Newbie needs help :)

[smulemor]

I`m relatively new to the aquariumworld, started in january with a 312 litres tank wich contains a mix of fish.
I`ve been thinking more and more about getting a catfish in my tank lately but i`m not sure what kind ?

My tank now contains these species:

2 Bolivian ram`s (Mikrogeophagus Altispinosa)
6 Corydoras Aeneus
1 Garra Ceylonensis
5 Colombian tetras (Hyphessobrycon Colombianus)
3 Otocinclus Affinis

Could I have a sort of catfish in here to ? Preferably not Ancistrus and a species that don`t grow over 15-16 cm long.

The tank is set up with a relatively fine sand as substrate, some hideouts like terracottapot`s (more hideout`s to come), two big roots, and a lot of plants.

The sirculation is quite slow because of the ram`s (they are laying egg`s like maniacs), temperature is between 26-27 degrees, kH - 2,5 pH - 6,8-7 and gH - 3.

Are there any catfishes that could fit in my tank ? preferably from south america ?

maybe i`m posting this questrion in the wrong place but I`ve never been in this forum before so please be nice to me

[bronzefry]

Welcome to Planet Catfish, smulemor! I'm sure there are several people here who can help you. Are you looking for a different type of catfish than the ones you already have?

If you check out all the different sections in the forum, I'm sure you'll see that the list of catfish is quite long and varied. The Cat E-log is a good place to look, too. This is the best indicator of the different catfish people here are into. There's a lot of them.

[MatsP]

Any of the Peckoltia species would suit the bill:
- Not ancistrus.
- Grows to about 10-12 cm or so (except Peckoltia Sabaji)

Hypancistrus are also good candidates.
- Although having "ancistrus" in the name, they are a different genus.
- Grows to 15 cm max.

In a 300 liter tank, you should be able to keep something that grows bigger than that, but if that's the size you want, then I'd say the two above solutions are OK.

A few of things that you haven't mentioned, that could eliminate some candidates:
- How much is it allowed to cost?
- Do you want it to be just pretty, or "useful" (eating algae for instance)? [You've got some Otocinclus that eat algae, so I guess it's not critical to have algae eating in the new fish]
- Is it supposed to be a Loricaridae (armoured suckermouth catfish), or is ANY catfish suitable?



--
Mats

[smulemor]

My Garra is my baby so whatever i`m getting next, it havt to get along with him
The thing is... I don`t have a clue what i`m looking for and when I start browsing the fishprofiles it almost raises more questrions than it answers me

I think the thing i`m looking for is peoples personal experience with different cat`s so i can get help picking the right one for me... i have a impression that most cat`s prefer highflowing, warm, oxygenrich water and the two last ones i can help with... not the first... so I just want some backup so i don`t get a fish that hates living with me.

maybe a weird explanation but...

[Fox M]

I think it depends on the purpose of the catfish,do you want it as a centrepiece,or just as another tankmate for the rest of the inhabitants, you could always get some diferent types of corys if you just want some more catfish, i get the feeling you dont want sucking cats cause they will compete with your Garra Ceylonensis so i wont bother recommending any.If you want a cat that will grow up to be a beuatiful centrepice (i know this one is not from south America)a Synodontis eupterus might be a choice you might consider. i have two which i have had from bubs which are lovely peaceful dudes, however once they are full grown (15cm)they can be a bit bustlely and knock the plants around a bit but are lovely and friendly and quite beutiful.if you like a bit of where's wally action Synodontis nigriventris is also a nice addition to almost any tank.I am sorry i am not much help just trying to brainstorm.

[MatsP]

Your tank setup seems great for many types of Loricaridae (suckermouth catfish). Perhaps you haven't got the water circulation needed for the more demanding species, but certainly as long as you've got some decent circulation and perhaps an airstone, you should be able to keep just about any of the species in the groups that I've suggested.

Water temp and hardness is just about right for any of them.

The problem with picking a "catfish" (as I explained in another thread just a minute ago) on the basis of "size" alone makes a very difficult task, as there are LOTS of different species that match that single criteria.

If you don't know what you're looking for, I'd suggest that you think about what type of fish you want...

You've already got two types of catfish, the Corydoras and the Otocinclus. My guess is that you don't want more of either of these, but a different type of fish. There are MANY of those. Now, you probably also don't want anything that will eat your current fish, so I'd suggest staying away from for instance

Pimelodus Pictus

.

It's not easy to suggest something straight away. All of the ones I suggest are related to the Otocinclus, but quite different.

--
Mats

[smulemor]

Okey.. about an hour after my last visit here I spoke with a friend of mine that i hadn`t spoke with for a long time.
It turns out, he had a lot of Gibbiceps youngsters so he offered to give me three of theese and if it didn`t work, i could give them back
They are born in a tank that has almost the same sirculation as i have and they`ve grown normally there so i`ve given it a try...
and when they get bigger ? he he, just a good excuse to get a bigger tank ;) I`m dreaming of a minimum 900 litres tank but don`t have the space or money to it

How fast do gibbiceps grow ?

When it comes to sirculation... i know i got it because i can see the plants in the opposit end of the tank where the outblow is move but it`s not a heavy draught if you know what i mean ?

And when you say "airstone"... is that the correct english word for a "bubblebox" ?
I have a kind of a bubblebox with two hoses going out of it and in each hose-end there is a kind of ceramic stone. I think this box creates airbubbles that are oftes seen in goldfishbowls and other decorations.
if this is so.. where should i put the stones ?

[MatsP]

Gibbiceps grow quite quickly, so I'd start saving and making space now...

Seriously tho', if you have a tank of about 300 liter now, and you want something that stays small, I'd go for a Peckoltia, Ancistrus or Hypancistrus. I know you said you didn't want Ancistrus, so skip those and look at the others.

If you want a "free" gibbiceps, go ahead. They are decent algae eaters, and aside from growing quite big and doing so relatively quickly, they are great fish... Makes the water dirty quite quick when they get big, but that goes for most of the big fish...

Airstone is the ceramic type thing at the end of the hose from the airpump (actually, it looks more like coloured glued together sand to me. "Hopklistrad färgad sand" in swedish, sorry not norwegian). You can get them in various shapes and colours. You'd place it (usually) at the back of the tank. The advantage with this is that it improves the flow of water from the bottom to the top of the tank, where the water is in contact with the air and can get oxygenated.


--
Mats

[smulemor]

ok, i`ll just see how it goes... they seeme to have found theire space on one of my roots and havent moved a lot since i put them in the tank so i guess they have to make themselves aquainted (?) before i se some more movement.
I feed with spirulina tabs, mosquitolarvae, granulatefeeds an some vegetabiles now an then and my other fisk really enjoy this mix....
will gibbiceps do to ?
weirdly enough, i havent had any trouble with algae at all and i have to feed quite heavy with spirulina and other green stuff to keep my other algae-eaters happy... i never had any trouble with nitrite (maybe incorrect writing there) in my big tank but in my smaller 63 liter i struggle like a maniac to get it right... the people that say that
bigger tanks are easyer to keep have my fullest support

but i have to admit.. my dream would be a hypancistrus zebra..... though... they cost a fortune so that`s a fantasy for a looong time ahead...

I think it`s a double airstone thing i got laying around,if i understood the forum a little better i could inserted a picture of it but hey.. i`m a newbie ;)

[smulemor]

couldn`t resist looking at the Pimelodus pictus you linked to and i just had to smile
I remember we had a smaller tank when i was around 8-10 years old and this fish was one of the inhabitants there..
I seriously don`t remember more about this tank than this fish and a orange thing we called "oskar".
Anyhow... this Pictus thing lived long after everything else had gone to the fishy heaven and got so tame that when you put your hand in the tank to do something it came and stroke along your hands almoust like a kitten or something...

weird fish...

btw... colored glued together sand in norwegian = sammenklistret farget sand ;)