Giraffe Cat questions?

[AU_Arowana-RG]

What is the most commonly available species of Giraffe Cat?

Also, would any of the larger Giraffe Cats comm successfully with any fish that is around 1 foot?

[Silurus]

Depends on where you are, but would usually be

Auchenoglanis occidentalis

.

[sidguppy]

the problem with giraffe cats isn't their piscivore nature

subadults and adults might eat tiny fish up to 1.5" or so

the real problem is their own size....

an adult giraffecat almost reaches the size of an adult Tiger Shovelnose and twice the bulk.

[AU_Arowana-RG]

Wait, so your saying they won't touch 1 foot fish?

Didn' know that they could achieve 1 meter. Any that only reach 2 feet?

[Silurus]

You should be looking at

Anaspidoglanis macrostoma

then.

[sidguppy]

Wait, so your saying they won't touch 1 foot fish?

yup, that's what I'm saying

there's 1 exception: they will not EAT a 1 foot fish, but if the 1 foot fish is a speciesmember and the other one's a bigger Giraffe cat too, they can and will be very nasty

I've only known of 1 exception where 2 giraffe cats of similar size played nice.

despite their gentle nature (they're very gentle to all other fish) the intraspecies territorial agression is large and they get positively more nasty when reaching a larger size

big giraffe cats play havoc on small ones.

[AU_Arowana-RG]

So, is this only between members of their own species or any other Giraffe cat species period?

[sidguppy]

it's between speciesmembers and other cats that look a lot alike

all the claroteids are territorial, but some much more than others

parauchenoglanis and anaspidoglanis are also quite fierce when they meet each other.
unless you have a matching pair, adults will harass each other a lot.

when they're tiny, it's mellow, but the character develops when the fish grows

a 500L 2 meter tank wasn't big enough for 2 parauchenoglanis pantherinus for example.
and those 2 were male and female. but they didn't match

[AU_Arowana-RG]

Ah crap. Does that mean that keeping them with Doradids, pimelodids, and synodontis is out of the question?

[Silurus]

I've had some success keeping Anaspidoglanis with other fishes.

[Richard B]

Ah crap. Does that mean that keeping them with Doradids, pimelodids, and synodontis is out of the question?

In a good sized tank, these & A.Macrostoma should get on ok - just don't mix Anaspidoglanis, Auchenoglanis & parauchenoglanis

[jippo]

I have two Parauchenoglanis pantherinus(both male) and four Anaspidoglanis macrostoma(2 male+2 female) in 530l 160cm long tank. In fact one pantherinus and one macrostoma share the same pipe. There is enough hiding places for everyone but still these guys are always at the same pipe. When i had only two macrostoma it was pretty rare to see them swimming around but when i got two more it's different. Now they are swimming at daytime too, and not only when i feed them.

I know that there might be some problems to mix these ones but it has been working well at least in my tank. Both pantherinus are adults as well as two of macrostoma. And i haven't got any problems with Synodontis, Mochokiella paynei, Chyrysichthys or Plecos with them. Maybe i'm just lucky one but everything works fine with them.

Soon i will move them to 1600l 3m long tank with Auchenoglanis occidentalis and some Chrysichthys. If that doesn't work at least i can always move them back to their original tank.

[sidguppy]

if I confused you; not intended

with me they mixed just fine with different catfishes; it was catfishes that looked a lot like themselves or speciesmembers that they didn't like

there never was any true damage, but there was a lot of chasing.

the more differences, the better it worked.

I've kept juvenile Anaspidoglanis with Amphilius (!) and those were ignored.
the adult Anaspidoglanis and Parauchenoglanis shared the tank with Synodontis, Schilbeids, Doradids, medium large Loricariids and the like without any issues

but I've tried to keep auchenoglanis with Anaspidoglanis and that combo didn't work.

the tank was my old 2 meter 500L tank; ample wood and rockwork was provided.

[AU_Arowana-RG]

Thanks for the info, sidguppy. Will try looking for one of these guys for an all Cats setup.

[arapaimag]

I have never had a problem with my 26" Auchenoglanis occidentalis bothering any catfish (Owned for 13 years) and in a tank with more than 30 catfish.

I did have a problem with the Giraffe attacking and injuring a 20"+ Stingray but that is the only fish he has ever attacked. I had 2 female rays around the male rays size and they were never bothered ( I moved the female rays because the male was too aggressive when mating, and eventually the male ray because of the Giraffe).

[jprp]

Have seen large group of GC's ranging from about 15 to 30 inches but in system around 10000ukgal.

I have one arround 25in that shares with perruno 28in, megladorus 24in down to pike ciclid around 8in ,there have been smaller fish, down to about 5in with no problems.
the only fish it would not tolerate was a clarius. Currently in 250ukgal.