Need suggestions for a catfish

[MySpace Mike]

I'm setting up my new 55g SA/CA Cichlid tank this coming week, and would like to know a catfish that would work for this. I have 2 firemouths, 2 salvini cichlids, and a pleco. I want to add a catfish to the tank, but dont know cats very well. Please suggest any you think would work in this tank, besides cory cats.

[Featherfin]

syno cats are usually paired with cichlids. they are a larger, very attractive, very neat looking, and very aggressive catfish.

here's a good introduction to the most well known and available species.

http://fish.mongabay.com/mochocidae.htm

[soobie]

A pleco is a cat.......:)

[wataugachicken]

synos are african catfish.

why don't you browse around planetcatfish.com under L-numbers

[AroForever]

Try striped raphael catfish, or a large armored catfish.

[Nolapete]

syno cats are usually paired with cichlids. they are a larger, very attractive, very neat looking, and very aggressive catfish.

here's a good introduction to the most well known and available species.

http://fish.mongabay.com/mochocidae.htm

Syno cats belong with africans not CA/SA. They would NOT go with his fish.

[pcf]

Perhaps some pimelodus pictus catfish?

[magakitty]

pictus should go fine

[AnDr3w]

Pictus and some L- number pleco.

L-260, L-200, L-128, L-134, L-007, etc.

[legendaryfrog]

I absolutely LOVE pictus cats. They're VERY active, get pretty big, and add fun to any tank.........that is, if its large enough. In my opinion, they would need more than your 55g; something like 70 would be suitable, for reasons mentioned above.

If you can find one, a Synodontis Eupterus would do good, as they tolerate pH as low as 6.5. Other than that, you could try some smaller plecos that stay under 12".

[scott-kim]

Ive always had good luck with Hoplosterum sp cats with NW cichlids
A few Brochis may work

[MySpace Mike]

I think I'm going to go with 1 Columbian Shark(Arius jordani) or known as the Black Fin Shark, I think this would be a good catfish to go with, since it's found in south america to north america.

[MySpace Mike]

So I have decided on 2 Columbian Sharks aka Black Fin Shark catfish.

[wataugachicken]

columbian sharks are a brackish water fish that can/should be acclimated to full marine conditions at maturity. freshwater will lead to health problems down the road.

[silentskream]

can you tell me the routine for acclimating columbian sharks from juvenile freshwater to adult saltwater?
how do you go about doing that?

[wataugachicken]

slowly. start them out in freshwater when they are young (probably kept in freshwater in the store anyway). you would probably want to raise the salinity on a biweekly basis. i don't know the exact numbers for what is brackish and what is marine, but you'd add a little more marine salt with every other water change, using a hydrometer to get it right. you'd have more answers if you post in the brackish section. the point is that even though they are thought to be freshwater fish because they are caught in freshwater when they are young (retail size), they live in rivers that empty into the ocean, and they move downriver through increasingly saline water into the ocean as they mature.

[Malefic23]

Oh yeah, and I can rule out an L number. 007. Not agressive enough to ever feed in a tank with hungry cichlids.

[calicichlid]

i agree try the striped raphaels