Catfish species that are compatible with snails/shrimp

[Blackwater guru]

Just a few days ago I got my first fish tank a 144 liter tank running with an undergravel filter and I have added a couple of rocks were I will plant some sword plants later on.

The tank will go through a fish cycle by using hardy species of catfish for a few weeks and it will be handled with care to avoid killing the fish before it's cycled.

If the fish are still alive by the time it's cycled I will add 6 to 10 cardinal tetras once I have added the driftwood and oak leaves and they will be the stars of the tank .

I am also thinking of adding shrimp and possibly mystery snails to help clean the tank but I am not sure which catfish are safe to use with invertebrates.

In a nutshell I am recreating the blackwater enviroments these fish live in natively so this means adding dried oak leaves on the bottom along with pieces of driftwood and floating plants for shade.

 

[Retired Viking]

You could try a silent cycle, I did it with a 55 gallon and now working on a 30 gallon. I have Albino catfish and they get along with my snails and shrimp. I think most cory catfish will.

 

[seangee]

For a silent cycle you need the pants to be actively growing before you add fish.
Corys and tetras are fine with snails and shrimp. How hard is your water. Blackwater setups typically have soft / very soft water and this does not suit most snails. Malaysian trumpet snails are fine in any water. Other choices may be limited by the hardness. I would like to keep nerites in mine but cannot.

The same applies to shrimps. Are you still aiming for a true biotype? If so that would rule out pretty much all shrimps, if not there are soft water species that may work depending on the hardness.

 

[Retired Viking]

If you are going to put the fish in first I would get some floating plants like hornwort, moneywort and water sprite. You can "plant" them too if you like. They absorb what they need (ammonia) from the water. That will give your fish a better chance of surviving along with water changes. I agree with @seangee you should plant your tank first that is what I did.

 

[Byron]

I agree with others here. You must have plants growing, and fast growers like floating plants are the most effective. Adding fish once this is achieved will cause no issues because the tank will not "cycle" in the normal manner, but behind the scenes and this causes no problems for fish. But fish present in a cycling tank without sufficient plants will be permanently harmed even if they live through it, and that should never be done.