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I have a 75G catfish tank with mixed plecos and synos. Amongst them is a single petricola or possibly lucipinnis that I have had 10+ years. My LFS has them in stock and I'm tempted to add 3-4 more. They don't get very big and are very attractive. Do these guys do well in groups?? Is the "old one" likely to welcome, attack or ignore the new guys?? He typically does his own thing and I've never seen him have issues with any other fish, larger or smaller.

Both Petricola & Lucipinnis do well in groups. If you are adding more any aggrssion (which should be minimal, if any) will be spread throughout the group so not really an issue for you

If you are at all uncertain of the ID of the one you already have, a pic posted here will get you some pretty quick opinions on the ID.

Thanks Richard. Haven't observed any aggression in this tank over the past year other than minor squabbling over caves, but the guys and girls are growing so a new, larger setup is in the works and should be up and running in a couple months. I think that is going to make them all happier and lower whatever aggressive tendencies develope as they continue to grow. Always liked my petricola/lucipinnis. It's very attractive and has proven to be adaptable to whatever tank and tankmates it's been thrown in with over the years, so I thought adding some new guys would be nice since they are currently available at a reasonable price. I know mixing Loracids and synos isn't the reommended setup, but I've been doing it for years without problems. All my tanks have the same water parameters and temps. That makes life simpler for me and I have found that within reason, most catfish, regardless of origin, are fairly plastic and adaptable. As long as there are sufficient nooks and crannies to go around they seem to do fine together.

I agree with Richard, your old petricola/lucipinnis would probably appreciate the company and you may find it to be even more active than it is now.

Birger

Did manage to pick up 3 new Petricola Saturday morning. Had to drive two and a half hours, each way to get them, but I got em!! Cute little buggers, less than an inch long. I have them in a smaller tank, 40 USG, for the time being until they acclimate and grow a bit before I add them to my larger catfish tank with my OLD petricola.....I love buying babies, they're usually much cheaper and it's fun to watch them grow over time. Price for the babies was about $17US, each, price for an adult in the same store was $79.95!!

Buddy09 wrote:price for an adult in the same store was $79.95!!

I don't know what the exchange rate is but OUCH!!! (I suppose that depends on whether they are Petricola or lucipinnis)

Assuming they are S. lucipinnis, $17 each is not a bad price for retail. The closest LFS that carries them near me charges ~$30 for 1-1.5" juveniles. Good luck with them. I'm sure your older syno will appreciate the company once you introduce the young 'ems to the tank.

I love buying babies, they're usually much cheaper and it's fun to watch them grow over time.

Keep in mind though they are relatively slow growing, so do not be surprised if it takes awhile to get some growth.

Richard B wrote:

Buddy09 wrote:price for an adult in the same store was $79.95!!

I don't know what the exchange rate is but OUCH!!! (I suppose that depends on whether they are Petricola or lucipinnis)

79.95 -> ~£50. Not a fantastic prioe, but I've seen more expensive ones (but I think they were true Petricola).

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Mats

Yes, I thought $17 was fairly reasonable for these guys, even though they are very small, but I try to buy all my fish small, young and cheap, or at least cheaper. I also think it's easier to acclimate them to new homes when they are young. My original petricola/lucipinis was very secretive. Weeks would go by without seeing it and I'd actually forget it was even in the tank after a while. Then suddenly there it would be, a bit bigger than the last time and looking fine, only to dart back into some crevice and not be seen again for some time. As it has gotten older it does come out during the day, if briefly, and still seems to be perectly happy..as fish go anyway. It will be interesting to see how it behaves when I introduce the new guys in a couple months, after they grow a bit.