catfish for brakish

[puffer8899]

does any one know of a good catfish for brakish tanks

[puffer8899]

along with the first question does any one know of good brakish water plants other then java fern (which strangly my puffers eat) or java moss

[ChilDawg]

I think that val is okay for brackish, but I'm not sure. As for cats, I would go with some of the Arius genus of shark wannabes.

[olaf]

I have 3 Silver Shark Catfish or Jordan's Catfish in a tank with a Target fish.
They catfish grow fast. I got them when they were about an inch long and now they are 6", which is half their max. size.
They like a lot of free swimming space. I have them in current running from one side of the tank to the other (left to right). It simulates a stream. (The fish swim in one spot, and lay on the bottom when resting.)

[Pufferpunk]

If you're looking for s fish to eat algae, forget it, there is none that can tolerate BW. You'll have to do your own maid service.

[olaf]

Algae eating = American Flag Fish, Mollies, Peacock Blenny, shrimp, and some snails.

[puffer8899]

what about the whiptail banjo catfish

[MonoSebaelover]

Nope, there are no brackish catfish other than the Black fin Shark (goes by MANY other common names). That means no Plecos, Cories, Loaches, Farowellas, Whiptails, etc. Other than Mollies, some Killies, and the Blenny there are no other algae eaters other than Scats but they require saltwater as adults. Hope this helps.

[olaf]

Aspredo aspredo
Banjo
http://filaman.uni-kiel.de/thumbnails/jpg/tn_Asasp_u3.jpghttp://filaman.uni-kiel.de/thumbnails/jpg/tn_Asasp_u1.jpg
Aspredo aspredo (Linnaeus, 1758)
Family: Aspredinidae (Banjo catfishes), subfamily: Aspredininae
Order: Siluriformes
Class: Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes)
Max. size: 38.3 cm SL
Environment: demersal; brackish; marine
Climate: tropical
Importance: fisheries: minor commercial; aquarium: commercial
Distribution:
Gazetteer Western Atlantic: Venezuela to northern Brazil; including the lower portions of coastal rivers.
Biology: Benthic fish occurring on sandy-muddy bottoms of brackish waters. Found on soft bottoms of shallow turbid water near river mouths. The species has a peculiar mode of egg incubation wherein the female banjo catfish carries the eggs firmly attached to the underside of the body. This seems to be an adaptation to facilitate the oxygenation of the eggs in muddy environments. Reproduction probably occurs during the earlier part of the year.

Platystacus cotylephorus
Banded banjo
http://filaman.uni-kiel.de/thumbnails/jpg/tn_Ascot_u0.jpg
Platystacus cotylephorus Bloch, 1794
Family: Aspredinidae (Banjo catfishes), subfamily: Aspredininae
Order: Siluriformes
Class: Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes)
Max. size: 31.8 cm SL (male/unsexed; Ref. 36695)
Environment: demersal; brackish; marine; pH range: 6.8 - 8.2; dH range: 12.0 - 35.0
Climate: tropical; 22 - 25°C
Importance: fisheries: of no interest; aquarium: commercial
Distribution:
Gazetteer Western Central Atlantic: Venezuela to northern Brazil; including the lower portions of coastal rivers.
Biology: Occurs mainly in brackish water. Found on soft bottoms of shallow turbid water near river mouths. Reported to migrate from estuary into freshwater, but actual spawning apparently takes place in brackish water (Ref. 6868). The species has a peculiar mode of egg incubation wherein the female banjo catfish carries the eggs firmly attached to the underside of the body. This seems to be an adaptation to facilitate the oxygenation of the eggs in muddy environments. Reproduction probably occurs during the earlier part of the year.

[olaf]

Plotosus limbatus
Darkfin eel catfish
http://filaman.uni-kiel.de/thumbnails/jpg/tn_Pllim_u4.jpghttp://filaman.uni-kiel.de/thumbnails/jpg/tn_Pllim_u5.jpghttp://filaman.uni-kiel.de/thumbnails/gif/tn_Pllim_u1.gif
Plotosus limbatus Valenciennes, 1840
Family: Plotosidae (Eeltail catfishes)
Order: Siluriformes
Class: Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes)
Max. size: 41.0 cm SL (male/unsexed; Ref. 3879)
Environment: demersal; freshwater; brackish; marine
Climate: tropical
Importance: fisheries: minor commercial
Distribution:
Gazetteer Western Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea: ranging from the Madras and Malabar coasts of India to the east coast of Africa. Reaches as far south as Knysna, South Africa (Ref. 3670).
Biology: Occurs in estuaries and along open coasts (Ref. 30573). Juveniles form dense aggregations. Feeds on crustaceans, mollusks, and fishes (Ref. 30573). Dorsal and pelvic fins are venomous (Ref. 30573).
Dangerous: venomous

Ompok bimaculatus
Butter catfish
http://filaman.uni-kiel.de/thumbnails/jpg/tn_Ombim_u1.jpghttp://filaman.uni-kiel.de/thumbnails/gif/tn_Ombim_u0.gif
Family: Siluridae (Sheatfishes)
Order: Siluriformes
Class: Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes)
Max. size: 45.0 cm SL (male/unsexed; Ref. 4833)
Environment: demersal; freshwater; brackish; pH range: 6.0 - 8.0; dH range: 4.0 - 28.0 ; depth range 0 - 2 m
Climate: tropical; 20 - 26°C
Importance: fisheries: commercial; aquaculture: commercial; aquarium: commercial
Distribution:
Gazetteer Asia: Afghanistan to China, Thailand and Borneo. Endangered status in the Western Ghats, India (Ref. 44150).
Diagnosis: Dorsal soft rays (total): 4-4; Anal soft rays: 54-74. Two pairs of barbels; maxillary barbels reahing pelvic fins or anal fins; mandibulary barbels minute, about as long as diameter of eye. Eyes small, covered by skin. Dorsal and pelvic fins small; anal fin long; pectoral fins well developed (Ref. 4792); vomerime teeth in 2 patches (Ref. 12693). Brown, usually marmorated body with conspiuous round black blotch above pectoral base (Ref. 43281). Also Ref. 44150.
Biology: Occurs in streams and rivers of all sizes with currents ranging from sluggish to moderate (Ref. 12693). Found in quiet, shallow (0.5-1.5 m), often muddy water, in sandy streams, rivers and tanks (Ref. 6028). Also occurs in canals, beels and inundated fields (Ref. 1479). Moves into freshly inundated habitats during the flood season (Ref. 12693). Feeds on vegetable matter, fish (Ref. 6028), crustaceans and mollusks (Ref. 12693). Sold fresh or smoked on skewers (Ref. 12693).

Ompok fumidus (Located in similar regions as the one below)

Ompok jaynei
Family: Siluridae (Sheatfishes)
Order: Siluriformes
Class: Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes)
Max. size: 15.2 cm SL (male/unsexed; Ref. 41243)
Environment: demersal; freshwater; brackish
Climate: tropical
Distribution:
Gazetteer Asia: from Sarawak, northern Sabah and Kalimantan Timur.
Diagnosis: Dorsal soft rays (total): 4-4; Anal soft rays: 50-58; Vertebrae : 44-47
Biology: Recently collected specimen found in shallow blackwaters in a peat swamp heavily disturbed by logging activities.



Synodontis multipunctatus
Cockoo Synodontis
http://filaman.uni-kiel.de/thumbnails/jpg/tn_Symul_u1.jpg
"Perhaps some salt (1/2 - 1 teaspoon per 10 L; 2.5 gal of water)"
This would be the same as the salt for Cichlids.
Search google; Synodontis multipunctatus salt.
It pulls up articles that breeders and hobbiest are using salt in their water.

[olaf]

Bagarius bagarius
Dwarf goonch
http://filaman.uni-kiel.de/thumbnails/jpg/tn_Babag_u0.jpghttp://filaman.uni-kiel.de/thumbnails/gif/tn_Babag_u2.gif
http://filaman.uni-kiel.de/Summary/SpeciesSummary.cfm?ID=12006&genusname=Bagarius&speciesname=bagarius
Check out Bagarius yarrelli Goonch pictures, OUCH if biten, 200cm also known as a freshwater shark, "larger aniamls withstand hard water, even the addition of salt (density 1.006)." http://filaman.uni-kiel.de/Summary/SpeciesSummary.cfm?ID=23314&genusname=Bagarius&speciesname=yarrelli

[bottle-blonde]

some of those fish are really freaky looking right?

[ChilDawg]

Naw, they're all normal. Actually, yeah, they are kinda freaky, but banjos would be pretty darn fun to keep!

[olaf]

Here is a site on Banjo cats
http://www.planetcatfish.com/ilibrary/aspredin/platysta/108_f.htm

[Pufferpunk]

I've had a banjo catfish for about 7 years now. Everyone that sees him says, "Hey you've got a dead fish in your tank!". I had no idea he could live in BW. thanks for all the great info Olaf. What site did you get it from?

[olaf]

Fishbase.org
Make sure it is one of the ones listed above, because if it is one of the other kinds of banjo cats it will surely die.

[olaf]

Plotosus lineatus
Striped eel catfish
http://filaman.uni-kiel.de/thumbnails/jpg/tn_Pllin_uf.jpghttp://filaman.uni-kiel.de/thumbnails/jpg/tn_Pllin_u1.jpghttp://filaman.uni-kiel.de/thumbnails/jpg/tn_Pllin_ub.jpg

Plotosus lineatus (Thunberg, 1787)
Family: Plotosidae (Eeltail catfishes)
Order: Siluriformes
Class: Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes)
Max. size: 32.0 cm TL (male/unsexed; Ref. 9710); max. reported age: 7 years
Environment: reef-associated; brackish; marine ; depth range 1 - 60 m
Climate: tropical
Importance: fisheries: commercial; aquarium: commercial
Resilience: Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (K=0.44-0.45; tm=1-3; tmax=7)
Distribution:
Gazetteer Indo-Pacific: Red Sea and East Africa to Samoa, north to southernJapan, southern Korea, and the Ogasawara Islands, south to Australia and Lord Howe Island. Palau and Yap in Micronesia (Ref. 1602). Sometimes enters freshwaters of East Africa (Lake Malawi) and Madagascar (Ref. 3879).
Diagnosis: Dorsal spines (total): 1-1; Dorsal soft rays (total): 85-105; Anal spines: 0-0; Anal soft rays: 70-81. Dorsal and anal fins continuous with caudal fin. Four pairs of mouth barbels. A single highly venomous serrate spine at the beginning of the first dorsal and each of the pectoral fins (Ref. 1602).
Biology: The only catfish found in coral reefs. Also found in estuaries, tidepools and open coasts. Juveniles form dense ball-shaped schools of about 100 fish; adults are solitary or occur in smaller groups of around 20 and are known to hide under ledges during the day (Ref. 1602, 5503, 12693, 37816). Adults search and stir the sand incessantly for crustaceans, mollusks, worms, and sometimes fish (Ref. 5213). Oviparous, with demersal eggs and planktonic larvae (Ref. 205). The highly venomous serrate spine of the first dorsal and each of the pectoral fins are dangerous, and even fatal in rare cases (Ref. 1602).
Dangerous: venomous

[olaf]

I also cross-reference the fish with books in my Library.

[Javelin]

I've had a couple Banjos in my brackish tank since last fall and they're doing fine. They love the sand substrate compared to the Flourite they were in in my planted tank.

I thought I read some where that Sun Cats and Bumblebee cats can be kept in brackish, but PlanetCatfish doesn't mention it. Can someone tell me I'm wrong so I don't pick one up?

Here's a good link for brackish plants someone posted a while ago:

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/BrackishSubWebIndex/bracplants.htm

I have vals, water sprite, and java fern in mine.

[olaf]

what is another name for a Sun Catfish?

[ChilDawg]

Bullseye Catfish, Golden Red Tail Catfish, Solar Catfish, Sun Catfish

It is Horabagrus brachysoma.