new here at PlanetCatfish, eupterus question

[dax29]

I've been eyeing some S. eupterus at my lfs. I am keeping some S. ocelliferin my Lake Malawi cichlid tank with good luck. I really dig Synodontis cats! Anyway, those S. eupterus really look cool and I'm looking for a catfish or 2 for a 55 gallon tank that will house 1-4 Blue Jack Dempsey cichlids. These blue dempseys are not at all as aggressive as their "wild-type" counterparts and I don't think they would rip up a eupterus at all, if they even paid any attention to it(them). I plan on keeping these fish in a well-filtered (>700 gph) 55 gallon tank. What do you think?

[ecoli]

certainly doable. Just provide enough dark corners so they don't fight over them(that is, if you get 2)

[troi]

These blue dempseys are not at all as aggressive as their "wild-type" counterparts and I don't think they would rip up a eupterus at all, if they even paid any attention to it(them). I plan on keeping these fish in a well-filtered (>700 gph) 55 gallon tank. What do you think?

Get a bigger tank and get three eupterus. They will squabble among themselves, but seem to ultimately like each other's company. How big do these dempsy get? The eupterus reach a size where they would prefer more than a 55 gal to cruise as adults. And yes, lotsa caves for them; they like overhangs.

These are great fish!

troi

[CEfire]

Hey Troi,

What did you observe that made you think they enjoyed eachother's company? I am thinking of getting a few more of these to put together in a 75. Do you think that is an appropriate size?

Thanks

[troi]

Hey Troi,

What did you observe that made you think they enjoyed eachother's company? I am thinking of getting a few more of these to put together in a 75. Do you think that is an appropriate size?

Thanks

They are just social. The squabbling is almost never serious and they interact a lot, sometimes as a group but usually one on one, taking turns. The do need separate caves, tho. Males can get very aggressive toward the female in a spawning mood, so she needs room to get away.

Can't say about tank size, it would depend on who else was there. PC Cat-elogue says at least three feet long, but I would like to see a bit longer. I had three in a 100 us gal with several other good size fish including two or three adult S. decorus (depending on when in the tanks life), so if the other fish aren't too big, a 75 gal should do.

troi