Which? Catfish (there's no magazine)

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Minxnfella

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Dec 19, 2002
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Hi
I'd like some help please! :p
I have a 3ft tank with 3 guppies in it at the moment. It is fairly new but has cycled and now I want to put some catfish in it. The problem is, or so I have been informed, that because I have salt in the tank (1tsp per gallon) that I can't have certain types of fish.
The salt was added because of stress and illness in the tank and some general teething problems, and at the next water change I won't replace the salt.
So what catfish? Size isn't really going to be a problem as long as it doesn't grow fully in the next six months or so as after that I should be upgrading tanks and getting a much bigger one.

Anyway, please help! I don't really like the look of cories, but I love the butterfly catfish. The other thing is I want one to go in the goldfish tank which is thoroughly not coldwater! But I guess I can go with pretty much anything in there.
Any help/suggestions would be appreciated!
Ta
 

Bantam

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Aug 9, 2002
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You're probably best waiting till the saltwater is fully replaced and in the meantime having a look round see whats available in the local shops. failing that colombian shark catfish like a bit of salt in the water but they do get big and prefer to be in a group.
as for the goldfish tank what temp do you have it at, whats already in there and how big is the tank?
hope this helps
 

Minxnfella

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Dec 19, 2002
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Hi, thanks for that
How big do the shark catfish get? And how many would I have to have to qualify as a group?
The goldfish tank is 25 degrees C most of the time, whilst it's been really cold at night it has dropped down to 22, but that's the lowest. It's 2 x1x1 sorta, those are the rough dimensions anyway. 3 tiny goldfish, well not so tiny, about 2" so I have seen smaller, and some minnows which started out in the tropical tank but had to get swapped.
Mind you, earlier I was replanting the pond weed (the only thing they won't destroy) and stirred up some gravel, but there was no mess at all. However, Bruce the biggest does tend to behave like a vacuum cleaner most of the time and they all scavenge, so a catfish would probably be rather redundant in there! Would look pretty though!

I'll wait until I've replaced the salt water then I think, and by that point they should have enough algae to keep them going for a couple of weeks! It's horrid!
Anyway, thanks, any more suggestions would be grand!
Helen
 

Wippit Guud

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Sep 27, 2002
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Just to convert to F, it's 77 most of the time, drops as low as 71.

As you were...
 

Minxnfella

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Dec 19, 2002
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Just what I said! :p
I have only once had the heater on in that tank and then it went crazy and nearly boiled the poor things. I wondered why they were headbutting the glass at me when I walked in, then wondered why the thermometer had stopped working....turns out it was 33degrees in there (about 91). I apologised profusely.
 

Bantam

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Aug 9, 2002
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the colmbian shark gets to around a foot in length. i think they are great looking fish but then i guess they're not everyones cup of tea. have a look at http://planetcatfish.com/cotm/1998-06.htm

for the goldfish tank your biggest problem will be overcrowding when the goldfish grow unless you have a pond or whatever to move them into. even so you'll have to go for one of the smaller species i would say something the size of a hoplosternum as a max. have a look round the planetcatfish site see what tickles your fancy so to speak.

regards
 
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