What fish?

[Maj0rFiSh]

I will soon have a ready to go tank, it is 75 litres, but i dont know what fish to get, i want something a little harder than guppys, neons, ect, but obviously the harder fish are going to need a larger tank.

Would 1 pictus cat and a few neons be ok?

 

[soupdragon10]

I wouldn't recommend a pictus with anything it could get in its mouth! From my reading these catfish are predators that would probably snack on the neons after lights out if they were peckish.

If you want neons, why not go for a more peaceful south american catfish. This means they will probably have similar water requirements and decor. A group of Corydoras or a small bristlenose might suit you, or some striped or spotted talking catfish if you want something with more distinctive markings.

Alternatively, if you want a Pictus (and they are pretty stunning catfish), perhaps look at meat eating cichlids that don't get too big, but wouldn't be seen as lunch. This would also allow the feeding of a predominantly carnivorous/piscivorous diet, ideal for both cichlid and catfish.

 

[Maj0rFiSh]

Would you say a Pictus cat will be ok in a 75Litre tank though, i may actually take your other option with the Cory's though, but when i went to see some they werent all that ative compared to the pictus cat's, and i want a daytime fish really and i hear that the Pictus cat is definately a day time fish.

 

[soupdragon10]

It might get a bit cramped as an adult (they can get to 6") and like most catfish are nocturnal. My cory's tend to bumble around the tank most of the time, (I have bronzes and smaller peppered corys at the moment) but I keep them in groups and I think this gives them confidence. I had a lone cory for a while and he never came out.

I had a pictus and actually saw very little of him, as he skulked under a log unless it was feeding time when he appeared, ate then disappeared again.

If you want a really different catfish what about glass catfish - they don't look like catfish but inhabit the middle to bottom of the tank. Some of the smaller loaches might also fit the bill if you're just looking to fill the lower half of the tank, you would need to check species though as some of them can be aggressive.

 

[Maj0rFiSh]

I am now rralising that Pictus cat's are too big for my tank, im toying with the idea of having a cuople of cory's, maybe 3 lined, or panda, would you say thats a better option my 75litre tank?