FishChannel Forums / Catfish / Freshwater Forums / Freshwater Fish Species

Pictus Catfish

tdeardeuff — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 18:21:28 GMT

I recently bought a Pictus Catfish for my 60 gallon aquarium. I put him in my 20 gallon quarantine tank for a little over a week and recently moved him into my 60 gallon. He was very active in the quarantine tank and at the pet store. But now that he is in my 60 gallon, he just sits in the bottom corner between a plant and the corner of the tank. I tried moving all the decorations around but now he found another place to hide. Is this normal for pictus catfish? I heard they were very active and one of the least shy catfish species. (Mine is the smaller of the two species that have the common name pictus.)

Asian Upside Down catfish

Meowfish — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 16:32:31 GMT

My Dad went off and came back with a 4 inch catfish.
I've matched it to some pictures as an asian upside down.
So I'm looking for some advice from you fine fish lovers.
He's in a 10 gallon tank right now, and we have some pellet food (tiny black balls) that say for catfish.
I'm basically lost as to this type of fish and what he needs to be happy (which makes my impulse-buying Dad happy).

Name this cory....

RELLIK — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 16:10:49 GMT

These ar not the best pics but i took them with my phone. I bought 6 of these and 5 died of disease while in the quaratine tank. The pet store i bought them from promised me more and that was over a year ago. I would like a name so I can order more and I cant find any that look like it. They are a light copper color and black with a very different dorsal than any other cories I have seen.

Next to a large 4 year old pepper

Pleco Type?

Ikinboy — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 13:42:15 GMT

Hello all,

I think that this is a Common Pleco but just want to clarify if it is...

I've got a big enough tank for the guy, (I checked the pinned topic) but just want to make sure so that I can plan what tankmates to purchase.

Apologies for the picture quality, I sat around with a camera for ages trying to snap a good one and he didn't come out! Then when I didn't have it, it's just chilling there so had to use the awful camera on my phone.

I'll try to get a picture quality of this one for you..

I've also got another plec, but that's currently sleeping in it's castle, but it's striped rather than spotted in the current pic...

I'll grab a camera soon and snap some more pics

I want my Corys back

AndyS — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 06:31:40 GMT

Hi everyone,

I'm having problems keeping my corys alive. I've tried harlequin corys and peppered corys.

They seem to last one or two months, and then start getting lethargic and die. I haven't noticed any other symptoms.

I've had a problem with brown algae which has now been replaced by what appears to me to be black carpet algae (black gunk coats gravel and structures... turns flaky when disturbed).

I've removed the structures for now.

Anyway... I'll post a seperate topic about the algae issues. This thread is about what I'm doing wrong regarding the corys.

My tank is 40 gal. I have mostly tetras and a couple of raspboras.

When I had corys, I fed them flakes and spirulina discs every day or two.

The temp in the aquarium is 75. I do a 20% water change weekly.

Other parameters:

pH: 7.5
NO2: 0
NO3: 10
NH3: 0

Any suggestions are very welcome. I love corys and really want to try again.

Hypancistrus Inspector

Im not an addict — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 18:18:55 GMT

I recently had the fortune of getting 4 L102 snowball plecos shipped to me. This was by mistake I was supposed to get L183 starlight bristlenose plecos ( which are being shipped out as well). As these are not what I ordered I did not do any investigation into needs. Ive since done some looking around and found that they are carnivores. Keeping in mind that before these snowballs showed up i've never owned a pleco, In 30 years keeping aquariums i've never owned even a common pleco. That being said i'm sort of lost as far as how to feed them, will they scavenge off the bottom or do I have to clip food in one spot for then. They 4 plecos are 1 male and 3 females which means at some point I might want to try my hand at breeding them, so any advice in that area would be great as well.

Keeping "Catfish" Species Types

mamatothreemiracles — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 06:07:36 GMT

I'm having difficulties with keeping catfish type fish in my freshwater tank and I have no clue what is going on. My mollies are doing fantastic and are happy.

I've had three plecos die within hours of purchase and just bought a pictus catfish yesterday at 7:10 pm and came down this morning and he's dead already as well.

I'm anal about my tank and test the water probably too often but rather safe than sorry and everything is fine.

What could be going wrong? Do they like a warmer temperature, a higher or lower PH, I'm a complete loss on why I can't keep these silly things.

Thanks for your help.

BIG Upsidedown catfish

Swarley — Sun, 23 Sep 2012 12:40:31 GMT

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ctmGGrqSCA&feature=plcp

In this video is Nitro, my upsidedown catfish I have had since 1994. I bought him as a tiny splotchy less than one inch baby and he has grown into this 5 inch big boy. I have had ppl tell me that he is not an upside down cat although he looked EXACTLY like the little ones sold all the time when I got him. As an experiment, I bought a new Upsidedown cat and put it in the Cichlid tank with him. So far he has grown to about an inch and a half from the half inch purchase size and looks exactly like Nitro did as he was growing. I'll try to post some newer video of both cats soon. I have looked at all the catfish books, including the huge catfish atlas and can't find another synodontis cat that matches him besides an USD cat.

Oto Catfish

NeonBlue64 — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 10:59:22 GMT

How many oto catfish should i put in my tank. I read 3-5 i am wondering if this is true or is it diffrent

I have a 55 Gallon tetra tank.

Atm their are 6 Blackskirts in the tank.

Missing bristles on new Cories

MRBLUBS — Mon, 23 Jul 2012 22:20:01 GMT

I got four Cory cat fish way way earlier today; 2 Albino, 1 Julie, and 1 peppard. All but the pepperd have no whiskser things! Is this bad? Im pretty sure i didnt do anything wrong because they were like that before i put them in my tank.
Thanks for the help!

mixing cories

bettasrcool — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 19:52:46 GMT

I currently have two of the common bronze corydoras in a small tank. At the local Petco, I saw neat-looking Leopard corydoras (and 9 dollar panda cories, awesome but too expensive for me). I would like to try a couple of Leopard cories, but don't know much about them. They have a more 'exotic' look so I am wondering how hardy they are? Do they pretty much have the same requirements as bronze cories? Thanks.

discus

eelsrock — Thu, 26 Jul 2012 08:33:09 GMT

[center][/center]

Cheaper feeding ???

CMJohn79 — Tue, 12 Jun 2012 11:41:44 GMT

My addiction has grown drastically. I now have six aquariums. One 400 gal., one 70, one 55, one 47, one 29, and a 20. I have one eight inch tiger Oscar, one five inch albino Oscar, five red belly Pacu around ten inches, four redtail catfish ranging from three to eighteen inches, two six inch tiger shovelnose catfish, one seven inch Ir. Catfish, one six inch pictus, two four inch Raphael catfish, seven pleco ranging from four to eight inches. Those are just my big eaters. I have been searching for a cheaper feeding route. The tiny pet store packages last about a day and at $4-12 a pack its ridiculous. If anyone know how or where you can get sinking pellets in bulk without paying fortune it be greatly appreciated. Any other feeding ideas would also be a help.

What kind of cory cats are these?

Koiangel — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 15:39:35 GMT

I have no idea of what kind my favorite cory cats are.. any one have any clue?
They aren't a inch long yet and I bought all six of them in a fish show for three dollars each.

oscars and catfish

Rabid Puffer — Mon, 07 May 2012 20:37:34 GMT

Hello. Just the other day we have moved our 10 year old, roughly 8 to 11 inch pimadella catfish from his old tank to a larger 75 gallon. (It took a long time to persuade the parents that an upgrade was needed.)

I would like to add a single tiger oscar to the tank but I do not know if it will bother the catfish during the day due to the catfish's nocturnal habits. I plan to buy an oscar at the size of roughly 3" so that the oscar will grow up knowing to give the catfish his space even when the oscar's size exceeds that of the catfish. Will the catfish's old age hinder his ability to hold his own against a much younger adult oscar?

In addition to this, I have noticed that the catfish's breathing is rather irregular during the day. One minute he will be breathing calmly and the next he is breathing very heavily. Is this just due to the fact he is nocturnal?

A guide for purchasing plecos (and other loricariids)

plecodiscus — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 14:52:29 GMT

Well, i've decided to make a guide on plecos, because i think i've heard about too many common plecos being put in small tanks (though i have to admit, i am guilty of this myself, but i returned the fish to the store,ihave learned from my mistake, and will never do it again)

This guide contains many species of loricariid (suckermouth catfish) that are commonly seen in pet stores. Here is some general info about the guide and its contents:
cf.=scientists think it'sthe species it's labeled as
sp.=unidentified species
spp.= more than 1 species

when the minimum tank size mentioned in the guideis 40gallons, a 38gallon tank will do fine. I simply put 40 in there because its a round number. The same applies for a 30gallon tank: a 29gallon can be used if the minimum tank size is 30gallons. These are the only 2 aquarium sizes that this applies to.

So, let's start out with the loricariids that aren't really considered to beplecos.

Otocinclus- (Otocinclus spp.)The smallest loricariid commonly seen in the hobby, the otocinclus is excellent for small aquariums. It can often be seen resting on top of broad plant leaves, which it will pick algae off of. It can reach a maximum size of 2", but is more commonly 1.5"-1.75". It will eat algae, fresh vegetables such as cucumber slices and luttuce leaves, and may eat algae wafers. It prefers to be kept in small groups, and requires a minimum tank size of 10 gallons. However, because it needs a constant supply of naturally growing algae it is recommended that the tank be densely planted or that slices of vegetables are constantly present.

Whiptail catfish- (Rineloricaria spp.)There are many specieswhiptail catfish in the aquarium industry, and they all areexcellent algae eaters. They are very easy to care for. It is well siuted to the medium-sized aquarium, as it can reach a size of 6". There are some smaller species that reach smaller sizes of about 3"-4", and there is a giant species of whiptail catfish that can reach 12", but they areless commonly encountered than themore medium sizedspecies ofwhiptail catfish. The whiptail catfish will eat algae, algae wafers, and vegetables such as lettuce leaves or cucumber slices. It should be kept inan aquarium of no less than 20 gallons. The most commonly imported whiptail in the U.S. is Rineloricaria prava, which reaches 4.5". Pictured is Rineloricaria eigenmanni.

Twig catfish- (Farlowella spp.)The twig catfish (also called the farlowella catfish)is one of the stranger loricariids, because, as its name states, it looks very much like a twig. Ithas a long, slender snout. It is also one of the more reclusive loricariids, and requires hiding places. A piece of driftwood makes an excellent hiding place, as the twig catfish can hide under it or on it. Plants will also provide it with cover. There are several species of twig catfish, and they can vary in size from 6" to 9". A minimum tank size for the twig catfish would be 30 gallons. It will eat algae, algae wafers, and vegetables such as lettuce leaves and cucumber slices. Pictured is Farlowella vittata.

Royal whiptail- (Sturisoma spp.)The royal whiptal is so called because ofthe male's tall dorsal fin. It can reach 8" to 12" in length, and can be bred rather easily. Eggs will be laid on a flat surface and themale will guard them until they hatch. The fry can be fed blanched spinach and will eat algae.Hiding places such as plants, rocks, and driftwood are appreciated. The royal whiptail will eat algae, algae wafers, and vegetables such as lettuce leaves or cucumber slices. Minimum tak size is 30 gallons, 40 for a pair.

Now, on to the plecos.

Common pleco-(Pterygoplichthys pardalis)The common pleco is, as its name says, one of the most common plecos seen in stores. It is often placed aquariums that are too small for it. It grows to a size of approximmately 12", and produces copious amounts of waste. For these reasons, it is best to house it in an aquarium of 70 gallons or more. It is peaceful, and even though it is large it will not harm its tankmates.The common pleco has an albino form, known as the chocolate pleco, because it is a brownish color. The first picture is of a normal common pleco, and the second is of a chocolate pleco. It will eat almost any foods placed in its aquarium, including algae,flakes, sinking pellets, algae wafers, vegetables, such as lettuce leaves and cucumber slices, and other leftover foods. It is best to keep the common pleco without any other algae eating fish, due to the large amounts of waste it produces, as well as its large appetite and size.

Sailfin pleco-(Pterygoplichthys gibbiceps)Also called the gibbiceps pleco or spotted columbian pleco, the sailfin pleco is another very large pleco that is commonly seen in stores. Like the common pleco, it is often placed in aquariums that are much too small for it. The sailfin pleco can reach a maximum size of 2', but it is more likely to reach a size of about 18". Like the common pleco, it creates very large amounts of waste. It should be lept in an aquarium no smaller than 125 gallons and should not be kept with any other algae eating fish due to its large appetite and size. An albino form is also available.

Titanic pleco, Volkswagen pleco-(Panaque sp. L203) This is one of the largest plecos kept in aquaria, and is also easy to care for. It requires driftwood in its aquarium because driftwood makes up part of its natural diet, and it will eat veggies such as cucumber, spinach, and prepared foods such as algae wafers. Because of its size, rocks should not be in its aquarium. it has destructive tendencies and will regularly move decor, and it may move rocks into the glass, which can shatter the glass. It grows to 19". It should be kept in at least A90 gallon aquarium, because, even though it is large, it is not terribly active. 1st pic is of a juvenile, 2nd pic is of an adult, 3rd pic is of underside of an adult.

Royal pleco-(Panaque nigrolineatus L190, Panaque cf. nigrolineatus L190, Panaquesp. L191, Panaque cf. nigrolineatus L330)Also called the royal Panaque,this pleco is one of thelargest and most beautiful plecos kept in aquaria. The royal pleco requires driftwood in its aquarium, because drifwood is a necessary part of its diet. The driftwood also makes an excellent hiding place for this pleco. The royal plecocanbe found in several colors patterns. There are several plecos referred to as royal plecos. The first has gold and black stripes and a red eye (L190), andis known as the royal pleco. the second has a grey eye, and gold and black stripes (L191)and is known as the dull eye royal pleco. the third has a red eye, andspots instead of stripes (L330). Those with spots are reffered to as watermelon plecos. The first picture is of the common gold stripe pattern, the second is of the dull eye pattern, and the third is of the spotted, "watermelon pleco" pattern. It can reach a maximum size of almost 18", but this is extremely rare. In aquaria, it is more likely to reach a maximum size of 15" (L191 can onlyreach a max size of 9.8"). Because of its large size and the copious amounts of waste it produces, it should be kept in an aquarium of no less than70 gallons. L191 should be kept in an aquarium of at least 50 gallons. The royal pleco must have driftwood to eat, and it will also eat algae, algae wafers, shrimp pellets, and vegetables such as lettuce leaves or cucumber slices.

Orange cheek pleco- (Pseudorinelepis genibarbis)(L095) This ia a rather unique pleco, because there are only 2 species in its genus. It is also a bit hard to find in stores. It is considered to be the most tame pleco available, and will let its owner pet it gently once it has been thrivingin its tank for some time. It will eat most foods, but veggies and algae wafers are preferable. It is also very peaceful. It grows to 14", and if it is kept with few other fish, will be able to live in a tank of at least 55 gallons that is long and wide enough for it to be comfortable.

Rhino pleco- (Pterygoplichthys scrophus) Also called the alligator pleco or the chocolate pleco, the rhino pleco is another large pleco. It is a little harder to find than many other species of plecos. The rhino pleco will use driftwood and rocks in its aquarium as cover. Plants are not an option, as it is adept at destroying them. Robust and fast growing species may survive, however. The rhino pleco grows to 11" and should be kept in a minimum sized tank of 70 gallons. It will eat algae, algae wafers, vegetables, and freeze dried and frozen bloodworms, as well as carnivore pellets. It should have both vegetables and meaty foods in its diet.

Tooth nose pleco- (Leporacanthicus galaxias L029,Leporacanthicus cf. galaxias L007, Leporacanthicus cf. galaxias L240, Leporacanthicus cf. galaxias L241) Also called the vampire or galaxy pleco, the tooth nose pleco makes a good addition to any aquarium. It has attractive white spots on a solid-black body,and is peaceful towards other fish, as long as they are not plecos. Thetooth nosepleco will grow to 8" or 9", and should be housed in an aquarium of no less than 50 gallons. It will eat algae, sinking carnivore pellets, and freeze-dried and frozen blood worms. The first picture is of L029, thesecond is of L007,and thethird is of L240.

Chubby pleco, Gold rubber pleco- (Parancistrus aurantiacus) This is one of the hardest plecos to obtain in the aquarium hobby, and large or gold specimens are often extremely expensive (i saw a breeding pair selling for $500 USD). This pleco demands excellent water quality, but is easy to care for aside from that need. It has no special needs for food, and will eat veggies, algae wafers, and some occasional meaty foods. It must have driftwood in its aquarium and it will snack on this, because it is part of the fish's natural diet. It is peaceful, and will not bother other fish. It will use driftwood and rocks as shelter, and may uproot plants unwittingly. It grows to 8.5" and should be kept in at least a 40gallon aquarium. This fish can change its color from gold to grey, and seldom changes back to gold from grey. It will only turn gold in pristine water conditiond like those of its natural habitat. 1st pic is of gold form, second is of plec between gold and grey forms, and third is of grey form.

Green phantom pleco, Blue/black phantom pleco(Hemiancistrus subviridis)(Baryancistrus demantoides)(L128)There are 3 species of plecos in this group, called green phantom and blue phantom plecos. H. subviridis and B. demantoides are green phantoms and are referred to as L200, while L128 is the blue phantom. Baryancistrus demantoides reaches 5.6", Hemiancistrus subviridis reaches 7.5", and Hemiancistrus sp. (L128) reaches 7.1".They appreciate medium-sized, rounded boulders in its aquarium. Because oftheir size,these plecosshould be kept in a minimum sized aquarium of 40 gallons. Driftwood and plants can be used for cover as well. It has a varied diet, and will eat algae, algae wafers, and some meaty foods. Green foods should make up the majority of the diet. The first pic is of baryancistrus demantoides, the second is of hemiancistrus subviridis, and the third is of hemiancistrus sp. (L128).

Baryancistrussp. (L047)- L047, commonly called the mango pleco, is one of the more rare plecos in the hobby. it needs driftwood in its aquarium, as driftwood is part of its diet. it feeds on many meaty foods. It grows to 11", so a tank of 60 gallons or more is required. it should be fed carnivore pellets or bloodworms. it will also snack on green foods.

Gold nugget pleco- (Baryancistrus spp.)There are many species of "gold nugget pleco", but they all have similarcare requirements. Gold nugget plecos Are black with bright yellow spots covering them. Some species have countless very small spots, while others have less spots, but the spots are larger. The first picture is of a species ofgold nugget pleco (L018)which grows to 14", the second is of another species (L081 & L085) which grows to 7.1", and the third is of another species (L177), which grows to 7.9". Gold nuggets are poor shippers, and for this reason hey are hard to take care of in aquaria.L081 and L177should be kept in aquariums of no less than 40 gallons. L018 should be kept in an aquarium of no less than 70 gallons. They should have some driftwood in their aquarium to munch on, as driftwood makes up part of their natural diet. Other than driftwood, they will eat algae, sinking carnivore pellets, and leftover food that they find on the substrate.

Spotted orange seam pleco- (Hemiancistrus guahiborum L106) This is a peaceful, easy to care for plec that is a wonderful community fish. It is similar to the mango pleco (L047) in appearance but is much smaller. It will not disturb plants or other fish in the aquarium. It grows to 6" and It should have driftwood and plants in which to hide in the aquarium. It will snack on driftwood and should have som in its aquarium, and should be in an aquarium of at least 30gallons.

Snowball pleco-(Hypancistrus inspector)The snowball pleco is very similar in appearance to the tooth nose, or vampire pleco. They are both striking fish, with medium sized white spots on a black body. The main differences between the tooth nose and snowball plecos is that the snowball pleco has lighter colored fins and will developwide gray stripes in the dorsal area if it is stressed. The tooth nose pleco's mouthand teeth are also a different shape than the snowball pleco's. The snowball pleco is a medium sized pleco, and is one of the hardier plecos as well. Rocks, hardy plants, and driftwood help to provide cover for this pleco. It grows to 6" and should be kept in a 30 gallon or larger aquarium. The snowball pleco will eat algae, sinking carnivore pellets, freeze dried bloodworms, and it may eat algae wafers.

Flask Panaque- (Panaque sp. L204) This peaceful little plec is a good addition to almost any aquarium. It is peaceful, will not knock oveer plants, and is very attractive. It will hide and move around in and on driftwood and rocks. It must have driftwood in its aquarium, as it eats driftwood along with other foods such as algae wafers, cucumber, zuzhini, and occasional flakes. It reaches 5.1" and can be kept with plants because they will not be eaten. It should be kept in at least a 30 gallon aquarium.

Bulldog pleco- (Chaetostoma spp.)The bulldog pleco, also known as the rubbernose pleco or widemouth pleco, is another medium sized pleco commonly seen in the hobby. There are several species of bulldog pleco, and they are all gray or brown, with some form of spot pattern. Generally,it likes to hide, and will find shelterbetween driftwood and rocks, under driftwood and rocks, and will come out at night tofeed. The first picture is ofCheatostoma milesi,the second is of Cheatostoma formosae , which is commonly found in petsmart. These plecos are territorial amongst themselves and other plecos, but not with most other fish. Between all of the different species, theyhave a size range of between 3" and 6". All of them can be kept in aquariums as small as 30 gallons. The bulldog pleco will eat algae, leftover food, carnivore pellets, algae wafers, andfrozen and freeze-dried bloodworms.

Medusa pleco-(Ancistrus ranunclus L034) There are several bristlenose plecos known as medusa plecos. these have more mazzive, widerheads than other bristlenoses, and female medusa plecos do have bristles (just, a lot less than the male medusa plecos). Care for the medusa pleco is different than for many other bristlenoses. It is somewhat more carnivorous than other BN's and should have meaty foods like shrimp pellets and bloodworms, alongside veggies and algae wafers. It needs medium sized stonse that it can hide between in the aquarium, and should have some driftwood as well, but stones are more important. It appreciates some current, grows to 5.1", and should be in at least a 30gallon aquarium. 1st pic is of male, 2nd is of underside,and 3rd is of pair, showing difference between male and female.

Bristlenose pleco-(Ancistrussp.)Also called the bushynose pleco, the bristlenose pleco is one of the less demanding plecos. It must have driftwood in its aquarium, as driftwood makes up part of its natural diet. Males can be distinguished from females by looking at the head. Males will have large bushy tentacles on their faces, and females will not. Breeding has taken place in aquaria, and the male and female will spawn in a cave. The first picture is of a male bristlenose pleco (pictured is Ancistrus cf. cirrhosus), and the second is of a younger, female bristlenose pleco ofthe same species. There are many species of bristlenose pleco, but they all reach maximum sizes between 4" and 5". Also, many of thedifferent species of bristlenose pleco have different color patterns. they can have gold or white spots, or they can be black, brown, or gray.The bristlenose pleco should be housed in a 30 gallon aquarium or larger. Besides driftwood, it will eat algae, sinking carnivore pellets, freeze dried bloodworms, and leftover food that it finds on the substrate.

Tiger pleco & King tiger pleco-(Panaque sp. L002&Hypicanstrus sp. L066)The tiger pleco and king tiger plec are different fish, but have been grouped together because they grow to similar sizes, have similar names, and have similar care requirements. Both fish appreciate driftwood and plants to use as cover, and they may eat driftwood. The tiger pleco grows to 3", and the king tiger pleco grows to 4.7". Besides driftwood, both fish will eat algae and freeze dried bloodworms. the king tiger pleco will also eat tubifex.The tiger pleco can be kept in an aquarium of at least 20gallons, and the king tiger pleco can be kept in an aquarium of at least 30 gallons. The first picture of of a tiger pleco, and the second is of a king tiger pleco.

Clown pleco- (Panaque maccus)The clown pleco is one of the smallest true plecos kept in aquaria. It feeds on driftwood, and must have some driftwood in its aquarium. It can be sexed by looking at the tail. Males have large odontodes (small spikes) on the sides of the tail, while females do not. It grows to 4", and should be kept in an aquarium of at least20 gallons. Besides driftwood, it will eat algae, sinking carnivore pellets, algae wafers, and vegetables such as lettuce leaves and cucumber slices. clown plecos tend to develop a rounder shape than most plecs. this is normal.

Zebra pleco-(Hypancistrus zebra),(L046,L098) this is one of the more expensive plecos kept in aquaria, and it is also one of the smallest. It has a maximum length of 3.1". It appreciates driftwood and rocks as hiding places in the aquarium, and it can be very shy. It is more of a carnivore than an algae eater, and can be fed bloodworms, and even brineshrimp at times. minimum tank size is30 gallons. the first pic is of L046 and the second is of L098.

Gold marble bristlenose-(Ancistrus claro) This is one of the smaller bristlenose plecos, and it reaches 2.8" in length. It should be kept with robust plants that can withstand its grazing activity. Its natural habitat it fast flowing water with a rocky bottom, and its aquarium should be similar. Place medium sized rounded rocks in the substrate of its aquarium, and provide water movement with a powerhead, or with a filter that provides a decent amount of current. As far as loricariid catfish go, this species is not very territorial.Ifthey are in a 10gallonaquarium thathas a relatively small amount of current, they can be kept with a school of six or so small tetras. If their tank has a large amount of current, hillstream loaches and other peaceful, current-loving loricariids can be kept with them. It is not a picky eater, and will eat algae, algae wafers, and veggies. ist pic- male, 2nd pic- male at different angle, 3rd pic- underside. Young fish can be confused with young A. cf. cirrhosus, but they can be distinguished by viewing the mouth. A. claro has a wider, oval shaped mouth.

Pitbull pleco-(Parotocinclus jumbo)I'm not sure if this is a true pleco, but i believe it is. It is sometimes referred to as the pitbull pleco. It prefers a sand bottom because when frightened it will bury itself. It will use driftwood as a hiding place but the majority of its aquarium should have a bare sandy bottom (in the wild it lives on bare sandyriver bottoms)a moderate amount of water current. Some plants can be kept as it will not eat them. It spends much of its time on the bottom. Minimum tank size is 20gallons, because a group of these plecs needs a moderate amount of space.

I hope you liked this guide and that you found it informative. if it made you want to buy a pleco, make sure you provide it with the proper care requirements.
MOA-you can use this in your book if you want.
Image credits obviously go to planetcatfish.com.

Question!

stephyykinss — Thu, 03 May 2012 10:10:22 GMT

Hi, I have a small 5 gallon tank with AquaClear filtration and 3 oto cats and 2 panda corys. I know both need to be in schools, however I have a small tank and I don't want to overload it (if I already haven't).

Do I risk buying more corys to keep them in a school or just stick with what I have?

where can I get redtail and tiger shovelnose catfish?

CMJohn79 — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 13:46:13 GMT

I am searching for redtail and tiger shovelnose catfish in the 4-6" range. I placed an order with Rainforest Farms International but I am disappointed with that company already . They charged me for the 4-6" size fish but are shipping me 2-2.5" fish. I have a 55gal aquarium indoors and I am in the process of building a 4,00 gal tropical pond. I plan to put several of each species in my pond. I would appreciate any information on where to purchase the fish as well as insight on my project.

Why not to buy CORY

FreshWaterAquariumGuy — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 15:14:27 GMT

Simple, when they are happy they breed and spawn your tank to death. Only my shrimps and cories survived, like a dozen babies. Had to give them to the pet store. Use Loaches or Rainbow albino Sharks to work your tank.

I like Clown Loaches because the live in my caverns and are very playful and funny to watch arround the caves. Feeder fish are also fish I like to work the gravel.

Bog Log

Dawnielle — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:01:27 GMT

I've always been told algae eating plecos needed bog log in their tank. It helps to sharpen their teeth and they eat slime off of it. I have 3 lf albino ancistrus pleco. My local fish store can't get bog log in but they do have mopani wood and malasyin drift wood. Would either of these work for my plecos? Thank you for any help.

ancistrus male maturity

scales — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 13:41:51 GMT

I just bought a couple of spotted ancistrus and was curious to know when the males beard develops. they were all under 2 inches long at the l.f.s. and looked the same for the most part.I'm sure i'll find out eventually but why not throw it out there.

Another unknown Pleco

corby78 — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 12:33:30 GMT

Bought this little guy for $10, the poor girl didn't know what kind it was, so I talked her down. I thought it was a Tiger when I was at the LFS, but when I got home and started looking at pics, I started having doubts. Any help would be great.

Uknown Pleco

Starrfish — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 18:24:33 GMT

i while back i bought a pleco, and after reveiwing the pleco guide, im unsure exactly what species of pleco it is. the "tag" when i bought it said it was a chocolate pleco yet when i reviewed the guide to plecos in the forem area, my pleco did not match any of the chocolate pleco descriptions/pictures. and the pattern/colouration is not quite like the other species either. now when i bought the pleco i paid more for it than the price of the common plecos. is my breed just another type of common pleco? did i get ripped off? or is it another species not yet listed. the plecos current length is about 6.5"-7" (it hard to get exact measurements when its swimming) and ive had it about 2 years. i have attached some pictures.

The reason why im wondering, its getting to the point where unfortuantly the size of my pleco is pushing the size of my tank (i know a very common problem), and i may have to get rid of it. my local fish store will pay to take it off my hands however the amount of money i get in return depends on the age and species of the pleco. i would like to have an idea exactly what species of pleco so i know how much. selling my pleco is a last resort but i know my pleco will be happier in a larger tank.

thanks for your help

Cuckoo Catfish a good choice for me?

CravingBlue — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 10:54:02 GMT

I would love to have a cuckoo catfish, but have been reluctant to make the purchase due to the plants in my tank. I had to relocate my pleco to her own tank because all it wanted to do was rip the plants apart, but my 4 upside down catfish love to swim in the plants and never disturb or uproot them. Would a cuckoo be ok in my 55 gallon planted aquarium?

Pygmy Cories

Walker Tuff — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 19:52:42 GMT

The other day I went to my LFS and saw that they got a shipment of Pygmy Cories and was planning on buying some for my 10 gallon aquarium. The problem is that I had Panda Cories in the tank before but they all died most likely because it got too hot. Would Pygmy Cories a better choice or should I not add any? Any info would be great. Thanks.

corydoras types

bettasrcool — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 13:25:13 GMT

The Petco by where I live always sells "leopard corydoras" but I was reading somewhere that leopard and "three-lined" corydoras look exactly the same but are different types. Anyone know how to tell the difference with them?

Okay this is weird...

FishWiz97 — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 11:57:40 GMT

Okay, this might seem weird. But currently, I have been obsessed with training my fish. My guppies, platy, and zebra danio are all trained to take food from my fingers or a stick. Next I'm gonna try to get them to stick their heads out of the water for bloodworms, and eventually jump right out of the water (only like an inch). Do you think a cory could be trained to take food from a stick? Thx!

10 gallon saltwater
2 blue-legged hermit crabs

5 gallon planted
2 guppies
2 peppered cories
1 albino longfin zebra danio
1 platy

2.5 gallon
1 black khuli loach (I'm getting a 2nd in a week)

love those bottom feeders!

Tiger Shovelnose Catfish

Fishlover5 — Sun, 30 May 2010 17:48:47 GMT

I saw some Tiger Shovelnoses at one of my LFS's earlier today. They were $10.00 USD and I really wanted one, but I have no space for it . They were so cute! What's the minimum tank size for a nice shoal of them along with a few compatible tank mates? I want to set up a tank with them included one day .

Bull head catfish

Bassmaster — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 16:44:11 GMT

My grandpa had me save some little one inch catfish guys from the local pond. The little guys have grow to about five inches in about one year. They are so fun to watch. They cant be trusted with small fish. The only fish in with them are 3 goldfish, and one mystery cichalid guy, and a crayfish.

Channel Catfish care

Garu64 — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 17:29:44 GMT

General care for channel catfish

pregnant upsidedown catfish

fish4962 — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 19:53:44 GMT

In my 70 gal, I have 5 upsidedown cats and I have one that's pregnant. The rest of the tank has mostly bottom feeders ( plecos, 5 lg clown loaches, hoplo, yo-yos, wiptail, farowella, and a few mid-fish= 3 rosaline sharks, 2 scizzortails,..). Seems like all these would eat the eggs. They all hang along the length of the heater, she's not taking over any caves. I have a smaller hospital tank that has 1 common pleco in it. If I just put her and a cave in with the pleco, will she defend the eggs from it? I don't know which of the 5 is the dad and can't put the pleco in any other tank.

--Will she lay eggs without the dad to help or do I put all 5 in the hosp tank? Thankyou for your knowledge...

fish4962

Which One!?

MRBLUBS — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 12:00:19 GMT

Im thinking of getting a fish that will eat some algae. But i dont want them to grow over 6".

If you choose other Please let me know what type of fish is the "other" Means.

Herse the pics of the fish.

Cory catfish

Otocinclus

Upside Down Catfish

Thanks

what type of cory?

bettacrazy — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 15:19:35 GMT

I am moving my two dwarf gouramis from my five gallon to a ten gallon and thought I could fit a small cory in there, I just don't know much about them or what species to buy, I was thinking peppered cories possibly.

Peppered Cory Died This Morning!!!

Walker Tuff — Sat, 12 Feb 2011 21:01:27 GMT

A couple of weeks ago I posted a topic about why my peppered cory was acting funny. This morning when I got up, I looked in my tank and he was dead. I think there was something wrong with his/her swim bladder because he often was upside-down. I did not think much of it because it looked like looking for food under one of my cave or eating algae around my floating plants. Then, about three or four days ago, I come home from school and he/she was swimming from one end of the tank to the other completely upside-down. He/she looked alot like my upside-down catfish. Other symptoms were hanging around at the surface and looking like it was having a hard time breathing. Are all these symptoms consistent with a swim bladder problem or is it something completely else? I have had the cory for about 2.5 months and is the only one doing this. Any information is helpful. Thanks!!!

Who is really compatible with Emerald Corys?

Catfishes24 — Sun, 27 Feb 2011 01:25:04 GMT

I have a 55 gal with about 24 Emerald Cory catfish. I had an adult pair, who suddenly presented me with a whole herd of offspring Christmas 2009. I love my Emerald Corys, but they aren't terribly visible, and bolt when any movement occurs near the tank. I would like to have a few fish that would occupy the "middle" area of the tank. I have two Marineland 280 back filters, a 36" bubblewand for extra O2, twin heaters, lots of live plants including Amazon sword, watersprite, banana, etc. Have I maxed out the bio-load for my aquarium with the catfish? Would tetras or platys do ok? I have tried fancy goldfish, but they've always died. I'd rather not add to the death count if at all possible, but could I add someone who won't swim for the bushes at the slighest movement? Thanks.

Cory

bmalit — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 19:25:18 GMT

I don't know if my Cory is a female. However, there has been a change in one of my cories. First off, it stays in one corner of the tank behind a rock. It doesn't do anything, just lays there and stays there until there is food. Second, it looks like it's belly is getting bigger. I don't know if that's how you tell they're pregnant.
I just did a water change three days ago, but nothing is off. It's been like this for about a two weeks. I don't know if it's a female or not. How do you tell? I don't think it's sick, I got him/her about five months ago.

my new corydoras adolfoi

Tara7 — Sat, 02 Apr 2011 14:31:16 GMT

I've had my 7 new corydoras adolfoi in my planted 55g tank for 4 days now and they have been tearing up and down the side of the aquarium almost non stop. Once in a while they will look for food in the mainly sand substrate and I've noticed that they do that mainly at night when the lights are LED blue. My serpae tetras are curious but don't attempt to bother them. Otherwise I have cardinals. I try to tempt them with frozen bloodworms and other treats, and this behavior worries me. I'm wondering if any of you have a similar experience?
The water quality is very good except it is a little hard 75-150 (our water in Nevada is very hard)

Breeding panda corys

pufferfan — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 15:43:21 GMT

Hello. I have 3 baby panda corys in a 12g tank that I hope to breed once they are mature. I know the basics of breeding them (need a sponge filter, lots of water changes, feed microworms to the fry ect.) but there are a couple questions that I would like answered:

1. I was told by an employee that I could cover a regular filter with aquarium fish netting and have the same effect as a sponge filter. The main problem I see with this is that there would be less water being cycled per hour and dirty water is not a good thing, especially when breeding fish.

2. How many corys can I stock this tank with to ensure I have a couple pairs?

south african bumblebee catfish

corydoraslover — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 14:57:19 GMT

Wondering if anyone has any info on microglanis iheringi? just got 2 today but have not been able to find much info on the net other than they are non-aggressive but will eat fry of other fish and get about 3 inches long.

Thanks,

Chris

Adult Upsidedown catfish video

Swarley — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 17:10:09 GMT

This is my African cichlid tank. for scavengers I have my UD catfish that I have had since 1994, he is the featured fish on this video. There's bout 30 cichlids, one of the gold-black spotted synodontis cats from Petsmart and a polka dot pictus, yeah I know he really doesn't belong there.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ctmGGrqSCA

Those tiny lil spotted guys grow up don't they?