For catfish experts out there. I'm curious what can actually be kept with large predatory catfish? Some people said peacock bass, arowana and etc. I don't know how true if that really works. I bet alligator gar is an obvious way-to-go choice since it's hardy and large enough to not be eaten by any large predatory catfish out there. And by large catfish, I'm talking about at least TSN's size and larger like piraiba or wels. The largest catfish I currently own is a RTC that I've kept for 3 years.
What fish can be kept with large predatory catfish species?
- Thread starter Pyluper
- Start date
Most large pred cats aren't aggressive in the sense of disliking other fish, they are just really big and greedy. The main Problem of keeping them with other fish is raising them as they outgrow nearly all other fish and eventually try to eat them. And younger pred cats really like to try to everything, sometimes even if it is to big.
Once they are more or less fully grown and mellowed out a bit, you can keep them with anything really that is to big to eaten and greedy/eating fast enough to compete with them for food.
Alligator gars aren't the best choice, definetely hardy and large, but they can be real jerks that like to bite.
Peacock bass are greedy, and if they are big enough to be not considered prey you can keep them with them, just be aware that cats are active at night while the bass rest. Same for lots of other typical predatory fish.
Stingray are subobtimal, as they eat rather slow, and the cats will eather steal to much or become to fat with them.
If you want to go really large, there is always the Arapaima. And other pred cats with a similiar size go well aswell.
How big is your RTC and tank?
Once they are more or less fully grown and mellowed out a bit, you can keep them with anything really that is to big to eaten and greedy/eating fast enough to compete with them for food.
Alligator gars aren't the best choice, definetely hardy and large, but they can be real jerks that like to bite.
Peacock bass are greedy, and if they are big enough to be not considered prey you can keep them with them, just be aware that cats are active at night while the bass rest. Same for lots of other typical predatory fish.
Stingray are subobtimal, as they eat rather slow, and the cats will eather steal to much or become to fat with them.
If you want to go really large, there is always the Arapaima. And other pred cats with a similiar size go well aswell.
How big is your RTC and tank?
i would suggest more of a tanky fish. large enough so it can keep pace with the catfish in growth to hopefully prevent it from eating it. maybe a red tail or a peacock bass. something large that a catfish would think twice about eating.
Large, non-elongated fish that aren't so aggressive they will kill the catfish. For South American cats, Cichla are a common choice like the user above mentioned.
I didn't mean raising them together from the same size since they're small. I meant, uh, if we're talking about 'keeping them with other fish, presumably all max sized. (Though I doubt peacock bass max size can be with RTC or not.)
A max size Monoculus is 80cm in the wild and 50cm in captivity, tho 40cm is more expectable. It really depends on the size of your rtc.
So at maximum size that both of them can possibly achieve in captivity. An RTC will eventually be able to eat it.