How many glass cats?

dsbrasw

AC Members
Aug 22, 2005
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Someone posted the idea of a transparent tank a few months back. I loved the idea and have kept it tucked away for my next tank! I recently upgraded the lighting in my 55 gallon community which left me with two perfectly good 24 inch hoods. What a waste! I had to buy a tank to fit one of them so I am the proud new owner of a 20 gallon high. I plan on moving a school of 7 glowlight tetras from the 55 to the 20 high. I must have glass catfish though! How many can I fit in a 20 high? We are going with a sand substrate and a black background. My son picked out a skeleton in a coffin air bubble ornament and i'm looking for a sunken ship ans some nice rocks for the bottom. How many fish will this tank hold? What kind of plants will go well with the 'ghost' theme?
 
I'm guessing like 4-5 of them. I had a school of them a few years back but am down to 1. From my experience, they'll need a lot of hidding places and they really only come out at night or when the light's off.
 
I have a dozen in the 55, They hang just left of center in the tank most of the time other than withing an hour of feeding time - when they are whizzing back and forth along the length of tank. Great fish IMHO.

In planted tanks they are not nocturnal at all IME. Go to:

http://www.gwapa.org/

The member's featured tank is my Glass Cat and Debaui Cat tank.
 
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Nice tank, RTR.

Dang, yer making me wanna join the GWAPA but I doubt I'd ever make it to the meetings.

Being a total introvert has its pitfalls ;)

Roan

EDIT: bah, N/M, I just joined. If anything I like to support associations like this one, even if I don't "take advantage" of the membership.
 
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RTR - I love your tanks! What kind of plants can I use to make the glass cats feel most at home? The 20 high will have a standard 15W plant bulb.
 
a while back at my lfs they had 'albino swordgrass' it was a real yellowy colour maybe some of that?
Glass cats are insectivores arnt they?
are you lookiing ate getting african or asain glasscats?
asian ones have like real long feelers and afrcian ones have short ones dont they?
i will look at the fish index on the internet and post up the link in a couple of minuts

gumby
 
Both of the schools in that tank are "Glass" - the Asian that Gumby ref'd which for me is diurnal, and the African, misnamed "debaui", which in this tank are crepuscular to nocturnal (in lower light tanks they are diurnal also - that tank has 3x 40W full sperctrum NO on it). There are several other species of glass cats as well.

If you click on that photo I ref'd, you get a slight enlargement and the tank specs.

For me the best plant for the common Asian glass cat is standard Val. They love to hang in the current in front of a dense stand of Val, but with the floating leaves providing "sky shelter" above them. In that tank, the near-surface current from the back left corner across the back toward the right corner is strong. There is a milder midlevel current from the right rear toward the front center and the toward the back left corner to complete the loop/flow. If spooked, they hide in the Val. When you know the fish and the plants, you can set for particular fish and predict pretty well where they will play.

The Debaui cats spend the day in the strongest current, largely hidden behind the Val. During the last two light hours they are out with the Asian cats, then spend the dark cycle actively swimming the tank. Yes, there is moonlight.

RA- Welcome to the club !!! You really need to come to a meeting a Ghazanfar's place (off the Toll Road) - his new large tank is wonderful, and automated. I'm the balck sheep of the group because I don't go high tech.
 
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I'm not sure which kind of glass cats are available around here. Both of my LFS carry them, I'll have to check. It sounds like the Val would be perfect for a low light tank. I plan on using a Penguin filter. Should I also run a powerhead since the glass cats like strong currents? That would also help with the O2 levels right? I've never had a high tank before, so I'm kind of concerned about stocking levels.

Thanks for all the help guys!
 
Hey, RTR, absolutely exquisite tank!!!! Kudos. :thm:
 
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