tankmates for Pictus catfish

[Olga]

I have one Pictus and one Raphael catfish in 40g. aquarium. I am going to add there one more Pictus and other fish. The problem is what kind of fish is better to add. I like Gouramis a lot, but I have read that they need lots of plants (differently from Pictus who likes the open space) and they do not like active tankmates (Pictus are qiuet active).

What do you think about it?

 

[FroggyFox]

If I had a choice I think I'd pick some kind of schooling fish that hangs out towards the top of the tank like a hatchetfish or guppies, since I think both the pictus and the raphael get pretty big and will eat any slower moving fish that will fit in their mouth when they get older. You could probably get a gourami in there, they dont NEED plants...but just like most fish (even the ones you already have) they appreciate places in the tank to go to get away from their tankmates.

 

[Olga]

I also thought about guppies, but they are only 2.5" long...will not they be eaten? and one more consern, is it possible not to have guppies-babies?

 

[CAPSLOCK]

Baby guppies will get eaten in most tanks... they shouldn't be a problem with a few pictus cats . When the pictus get bigger they'll probably eat the adults too... guppies aren't exactly speedy enough to get away from most predators.

I'd say a gourami is fine... just don't get a dwarf gourami, they tend to be more passive. A normal size gourami will most likely think that the tank is its own, I've never seen that they get bothered by larger/faster fish. They also tend to stick to the front of the tank, so I don't think it'd bother it too much if you don't have much in the way of decorations.

 

[Olga]

will gourami bother other fish, I mean figth for space/food in the aquarium?

What do you think could be the better choice of the tankmates?

 

[CAPSLOCK]

Depends what other fish. They don't "fight" for food, but they certainly eat their share (and then some...). Mine is fine with tetras and cherry barbs and such... but I suspect small tetras would become pictus snacks eventually. I'd bet tiger barbs are safe with pictus cats and/or a gourami.

 

[Olga]

I have only one Pictus catfish and Stripped Raphael catfish. I am looking for some more fish to add so it will not be eaten or eat my fish ...and that will be active *twirlysmi

 

[svetlana]

My pictus is living happily in fairly planted tank, because of this he does not have an access to some parts of it which is prob good. Instead he hangs out in his own passage under driftwood where nobody dares to swim because he can butt into them.
He lives with all fish listed under 29g tank in my sig plus 2 adult mollies. No problem with him: he does not harrass any fish, his only rivals are 2 cories whom he can kick sometimes w/o any harm though. He is about 4".

Good thing about pictuses is that nobody cares about them, they live out their own agendas and leave others alone. I meant in communities, if you put them with cichlids, i would say "caput pictus".

Gouramis are fine with the pictus. Just think twice before getting those and get them like triple healthy no less, otherwise they will bring their noumerous health problems and eventually die.

--s

 

[CAPSLOCK]

How about the larger rainbows? Big, peaceful, active... and they like the upper levels of the tank.

 

[Olga]

...dwarf puffers grow up to 1" ?
How long have you had Pictus and dwarf puffer for?

 

[Olga]

I did not think about rainbows

 

[CAPSLOCK]

Giant danios would work too... and they're a bit cheaper than rainbows.

 

[svetlana]

...dwarf puffers grow up to 1" ?
How long have you had Pictus and dwarf puffer for?

Puffer lives almost a year and pictus for about 7 months. Their ways do not intersect, if what you are asking. I wonder if they know each other at all.

 

[Olga]

at first I was worrying about bothering Puffer by Pictus, but I researched about Draft Puffer and it is not the fish which allows to do so. I read that Puffers are agressive fish and nip other fishes fins. How they do in your aquarium with other fish?

 

[svetlana]

As I told so many times: my puffers (initial 4) effectively exterminated each other over a period of almost a year and now there is just one winner (male).
They never attacked other fish. When they were younger I noticed couple of nicks on fins of one cory and a rainbow shark but it never happened again once they sexually matured and started love and kill each other.
I had no problems keeping them in community tank with combination of fish (!)I keep currently.

 

[angel51431]

I'm going to back up the rainbowfish suggestion. Boesemanis, or even regular "australian" rainbows become quite stunning as they grow big. They're peaceful, and are likely to stand their ground. Gouramis are more sensitive and territorial, therefore you either have to have a carefully-chosen pair or just one. Or you can do both, a gourami and a couple of rainbows of your choice. I have that in my own tank, and my moonlight gourami has no trouble coming from the rainbows.

And of course all fish appreciate both open space and hiding spots, so you should have some plants or decorations around the corners at least. Catfish, who aren't that active during the day as opposed to the night like to have places of refuge as much as slower gouramis do.

 

[Olga]

Thank you guys!
So many choices and all fish is beatiful!
I went to the local petstore and was surprised that they do not have Giant Danois and Rainbows are not in stock right now. I just try to go to a different place.
...but I saw Tiger Barbs. They are funny and not to small should I be ok with them?
I have heard that they like to nip other fishes fins. Do you have this problem?

 

[angel51431]

tiger barbs are a fish i definitely have a soft spot for, very fun little fish. It is recommended that you keep them in a group of 6 or so, the more the better. They do nip fins, slow fish with trailing fins don't do well with them (like gouramis). They grow to a max of about 2-3 inches, but start out small so although they're definitely hardy enough to live with a pictus cat, I don't know whether they'd be risking being eaten by a big pictus mouth or not. My own tiger barbs are some of the biggest ive ever seen (4 years old, knock on wood!) and they are about 3 inches head to tail, but I don't know how big a catfish mouth can be.

 

[svetlana]

Pictus won't eat tirger barbs. He will swallow some livebearer fry. Pictuses are not aggressive, they are opportunistic eaters who do not attack and kill on purpose.

 

[angel51431]

There is hardly a fish that is not willing to eat livebearer fry. Its not that a pictus would attack, its just that catfish will swallow whatever will fit into their mouths. If the tiger is small enough and isn't looking it may just be him. But a pictus would have to grow pretty large, so if its still young and you buy the barbs now, they should both grow at a decent speed and there should be little to worry about