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I recently obtained a 55-gallon long Aquarium tank. After I clean it (tons of dried algae ) I am planning on getting some larger Cats. I'd like to get some of the larger cats, but I need to understand what the limitations are of the following species with both my tank (4' x 15"x15"?) and what fish are a bad mix (anotherwords LUNCH!)





Tiger Shovel nose?

Shovelnose?

Other Large Cats?



I am assuming that Platys and Corys are lunch for the above. If I am in the wrong area I apologize.

Thanks


Scott

Personally, I don't like housing any fish that is longer than the tank is tall or wide. So I wouldn't put anything with a maximum size over 10" or so in a 55.

You would definitely need a much larger tank for shovelnoses, but you could comfortably keep some nice sized plecos in a 55, assuming the tank wasn't overcrowded.

Since we are talking about TigerShovelNose Cat. It is really required to have good water current in the pond let say 8x4x3 and what kind of filteration would be good, Im thinking of a DIY drum filter that would sit above the pond and submersible pump would pump water into the drum and in the drum would be sponges. So what could be used to make the water current without the TSN swallowing or eating it ????

Tigershovelnoses pass 1 meter in length when fully grown and given ample room.

In this case ample room would be a tank about at least 1 meter wide, 1 meter high and three meters long.

not exactly 55G, no? More like 850-900G.....

You could possibly keep a pair of Sorubim lima shovelnose cats in a 55 provided there was a large area at the front of the tank for free open swimming and no other bottom dwelling fish to compete for space with. Tankmates for large pradatory catfish must be tall bodied ( silver dollar and cichlid shaped) or at least 3/4 the length of the catfish to avoid being eaten, this rule does not apply for tiger shovelnoses, redtail catfish and other giant species which should only be kept with fish that are much larger than themselves.

which should only be kept with fish that are much larger than themselves.

even larger??
we're talking fresh water Amazon dolphins now, aren't we?

The tank meeded for a fish even larger than an adult Phractocephalus would be mindboggling big.
Like the size of a nice swimming pool, or something.

Yeah, you pretty much can't keep anything with a Red Tailed Catfish anyway. The Baltimore Aquarium has one, and its tankmates are a spare school of Cardinal Tetras.

MonkeeFish wrote:Since we are talking about TigerShovelNose Cat. It is really required to have good water current in the pond let say 8x4x3 and what kind of filteration would be good, Im thinking of a DIY drum filter that would sit above the pond and submersible pump would pump water into the drum and in the drum would be sponges. So what could be used to make the water current without the TSN swallowing or eating it ????

Monkeefish,
I live in Michigan. If I had a pond, I'd have frozen fishes and I don't like the popsicle variety very much. I do not belive a pond is practicle for me. Do you have any other suggestions?

catfishcrazy wrote:You could possibly keep a pair of Sorubim lima shovelnose cats in a 55 provided there was a large area at the front of the tank for free open swimming and no other bottom dwelling fish to compete for space with. Tankmates for large pradatory catfish must be tall bodied ( silver dollar and c*****d shaped) or at least 3/4 the length of the catfish to avoid being eaten, this rule does not apply for tiger shovelnoses, redtail catfish and other giant species which should only be kept with fish that are much larger than themselves.

Are we talking Angel fish with the Sorubim lima shovelnose cats? Would that work? After reading the requirements for Cichlids (pH of , I'm concerned about the incompatibility of pH levels. Any other ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Angelfish don't need a pH of 8. In fact, that's a little too high for them.

beersnob; there's DEFINITELY more than "cichl1ds' than just Malawi or Tanganyika.....

THOSE are the ones needing the pH of about 8 (and the oddballs of central America from the calciferous highlands of Mexico);
ALL other cichlids -Madagaskarian, Indian, central African riverine -Congo-basin-, West African, Amazonian etc; need a neutral to acidic pH.......

Anmgelfish need soft water, an acidic pH (domestic breds will be fine at 7 too) and gentle tankmates in a roomy tank.

Adult fully grown Angels could be combined with Sorubim, but NOT with Pseudoplatystoma.

sidguppy wrote: THOSE are the ones needing the pH of about 8 (and the oddballs of central America from the calciferous highlands of Mexico);
ALL other c*****ds -Madagaskarian, Indian, central African riverine -Congo-basin-, West African, Amazonian etc; need a neutral to acidic pH.......

Anmgelfish need soft water, an acidic pH (domestic breds will be fine at 7 too) and gentle tankmates in a roomy tank.

Sidguppy,

Thanks for the info. I know more about "smaller" freshwater fish than the cichlids. Is there a good site that could get me upto date with Cichlids?

From your quote above it sounds like I should have adult or almost adult 2-3 Angelfish with perhaps a young Sorubim or 2.

http://www.cichlid-forum.com

the bulk hovers around Malawi and Tanganyika, but they have a decent amount of postings on West Africans and South American cichlids too.
as Barbie often reminds me, there are many idiots - "I have an adult frontosa and a two feet tank, can it be done?" - and pretty dumb questions, so you have to root around a bit.
There are a few Mods however that DO know their stuff, check out "Auballagh" (about South Americans), "Samaki" (about african riverine cichlids) and "Fogelhund" (about everything) for example.

the other cichlid-forums
http://www.african.uklinux.net
http://www.duboisi.com
http://www.cichlidae.info/phpBB2/index.php
are Ok too (although the last one's pretty pathetic IMO), but mostly Rift (Mal/Tang)