View Full Version : bottom feeders from SA?
Are there any bottom feeders from South America? I have a tank with two Oscars and a pleco, I just was hoping I could keep a SA theme, but if not... I might just get a Tiger Loach 'cuz it'll be able to defend itself...
GER1023
04-19-2003, 1:33 PM
How many gallons is your tank if you dont know give dimesions.
It's only a 55g tank right now, but I'm not trippin off the size right now, in a month or so I'm moving and buying a larger tank, about 150g I think. I have a black sand substrate with plants and I'm going out and buying driftwood and a rock for my oscars today, while I buy my bottom feeder... I need an answer soon, 'cuz I'm going out in about an hour to buy them... =[
I'm eventually gonna get rid of my Long-Tail Oscar... and keep the Veil-Tail alone until my Albino grows big enough to be tank mates with him... I have an acrylic tank, and can't find a devider for it, so it'll be a while before my Veil-Tail has any mates 'cept for the pl*co and hopefully my new bottom feeder...
GER1023
04-19-2003, 1:42 PM
If your moving in like a month I wouldnt buy anything till you move. It will be to much stress on a new fish.
I'm planning on moving in a month... I live in SF... that means I won't move for about half a year or so... and I need a bottom feeder to clean up the substrate... it's unappealing to the eye. Do you know of any bottom feeders from south america?
Size and agression don't really matter, if the species and small and fast enough to dodge my Oscars and hide amongst the plants for a while... well... not toooooo small... but yeah.
Too late... =[
But i got a good deal on a nice 7" Featherfin Synodontis for only $6... may be from Africa, but looks nice in the tank =]
I may have bought a bottom feeder already, but I'm still looking for a bottom feeder from SA, if there are any... I am still planning for a new tank, as well as setting up one for my brother who wants an SA theme as well. If anyone know of any bottom feeders from South America, could they throw out some names or a list of names by any chance?
serjuanca888
04-20-2003, 9:12 PM
A school of corydoras are nice, would your oscar eat them?
ChilDawg
04-20-2003, 9:52 PM
Yes, the Oscar would at least try to do so, and those sharp Cory spines aren't conducive to swallowing *ouch*.
ChilDawg
04-20-2003, 9:53 PM
Try a Doradid catfish.
0scar
04-21-2003, 10:29 AM
My Oscars seem to leave my Featherfin alone, but I guess that's 'cuz he's already 7 inches... how big do the corydoras you're talking about get? They eat anyhting smaller than them, including my previous clown kinfes and tinfoils...
The largest corydoras only get 2.5"... they're lunch meat.. =[
I never heard of a Doridad, can't find info on it either... but the Tiger Shovel-nose Catfish looks awfully tempting... that's what i wanted from the get-go... but my LFS had non in stock... they only had banded shovel-nose.. The Pictus Catfish looks like a good idea too... small enough to not fill up the tank, adn big enough to not get eaten whole
ChilDawg
04-21-2003, 11:08 AM
Your Oscar will be TSN food once the TSN grows out. Finding Doradid links for you...think Raphael and other Cats from the same fam...
ChilDawg
04-21-2003, 11:09 AM
Here are the AC Species Profiles of Doradid cats:
http://www.aquariacentral.com/species/db.cgi?db=fresh&uid=default&Family=Doradidae&view_records=1
GER1023
04-21-2003, 11:15 AM
Dont TSN Cats get way to big for a 55gal alone???
ChilDawg
04-21-2003, 11:18 AM
Beside the point, but yes. I think 90 is the minimum for solitary TSNs.
GER1023
04-21-2003, 11:21 AM
Well he was thinking of getting it from the get go so it should be stated that they get to big for the tank then let him know the oscar would be lunch que no.
ChilDawg
04-21-2003, 11:21 AM
Good point, GER. Yeah, two strikes against the TSN and the third may come when he eats your Oscar...especially if your Oscar is beloved.
GER1023
04-21-2003, 11:31 AM
Even if its not beloved thats just wrong.
ChilDawg
04-21-2003, 12:25 PM
What's just wrong? Letting a TSN eat an Oscar or something that I said?
How's the Doradid search coming? You would need to buy them a little bigger than the normal offering size, as they are snack-sized at the start. Those go down almost as well as Cories, from what some of the large cichlid fishkeepers tell me...
GER1023
04-21-2003, 5:02 PM
Its wrong letting a big catfish eat a oscar even if its not beloved. Nah you didnt say nothing wrong.
0scar
04-30-2003, 12:05 PM
Hey, I was on a furge of buying a Dolphin, nice sized too about 7"... but my LFs said it would be food no matter the size... Everything else was either too small, or I don't know what they look like. Speaking of bottom feeders, my featherfin is doing great. Still don't know if he might be a Big-Eyed... 'cuz I never seen what one looks like. He loves to pick on my Oscars, and follow right beneath them during feeding time, picking up their left-overs. It's like my Pl*co is the passive king of the tank, no one messes with him, but when he's mad, everyone runs. My long-tail is the wimp, and my catfish and veil-tail are fighting over who's the agressor. Yes I was planning on getting a TSN, never called it that, but that was for my future tank... just wanted to start with an available baby if I found one, unless they grow as qwuick as Oscars...