# Catfish



## Aaron4321 (Jul 28, 2009)

I have noticed that a lot of Catfish that are nocturnal. (Might be a silly questions but here we go) Are there any that are not nocturnal or will swim around when the lights are on?

Aaron


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## MJ75 (Feb 5, 2009)

Yes. Quite a few.


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## Aaron4321 (Jul 28, 2009)

Know where i could find out which? or should i just keep looking.


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## Stan193 (May 27, 2009)

Glass catfish, dubawi catfish, lots of nocturnal ones also come out in the day as well


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## Aaron4321 (Jul 28, 2009)

Dont really like them, any like the Pictus?


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## Iggylover (Sep 2, 2009)

Iv'e got asian shark catfish which are very active day and night but need decent size tank as they get big and are skittish.


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## Aaron4321 (Jul 28, 2009)

I might get a Pictus again as that swam during they day.


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## Stan193 (May 27, 2009)

Iggylover said:


> Iv'e got asian shark catfish which are very active day and night but need decent size tank as they get big and are skittish.


 
Do you mean pangasius sutchii?. they grow to 1 meter. My brother had one that was 18" and it used to go full belt into the end of the tank and bust its nose


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## MJ75 (Feb 5, 2009)

Aaron4321 said:


> I might get a Pictus again as that swam during they day.


Thats a sad thing to read.


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## Stan193 (May 27, 2009)

I never liked pictus either, What about hoplos,(hoplosturnum thoracatum) they swim about in the day a lot, quite active, always come out for food and are very pretty and quite hardy, also corydoras, brochis, aspidoras, dianema, They like to be in a shoakl though.


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## MJ75 (Feb 5, 2009)

I like pictus. I just don't like to see them or any other shoaling fish kept alone. It's unethical.


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## Aaron4321 (Jul 28, 2009)

Well i said that in my other thread about my Pictus that died and Graylord said

'Aaron you may simply have been sold a dodgy fish ,they are not that bothered in a closed environment whether they are kept singly or in groups.

The shoaling protective instinct goes out of the window in the safety of an aquarium ,quite often naturally shoaling fish start to bicker when they don`t need safety in numbers.'

Unless i am reading that wrong, correct me if i am, would one be not alright?


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## MJ75 (Feb 5, 2009)

Aaron4321 said:


> Well i said that in my other thread about my Pictus that died and Graylord said
> 
> 'Aaron you may simply have been sold a dodgy fish ,they are not that bothered in a closed environment whether they are kept singly or in groups.
> 
> ...


 
I think you need to read the entire thread. Graylord is I believe a troll. Posting dubious advice in order to get a rise. Take a long hard look at his posts in the fish forum. Go back a few weeks at least. He has a few very unusual ideas, he believes he kept a piranha for a year which only fed twice, yet didn't lose any weight??? His thought on tank sizes are unusual also. He'll probably reply explaining that he's kept fish since god were a lad and that everyone else only knows what they've read in books and online and insinuate that they have never kept fish themselves etc.

I suggest you join other forums frquented by experienced fish keepers such as SVAS, Seriouslyfish.com and TFF etc. Ask the same question and see what kind of replies you get. Pictus do better in groups. They also need a fair amount of floor space as they are very active fish. 

Many species will shoal naturally in the aquarium. If fish are bickering the chances are they are being kept in a tank that is too small for them. Try and see things fro the fishes point of view and what is best for it rather than what is most convenient for you.


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## Aaron4321 (Jul 28, 2009)

So a minimum of 3 then?

What tank size will 3 of these need when full grown?


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## Cleopatra the Royal (Nov 29, 2008)

Corydoras, _Ottocinclus affinis, _Hoplos, and my bristlenose seemed to be out a lot in the day when I still had them.


Harry


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## Cleopatra the Royal (Nov 29, 2008)

MJ75 said:


> I think you need to read the entire thread. Graylord is I believe a troll. Posting dubious advice in order to get a rise. Take a long hard look at his posts in the fish forum. Go back a few weeks at least. He has a few very unusual ideas, he believes he kept a piranha for a year which only fed twice, yet didn't lose any weight??? His thought on tank sizes are unusual also. He'll probably reply explaining that he's kept fish since god were a lad and that everyone else only knows what they've read in books and online and insinuate that they have never kept fish themselves etc.
> 
> I suggest you join other forums frquented by experienced fish keepers such as SVAS, Seriouslyfish.com and TFF etc. Ask the same question and see what kind of replies you get. *Pictus do better in groups*. They also need a fair amount of floor space as they are very active fish.
> 
> Many species will shoal naturally in the aquarium. If fish are bickering the chances are they are being kept in a tank that is too small for them. Try and see things fro the fishes point of view and what is best for it rather than what is most convenient for you.


 
Agreed.

6 is a good number but four should do fine.


Harry


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## renton (Jun 24, 2008)

Aaron4321 said:


> So a minimum of 3 then?
> 
> What tank size will 4-6 of these need when full grown?


That'll open a bag of worms.
Depends what rule you go by but 6 active catfish a foot long will need alot of room. Your looking into the 200gal+ with the footprint being the main focus rather than height.

You'll also need some serious filtration going on there as they are not exactly a "clean" fish. Fluval fx5 maybe more.

PS. By "claen" i mean the bio load.


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## MJ75 (Feb 5, 2009)

Aaron4321 said:


> So a minimum of 3 then?
> 
> What tank size will 3 of these need when full grown?


 
Yes, though a couple or three more won't hurt.


Renton - I think you've got the wrong species. Pictus refferes to a few cats but the poster is reffering to Pimlodellus pictus that grow much smaller than the cats you're reffering to. A minimum of a 3' tank. Larger if there is little open floor space.


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## renton (Jun 24, 2008)

MJ75 said:


> Renton - I think you've got the wrong species. Pictus refferes to a few cats but the poster is reffering to Pimlodellus pictus that grow much smaller than the cats you're reffering to. A minimum of a 3' tank. Larger if there is little open floor space.


Sorry my bad. :blush: 
Im on the same page now-Small silver cat with black spots.

I really shouldnt post on a sunday morning.


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## mariekni (Apr 8, 2009)

we have a few pims pictus and they are such great little characters to watch. so active and funny :lol2:


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## Aaron4321 (Jul 28, 2009)

I have a 3' at the moment but will be upgrading to a 5-'6 or a 4X2' in the next 6 months.

and yes, sorry i meant the silver ones with black dots.


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## daftlassieEmma (Oct 23, 2008)

MJ75 said:


> *I think you need to read the entire thread. Graylord is I believe a troll.* Posting dubious advice in order to get a rise. Take a long hard look at his posts in the fish forum. Go back a few weeks at least. He has a few very unusual ideas, he believes he kept a piranha for a year which only fed twice, yet didn't lose any weight??? His thought on tank sizes are unusual also. He'll probably reply explaining that he's kept fish since god were a lad and that everyone else only knows what they've read in books and online and insinuate that they have never kept fish themselves etc.


 off topic (sorry to the OP) but i'm glad i'm not the only one to have noticed this :?


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