might have been able to eat one....in fact, everything IME leaves the loaches alone and mine are only 6-6.5". My former Tig, which Flamenco-T now owns, was about 19-20".

Terd, a Tigrinus could very well have aggression issues with tankmates, mine was very territorial and aggressive when he became an adult. Especially at night when the lights go out. When the cichlids are ready to sleep, the Tig comes to life....he was chasing the cichlids around the tank all night long. He stayed under a huge piece of driftwood during the day. If a cichlid wandered into his territory, he would freak out, biting at them and flinging his body all around to get them out of his space.

When the Tig is smaller though, it could be the other way around. Most likely you want to raise him in a separate tank until it gets some size. Don't forget, you don't want to overfeed them, they are suceptible to Sudden Death Syndrome.
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I'll admit, I was going on my experience with TSN's. But tigrinus get about a foot and a half or so? One of my TSN's was slightly smaller than that when he ate my prized convict that was longer than a dollar bill. :eek:
 
terd ferguson;4410753; said:
I'll admit, I was going on my experience with TSN's. But tigrinus get about a foot and a half or so? One of my TSN's was slightly smaller than that when he ate my prized convict that was longer than a dollar bill. :eek:
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No worries. The biggest one I've seen is Marshy's, which he claims is 27" but I haven't seen it next to a tape measure. Still, that's too big for volcomstone's 240g imo. Their bodies aren't very flexible/bendable.

Here's a link, check it out he's awesome.
Largest Monster in my tank ever! 27 Inch Tigrinus (
multipage.gif
1 2 3 4 5)
marshy
 
balton777;4410781; said:
No worries. The biggest one I've seen is Marshy's, which he claims is 27" but I haven't seen it next to a tape measure. Still, that's too big for volcomstone's 240g imo. Their bodies aren't very flexible/bendable.

Here's a link, check it out he's awesome.
Largest Monster in my tank ever! 27 Inch Tigrinus (
multipage.gif
1 2 3 4 5)
marshy
Click to expand...

That's a lot of skrilla in that tank. :WHOA:
 
Thanks everybody for your inputs! I'm planning to upgrade to a 3' wide tank by the end of this year which is where the Tig (if I am to get one) will be going to. Right now it's just temporary housing in the smaller tank which houses some of my cichlids.
 
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