Thinkin about some glass cats...

[PereguineFalcon]

Hey, i like glass cats, they are so interesting and beautiful, and so i was wondering if you think i would be able to keep them in my 55gal tank. Look at my signature for details on the fish. I'm just worried about the kribs and the rams breeding, will the glassys get not rest? How delicate are they?

 

[Cichlids_Rule]

Must be kept in a group or they wont eat and will die. Have to have perfect water, and it is rare to get non dyed ones now .

 

[guppygirly]

Since the rams and kribs need pristine water anyways, I don't see why not. And you can get some nice undyed ones at all the LFS here even PetSmart carries the natural ones. About the breeding cichlids..I'm not sure. Mine seem to fit nicely in my community tank, but they've yet to breed so that may change. The glass cats will swim from the middle to top of the tank, while the rams and kribs are middle to bottome swimmers. They shouldn't interfere with eachother too much IMO.

 

[my_fallen_angel]

i had mine in my 55gal
they never seemed to get any food as they were always hiding.
i had five and 2 died.
so i moved them into the fry tank and now they are happy in there.
They dont do much though and are always in the same place.
Mine hid in a log all the time.
They seem more comfortable in the small tank.

 

[PereguineFalcon]

Thank you all for your support and helpful comments. Cichlids_Rule ...i already knew that about painted and dyed fish and i have been spreading the word to all of my friends, relatives and people I meet in the pet store who are going to buy some that they shouldn't buy them because its wrong and the fish suffer and normally die. Ticks me off cuz i seriously think they look so much better when they aren't dyed...but i suppose that thats just my opinion. I have never seen dyed or painted glass cats, so i guess I'm lucky in that respect! Guppygirly, so you already have glass cats in with your kribs or rams? Thats comforting to know that it works out. What does IMO mean? Still kinda unsure on that one. Thankz for the tips! doll_dagga_buzz_buzz_ziggity_zag You think they do better in a smaller tank? Hmmm....interseting. I was gonna get about 5 or 6 of them....thing is they are expensive ($8.00 or so)here so i am gonna shop around some. My tank is already heavily planted and it is just starting so i am hoping that that will help them become more comfortable with moving around! Thankz again for your input!

 

[guppygirly]

IMO-in my opinion. Sorry for the confusion... I meant the rams in my community tank don't bother my other fish. I based my opinion on the stuff I've read on them. I looked at info on glass cats for about an hour this afternoon. But I'd go with the opinion of someone who's actually had them.

 

[noelberg]

Just don't put glass cats in with fin nippers. My friend gave me a single lonely glass cat he put in with his tiger barbs, and he was missing half a caudal fin

They love to be in groups, and make sure to watch them when the tank lights go off since that's when they're most active.

And while we're on the subject of glass cats, does anybody know what it means when they go very slightly opaque? Is that something that occurs with maturity, or is it a sign of tank conditions? They're still transparent, but not as crystal clear as when i got them.

 

[my_fallen_angel]

And while we're on the subject of glass cats, does anybody know what it means when they go very slightly opaque?

mine went like that before they died.

 

[Inchworm]

Hi PereguineFalcon

I kept a group of glass catfish when I had a community tank. They were very delicate fish that were fussy eaters, but I enjoyed having them.

They picked out a particular spot among my plants and seldom moved from there; I always knew where they would be. They loved live food, but ate flake as well, but all food had to drift down very close to them. They did not eat from the surface or the bottom, but would catch floating bits.

I had good luck with them, but I understand that I they are often difficult to keep alive. The most interesting thing about them was that after they had eaten worms, their stomachs would look red through their transparent flesh.

Here is my favorite link about them which also explains about the white patches that they get:

http/www.aquariumfish.com/aquariumfish/B...d=6244&cid=3680