Pictus Newbie,

TJD911 · Post by **TJD911** » 04 Oct 2007, 04:24

Hey i just discovered this website and i thought it would be the perfect place to get some help. I currently have 2 tanks. A 10 gallon one, and another, which i have no clu wat its real size is lol. In the ten gallon, I have 3 goldfish accompanied by my Four-line catfish (around 6 inches). I recently purchased two pimelodus pictus(the spotted ones) at around 2.5 inches, and they are in a seperate tank. They seemed to enjoy their bloodworms and shrimp pellets. But just recently i noticed one was not active at all. One ,two days ago, became covered in ich, and now im tryin to find a solution. CAn Anyone lend a hand!?!?!?!!

MatsP · Post by **MatsP** » 04 Oct 2007, 09:51

First of all, a 10g tank is far too small for one goldfish, never mind 3 of them and a 6" .

As to your Pimelodus pictus, was this tank set up and contained fish before you added the pictus cats? If not, you are trying to "cycle" the tank with fish that are fairly sensitive to the toxins these fishes produce when they lead a normal life. In a cycled tank, these toxins are reduced to less toxic material by the filter bacteria, but with a new tank, you are trying to grow these bacteria.

Unfortunately, the outlook is quite bleak. Try raising the temperature in the tank, and get some Ich medicine that is suitable for catfish (ask the shop, check the print on the bottle).

I also moved your post to the appropriate forum, as it's not a Loricariidae family fish, but a Pimelodidae fish, which makes it belong in the "South American catfishes - everything else".
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Mats

TJD911 · Post by **TJD911** » 04 Oct 2007, 22:15

THank You sir. I picked up some medicine today after doing some research. I didnt bother askin the people at the store lol. Instead of the regular super-ich cure which contains malachite green, i purchased a copper solution because the pictus' are scaleless and i kno malachite green is harmful to those guys. So for now im goin 2 see how that works out. quik question tho, I kno that the blochi(4-line) will eat little fish like tetras. I wanna kno if i can put my nu pimelodus pictus with the 4line. I probably cant but anyways im just putting the question out there

MatsP · Post by **MatsP** » 05 Oct 2007, 09:32

From a "eating" perspective, I'm sure the pictus won't be eaten, but I'm not sure if the blochi would be to rough on the smaller pictus cats.

You need a much bigger tank than 10g, for etiher of the species.

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Mats

Bas Pels · Post by **Bas Pels** » 05 Oct 2007, 11:15

I'm not certain whether my big Pimelodus is a blochi, but i got 3, and after 6 months I had 1 left. They were housed in a 180 cm tank (that is 6 feet) so the most likely explanation fior the 2 deads was agression.

This last one I now have for over 5 years

In other words, this kind of fishes can be quite agressive, and a P pictus is quite small compared to these fishes

TJD911 · Post by **TJD911** » 06 Oct 2007, 02:01

They died...

what a day..i didnt have them 4 long tho. Now my goldfish is darting around the tank and acting crazy, frequently jumping thru the surface of the water. i guess todays just not a good day

Bas Pels · Post by **Bas Pels** » 06 Oct 2007, 09:30

I guess you better do some waterchanges for the goldfish, it is obviously not happy with its water

Besides I would suggest you either refrain from P pictus (and many other species) or reread the above and provide them with an adequate sized tank before getting others

Pictus Newbie,

Pictus Newbie,

to mats

Horrible news