Do upside-down cats eat guppies?

[guppler]

I think it would be fun to have critters swimming around upside down in my comunity tank, but since it is mostly small guppies, I have to find out if it's safe before adding them.
Last ime I saw upside down catfish at the pet store there was writing on the tank saying what they eat, but there was also a tank next door with some other interesting critters, which I think did eat guppies, but i don't remember all the details. I think the upside-downs were suposed to eat shrimp and worms and stuff, but I'm hoping they don't like to eat guppies.
My girl guppies are in separate tanks partly prevent population explosions, but also partly to keep the tiniest fry away from comunity fish that might eat them. I do have some pretty small boy gupplers though, like under an inch at about a year old.
I think I've read that upside down cats get to be about 3 inches, which is pretty close to my size limit for the tank, because it's only 30 gallons and I want a variety of critters eventually.
I'm also thinking about cories and dwarf frogs and tetras and some other critters if they fit.
Oh, yeah, and do upside downs do OK with mostly dried foods or do they need lots of fresh or live stuff?

Guppler
I'm still new, but maybe pretty soon i'll get an official signature and list all my tanks and ocupants.

 

[once i was a maggot]

hi guppler, my brother got an upside down catfish about 3 or 4 years ago and put it in my dads communtiy tank. it has grown to about 3 to 3 1/2 inches. they are a neat looking fish, but you probably will not see it much. out of the 3 or 4 years of having this fish, i have seen it 3 times, because it hides all day, ocassionally it will come out at night and dart to its hole when you go near the tank, but thats it. when it reaches a larger size it can eat a dead fish in one night all by itself, and i have not heard of/seen them terrorise or eat the other occupants in the tank. you must have a good hidey hole for him, and they are pretty hardy with water conditions. sometimes our clown loach snuggles up with him in his whole but he is not really a very exciting fish lol. just make sure that you feed ur fish well and he will prob eat left overs at night.
hope this helps

damo

 

[Cheese Specialist]

They are vegetarian, schooling fish. You will see them more if you have a group of 3+ and your guppies will be fine.

 

[Nekukurai]

Although I can't add a *helpful* reply, I wanted say a few things about these guys.

I had two of them(before they got sucked into the Vortex-see Black Tip Shark post) and they are so neat! I've never seen such a peaceful catfish, and everyone that came into the store and looked at the tank were like.."Are those fish swimming upside down??"
I also commented to my boss..
"I wonder what happens if you turn them right side up?" -me
"They'll fall" -my boss
Oh, geez. Anyway, I just wanted to add that in cause I thought it was cute.

Neku

 

[clutterydrawer]

they can swim the "right" way up if they choose, but they dont often.

 

[Nekukurai]

I've heard that a lot of catfish will swim upside down if they're excited. Is this true?

Also, does anyone know WHY the upside down catfish swims upside down?

Neku

 

[Cheese Specialist]

I've heard that a lot of catfish will swim upside down if they're excited. Is this true?

Also, does anyone know WHY the upside down catfish swims upside down?

Neku

Their whole body is upside down, as a defense from birds in the wild I think. My USDs go right way all the time, to sweep their motuhs through the sand for food.

 

[CFC]

USD cats are designed for life upside down as in their native habbitat their primary source of food is small terrestial insects which fall into the water and get stuck on the suface tension, swimming upside down enables them to surface feed despite having a underslung mouth.

 

[guppler]

Cool!
They might even be my next additions based on the responses I'm getting. My mommy thought they might eat my little gupplers.
I had read that they swi upside down to catch flies and stuff, and i have seen them in stores swimming rightside up and upside down and every other possible way. They seemed pretty active, so It surprized me a little to hear that they might hide all the time. They shold love my tank. I make some of my own decorations in ceramics class and some of my bigger guppies defend their own little holes while the danios play follow the leader in endless circles through the biggest cave.
Capitol Aquarium here in town has a lot of cool critters, and in one of their biggest tanks I saw some huge usd cats, which worried me a little, because I don't have a tank to accomodate those, but pretty soon i figured out that they are a different species. They look and act just the same only about a hunderd times the size.

 

[Cheese Specialist]

USD to ctach flies?!! I always thought they were veggies!!! I am sure that I read that in (what I thought was) a good book.

*goes a-checking*

 

[SirMinion]

Also, does anyone know WHY the upside down catfish swims upside down?

The reason that I read, although I don't know where, it that it's well known that fish swim with their dorsals to the light (try turning the tank lights off and placing a lamp next to the tank, all your fish will tilt)
The book said that USD cats come from an area where the sky is darkened by overhead trees and all the available light is reflected & amplified by a quartz sand riverbed making riverbed brighter than the sky. The fish has spent so many generations in this upside down world that the've evolved to swim upside down for preference.

I suspect that CFC's reason is more truthfull though....

 

[Nekukurai]

I wonder if they see upside down, or whether they have to swim right side up to see 'right'.


Neku

 

[Oddball]

U should have no problems with these guys, i keep four of them. They like bogwood (i've prvoded rock and wood hidey holes but they choose the wood every time). Try a tall ornament near the surface that overhangs. The cats like to be near the surface due to their feeding methods and they appreciate the darkness provided as well. Its true they are shy, but they can be persuaded to swim right side up with an algae wafer!
They do shoal so numbers is a key factor, but they are not that expensive 3.60 at my lfs.
They don't harm smaller fish as they aren't built to hunt 'em
They see perfectly regardless of their position, and when in doubt they use their barbels to check. Most catfish of the Synodontis species are capable of upside down swimming. My featherfin and ornatapinnis can be found doing this everyday, especially when resting.