Tons Of Questions!

[Tstone]

Well I just recently got a 110 Gallon "show" aquarium..
It's 48" length, 18" wide, and 31" tall

Of course I'd like to get all the "cool" (in my opinion) fish, but obviously you can't just throw any fish in any tank..

My main thing I want is catfish. I'd like to get a channel, or two, or a couple.. I do have a friend with a pond that I can release them into if they get too big.
What are some things you'd recommend for having my set up with a channel cat or two?

I looked at the stingray section on here, and i'd love to have one of those, but those seem like they need everything to be just perfect (ph, temp, etc.) and i'd hate to lose my stingray so I'm not sure if I wanna go that route yet or not..

Another possible fish i'd like is an eel. Not sure what kind of eel or anything, just keeping my mind open.

Also, i'd like to get a little list together and go take advantage of Black Friday to buy everything to set my tank up, as I have nothing for it besides a stand and lid....
What all will I need? I know I obviously need a filter, gravel, decorations. etc. But what size filter? Canister or Undergravel?


I'm basically curious as to what you guys would recommend I should get for my set up with a couple Channel Cats.. and what are some other fish that go good with them, that like, don't need adjustments.. basically, fish that can live in the same set up as channels..

Well I hope I can get some help from you guys!
Thanks and I'm looking forward to being a part of this forum and building one hell of a tank!

 

[fluttermoth]

Well....mate; I'd very, very strongly advise you to give up on the channel catfish idea right now! They're just not suitable for tanks, and however nice your mate is, I'm not sure they'd appreciate a four foot long, predatory fish in their pond!

There are literally hundreds of catfish species that are far more suited to aquaria, and that you could keep for their whole life in a tank that size.

 

[Tstone]

Well....mate; I'd very, very strongly advise you to give up on the channel catfish idea right now! They're just not suitable for tanks, and however nice your mate is, I'm not sure they'd appreciate a four foot long, predatory fish in their pond!

There are literally hundreds of catfish species that are far more suited to aquaria, and that you could keep for their whole life in a tank that size.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!! ):

The main reason I wanted a channel was because that's like mostly what I catch!
But I wanted a catfish that would get to like 20 or so inches..
#41####.. You just ruined my day ): .. hahaa

 

[the_lock_man]

What are some things you'd recommend for having my set up with a channel cat or two?

A bigger tank.

According to The Official Web site of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources , these things get to 24" long. So, half the length of your tank.

 

[Tstone]

What are some things you'd recommend for having my set up with a channel cat or two?

A bigger tank.

According to The Official Web site of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources , these things get to 24" long. So, half the length of your tank.

I could get rid of it before it got toooo long.. I just wanted a catfish that was like 10-20 inches..

 

[the_lock_man]

What are some things you'd recommend for having my set up with a channel cat or two?

A bigger tank.

According to The Official Web site of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources , these things get to 24" long. So, half the length of your tank.

I could get rid of it before it got toooo long.. I just wanted a catfish that was like 10-20 inches..

There are plenty of examples within that range.

 

[The Taffy Apple]

So you want a catfish that is nearly HALF the length of your tank?
Someone is winding you up my friend.

Terry.

 

[Tstone]

I just want a cool catfish /: .. lol

 

[fluttermoth]

I can understand that, but it's really nor fair on the fish. In an 18" wide tank, you can't have anything that grows to more than 8 or 9", or it won't have room to move freely.

And getting fish with the intention of re-homing them in the future is not something we ever advise; what if you can find anyone to take it when the time comes, if that time ever does come; large fish in small tanks very often become sick, stunted or succumb to illness long before they ever outgrow the tank.

You wouldn't get a Great Dane pup for a tiny flat and then get rid of it when it grew too big, would you?

Honestly, there are loads of fascinating and beautiful catfish that would be very happy in a tank that size, and that would give you many years of enjoyment. Here's just a few, off the top of my head that you can have a google of; Pictus catfish, striped talking catfish, reedfish, smaller plecs, like gold nuggets, hoplos, corydoras.

I just want a cool catfish /: .. lol

Cool doesn't have to mean 'big', dude!!

 

[The Taffy Apple]

I just want a cool catfish /: .. lol

That is fair enough, but if you are new to the hobby as a whole, why not start off with something smaller and manageable that will allow you to learn the basics of fishkeeping? Although our hobby cannot be classed as rocket science, there really is alot to take in and understand, as well as learning new things every day.. which is something that i, personally, love about the hobby.

One step at a time, amigo.

Terry.

 

[fluttermoth]

I just want a cool catfish /: .. lol

That is fair enough, but if you are new to the hobby as a whole, why not start off with something smaller and manageable that will allow you to learn the basics of fishkeeping? Although our hobby cannot be classed as rocket science, there really is alot to take in and understand, as well as learning new things every day.. which is something that i, personally, love about the hobby.

One step at a time, amigo.

Terry.

Agreed; we don't want to rain on your parade, mate; we just want to help you be a good fishkeeper and have happy, healthy fish

 

[Tstone]

I understand what you guys are saying. I appreciate all the help. Now what all do you guys recommend to get my tank running so I can start cycling? Like what size filter, undergravel or canister, and everything else.

 

[fluttermoth]

If you want catfish (however big or small!) then go for an external canister filter. Undergravels tend to collect 'gunk' underneath the plates which can lead to ill health for bottom dwellers, and won't work properly if the plates are uncovered by fish digging in the gravel, which most catfish will do. A canister will also leave you free to have a sand rather than gravel substrate, which is better for most catfish, as they can dig around in it without hurting their 'whiskers'.

As for size; aim to get one that's rated for a larger tank than the one you actually have, as filters do lose flow with time and once you fill them with media. You're going to have about 400l in there, so you want to be turning that amount of water over 4 or 5 times an hour. You might be better off with two filters rather than one.

Really, to start your cycle, all you need is the tank, the filter, a good, liquid test kit that does ammonia and nitrite (and preferably nitrate and pH too), and a bottle of household 'pure' ammonia (it's really an ammonia/water solution; it's just called 'pure' because there's no added detergents or fragrances).

Whereabouts are you, btw? That'll help us recommend things for you

 

[Tstone]

Dayton Ohio! And wow, thanks for all that help!

 

[onidrase]

not to burst your bubble, but all the species you listed as things you want are all pretty large bottom dwellers. And, well, your tank appears to be a "tall" aquarium. Bottom dwellers, as the name suggests, will stay on the bottom of the aquarium, so the footprint is all that matters, not the gallonage. Your tank has a footprint of a 75 gallon aquarium, 48"x18", so although you have 35 extra gallons and plenty more roof space on that tank, it's not going to matter to catfish or eels or stingrays.

But don't fret, although channel catfish and stingrays most certainly will not fit in that tank, I do believe there are a few species of eel that will (although they might attack and try to eat some catfish from what I've seen online), and i know for a fact that there are loads of other catfish that can suit your want for a larger fish but still not feel cramped with the relatively small footprint.

Pictus catfish, striped or spotted raphael catfish, and tons and tons of different synodontis species catfish will be able to fit in a 48x18. Raphaels are my favorite, although they're a bit inactive a lot of the time, it's always enjoyable to see them zip around nuzzling the sand for food and exploring the decorations at night.

I don't know a whole lot about eels, but if you take a dip in the oddballs section, somebody should be able to help you out there.