Banjo catfish?

[wtusa17]

I have a 20 gallon tank with a pair of apistogramma cacatuoides, peacock gudgeons, sparkling and honey gourami, and some neon and ember tetras. Would a banjo cat work? They look pretty cool and they have some at my lfs. They are about 2 inches at the store.

 

[Byron]

Generally, a peaceful fish, and while it does get large (up to six inches) it is so inactive it can manage in a 24-inch (basic 20g) tank. However, it will eat and eat, and this means high waste so with the other fish, not a good match in this small a tank. I had one back in the 1980's I believe it was.

The other thing is if you want to spawn the cichlids and raise fry, do not have any catfish. All species are nocturnal and can easily eat the eggs (or the fry if eggs should hatch) during the night when the cichlid parents are unable to defend them. I would think a gregarious fish like this would get the eggs during the day as well, frankly.

 

[wtusa17]

Generally, a peaceful fish, and while it does get large (up to six inches) it is so inactive it can manage in a 24-inch (basic 20g) tank. However, it will eat and eat, and this means high waste so with the other fish, not a good match in this small a tank. I had one back in the 1980's I believe it was.

The other thing is if you want to spawn the cichlids and raise fry, do not have any catfish. All species are nocturnal and can easily eat the eggs (or the fry if eggs should hatch) during the night when the cichlid parents are unable to defend them. I would think a gregarious fish like this would get the eggs during the day as well, frankly.

O ok thanks for the help. I plan to switch the 20 high to a long and use the 20 high as a breeder tank for the apistogramma. Should I get one now bc I’ve never seen them before? I have a 40 breeder with electric blue acara, firemouth, and polar convicts and tiger barbs as a sort of dither. Would it work in there for the time being? I also want to dirt the 20 long so would it be an issue?

 

[Retired Viking]

I would not use dirt but sand or gravel with plant tabs, dirt wears out in a year or two and you end up with the mess of changing it. Also organics in it break down giving ammonia and co2 spikes. 20 long is a good tank easy to work with, I have one.

 

[wtusa17]

I would not use dirt but sand or gravel with plant tabs, dirt wears out in a year or two and you end up with the mess of changing it. Also organics in it break down giving ammonia and co2 spikes. 20 long is a good tank easy to work with, I have one.

Ok. It’s the same with aquasoil tho. I have a fine gravel with root tabs rn and the growth is pretty bad. I might get a tub and fill it with water and let the tank cycle for about 2 days and do a couple of water changes to get the ammonia out

 

[Retired Viking]

I would then consider getting some fast growing plants like anacharis to deal with any future ammonia that may show up from decaying organics in the soil. I have bread African cichlids (8) and they took over my 55 gallon tank in about a year, It was fun to watch until I had to remove all the other fish because they became too aggressive. I wish you good luck.

 

[Bub]

I would do a sand substrate with banjos. They like to bury in it, and I found that they don't like gravel very much. I've never tried dirt, but I would suspect it wouldn't be as easy to bury in.

 

[wtusa17]

I would do a sand substrate with banjos. They like to bury in it, and I found that they don't like gravel very much. I've never tried dirt, but I would suspect it wouldn't be as easy to bury in.

Ok. It is a “sand” from petco but it’s not as fine as sand but it’s not nearly as big as traditional “gravel”

 

[wtusa17]

I would then consider getting some fast growing plants like anacharis to deal with any future ammonia that may show up from decaying organics in the soil. I have bread African cichlids (8) and they took over my 55 gallon tank in about a year, It was fun to watch until I had to remove all the other fish because they became too aggressive. I wish you good luck.

The ammonia would be from the dirt.

 

[Bub]

By traditional gravel I take it you mean the larger stoned gravel? I've had mine on both pea gravel and sand. It didn't like the pea gravel.

 

[Retired Viking]

I think I have the same gravel in one of my tanks it is refer to as -3mm sand/ pea gravel. I have my rooted plants in regular gravel with root tabs.

 

[wtusa17]

I think I have the same gravel in one of my tanks it is refer to as -3mm sand/ pea gravel. I have my rooted plants in regular gravel with root tabs.

Yea. I want to dirt it bc I’ve seen amazing plant growth from dirted tanks

 

[wtusa17]

By traditional gravel I take it you mean the larger stoned gravel? I've had mine on both pea gravel and sand. It didn't like the pea gravel.

Yea. I have very fine stuff that’s not as fine as sand but way way way smaller than gravel

 

[Byron]

Ok. It’s the same with aquasoil tho. I have a fine gravel with root tabs rn and the growth is pretty bad. I might get a tub and fill it with water and let the tank cycle for about 2 days and do a couple of water changes to get the ammonia out

There is a reason (or more than one) if plant growth is not good, and the substrate is never the reason. Plants can grow in most any substrate, the grain size being the only real issue if it is too large. It is either the light or nutrients or both. But the substrate in an aquarium is really not going to be the "nutrient" part of this, because the nutrients in such substrates (soil, whatever) are so minimal and then there are the problems other members have already mentioned.

 

[wtusa17]

There is a reason (or more than one) if plant growth is not good, and the substrate is never the reason. Plants can grow in most any substrate, the grain size being the only real issue if it is too large. It is either the light or nutrients or both. But the substrate in an aquarium is really not going to be the "nutrient" part of this, because the nutrients in such substrates (soil, whatever) are so minimal and then there are the problems other members have already mentioned.

Ok. It’s funny how my plants grown better with aquasoil than inert substrate. I don’t know the exact thing but dustins fish tanks is a plant guy and he always says that plants get like 400% more nutrients from the substrate than the ferts and light. Can we focus on the banjo cat tho. Would you recommend if the apistogramma aren’t in there so it can’t eat the eggs? Could it go in a 40 breeder with pictus cat, and South American cichlids and tiger barbs for now? It would be about a 2 inch fish when I buy it