PlanetCatfish.com

Hi everyone,

My name is Tienie and I live in Jeffreys Bay, South Africa.

I have kept catfish since February this year and started fishkeeping a little over a year ago.

I have kept and bred pepper cories (15 gallon tank) and have a 8 gallon tank full of fry & eggs at the moment.

I am going to set up a 30 gallon tank soon and wanted to create a South American catfish tank. But I need your help, I was think of putting in 6 pepper cories, a few hoplo catfish and then something else that is also compatible with them.

Thanks for the help!

Welcome to Planet Catfish, Tienie.

One of the very difficult questions we get here on Planet Catfish is the "I want to add some catfish to my tank, which one should I choose" - it's not at all easy to answer, as there are literally hundreds to choose from. What makes it even harder is the fact that what I can drive a mile to get in my local shop may not be available (easily) in South Africa at all (and that's not just with South Africa either, it can apply to a town fifty miles away). Not to mention the fact that my taste in fish may be different from yours and anyone elses...

It's much better if you find out from your local shop(s) what's possible to get, look at the Cat-eLog to get some information on those fishes that you can get, and then ask questions if you're still uncertain. Or if you find something in the Cat-eLog first, ask the shop and here about it.

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Mats

Hi, I can get hoplos and I already have a group of cories.

I was wondering about adding something like pictus to the tank as well.

But would rather like to find out before I chance it.

I am going to put my cories in the 3 ft tank for now and continue doing research.

A 3ft tank should be fine (albeit on the smaller side) for a group of 5 .

Pictus cats will eat small fish like Neons at night when they sleep at the bottom, but corys and hoplos will be fine, both because of their larger size and the fact that they don't sleep at night in the same way as small tetras.

Are you planning on some other (non-catfish) in the tank, and if so, what?

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Mats

At this point in time I am not planning on keeping other fish with them.

If I keep fish with them it will probably be something like black widows or danios.

I want to get the number right, as to not overcrowd the tank - but also not having too few of each species.

Sure.

Black widows would be more south american than the asian danios, but either will make a bit more "up the top" activity. If you want some more colour and less fish-volume, perhaps serpae tetra would be a better choice - although they can be a bit nippy, but I think the catfish you suggest should be fine with that.

I'd probably also add at least one bristlenose (for example) for keeping the glass clean on the tank.

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Mats

Thanks Mat!

I have an apple snail thats almost the size of a ping pong ball - he should be safe in the tank too?

I would think that snails the size of a ping-pong ball are safe, yes. I have snails the size of a pea surviving with my Pictus cat's, and they are pretty large ones...

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Mats