Which pleco/catfish ?

[Vivienne]

There are so many to choose from and some seem really beautiful , (gold nuggets etc) but I'm concerned that if we make a decision based on looks alone I may end up with a beautiful, expensive fish that we never see.

Criteria would be (in no particular order)

Attractive to look at
interesting character/behaviour
Doesn't hide away all the time
Doesn't grow too big (120 litre tank)
Good community fish

I'd really appreciate some recommendations. (Note tank is cycling at the moment, so no fish as yet).

 

[Bloo]

lol your first criteria has a flaw

"Attractive looking"

Well as you might know catfish are nocturnal and you'll therefore hardly ever see them anyway.

I find it very hard (if not impossible) to think of a catfish (that I've kept) that you'll be able to see most of the time - unless you have no hiding places or substrate

 

[Morrgan]

There are very few plecs that will fit a 120 l. Anything over 4-5 inches is really out of the question, so don't get a golden nugget (has the potential to grow to 10-12 in). Here are some suggestions:

- A bristlenose (Ancistrus spp.) would do nicely and would take care of your algae. It's a herbivore and really enjoys cucumber and zucchini, for example. Males can be a bit territorial towards other bottom dwellers though.
- A clown or ringlet pleco (Panaque maccus - L104, L162, LDA22) stays small and is friendly towards other fish. Note that they need pieces of wood in their tank, as they need wood fiber in their diet.
- A tiger "peckoltia" (is really a Panaque species, not a Peckoltia - L002, L074) is about the same as the previous fish.
- There's no common name for this one that I know of (Hypancistrus sp. - L136, L158, L262, LDA05, LDA06), but it's a peaceful little fish, although males are territorial towards each other. Note that it should have warm, oxygen-rich water. Also note that it's a carnivore - it won't eat algae and needs carnivore pellets or frozen/live foods every now and then.

All of these need hideouts, among rocks and roots, so make sure you have some. Pretty much all plecos are sensitive to nitrite and nitrate, so do remember the weekly waterchanges. You may not see any of these the first few weeks, but eventually they'll grow used to their surroundings and come out. Funny enough, the more hideouts there are, the safer the fish feels and will then come out more often.

Good luck.

Edit: Just thought I'd add that the Panaques will produce a lot of waste, so the filtration needs to be very good.

 

[Vivienne]

Thanks for the recommendations - that gives me somewhere to start. It's a bit overwhelming when you look at the species guides because there are just so many !

I have loads of hiding places - made a DIY cement background that has lots of caves (drain pipes embedded), hidey holes and rocky overhangs but no wood. (No plants anymore either - had to remove the last ones today - wasted a lot of money on them I'm afraid ) Of those mentioned, is it just the clown/ringlet pleco that needs wood ? Could it be a relatively small piece near a rocky cave or does it need to be a whole hiding place made of wood ?

 

[Morrgan]

Oooh, the background sounds great!

All Panaque are wood-eaters and thus need wood in the tank (so both both the clown/ringlet and the tiger). It doesn't need to be huge, just enough that they can rasp some fiber for their digestion. I think they prefer wood as hideouts, but I should imagine some other material will do as well.

 

[Vivienne]

Bloozoo, I guess that's kind of why I asked because I had read comments from people who said they never see their plecos - but then I also read people saying that synos are very sociable (although perhaps not the most flamboyant looking). Are synos & plecos completely different species ?

With loads of hiding places in the tank, the fish should be very happy but I would like to see them now and again without having to do a nocturnal stake out. (I'm picturing, dark glasses, a mac and trip wires in the tank here ).

Didn't know that the more hiding places the more likely you are to see them - very interesting Morrgan.

 

[Morrgan]

With loads of hiding places in the tank, the fish should be very happy but I would like to see them now and again without having to do a nocturnal stake out. (I'm picturing, dark glasses, a mac and trip wires in the tank here ).

Syno is short for Synodontis. They're a family of African catfish, different from plecos. But I wouldn't say that they're very sociable, except for the upside-down catfish... Most are territorial and almost all like to hide as much as plecos do, unless it's a dim tank especially made for them. There are exceptions, of course, but as a rule I'd call them shy.

The hideouts thing is something I've noticed from my own experience. It seems to apply not only to plecos but other shy fish too. Of course, there are some species which will never be seen, no matter what you try, but the ones I mentioned above aren't any of them.

 

[daza]

Rubbernose/lips are great. They stay small and I see mine out a lot. They do get nervous if you make a sudden move near the tank so a cave is essential.

There is a link to their profile in my sig.

 

[Vivienne]

Oooh, the background sounds great!

I'll post some pics of how I made it soon (it was really messy) hopefully when I can show the whole set up - right through to fish ! Very impatient for it to cycle, but it's only been 4 days so nothing except ammonia so far.

Daza, I like the look of the rubbernose, and yet it stays small !

When I eventually go to get fish I'll take a copy of the thread with me. It's so easy when you're in the shop to be seduced by an attractive fish that you know virtually nothing about - only to find out later it's really not suitable. (Thankfully all my mistakes have been theoretical so far!) It would be great if lfs's had an internet access point for customer use - that way you could get info quickly.

 

[Morrgan]

Oh, forgot to mention one family with several suitable small species: Peckoltia. I have no personal experience of these, but I understand many of them do well in smaller tanks, as long as the water quality is kept good. You can browse through this list from Planet Catfish for anything 4 in or smaller.

Looking forward to the pics.

 

[@ombomb]

Gold Nuggets grow to about 7 inches in aquariums, are very attractive (see my avatar) and mine is always out and about exploring.

They are quite fussy about water conditions though.

 

[Erised]

I find it very hard (if not impossible) to think of a catfish (that I've kept) that you'll be able to see most of the time - unless you have no hiding places or substrate

Actually, I think that depends on where in the house your tank is located as well. In a livingroom, where loads is going on every day, the water moves around on a constant base without us noticing etc, they're likely to hide.

I keep mine in my bedroom, I often go up early to lay down and watch a movie and stuff ... and I've not once had to look far for my plecs, they're always out and about. The bristlenose downstairs though, is always hiding If there's not a lot going on around the tank, they don't tend to be as shy.

--Edit--

This is coming from a person who doesn't have a hard time finding her banjo catfish either though

 

[Morrgan]

Gold Nuggets grow to about 7 inches in aquariums, are very attractive (see my avatar) and mine is always out and about exploring.

There are 3 species of gold nuggets (L018, L081 and L177) and most sources agree that they have the potential to grow to more than 10 inches. There is some difference in opinion about the L081, which some people say grow to only 7 inches, I assume that's the one you have. The other two grow bigger. In any case, they're all too big for 120 l.