Tetra's and Catfish okay in a community tank?

Jighead

Dwarf Cichlid Fanatic
Mar 5, 2006
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Tetra's and Pictus Catfish okay in a community tank?

I am in the process of picking fish for my 20 gallon long aquarium and have come across a dilemma. I am worried about 2 of the species that i have picked as possible tankmates. Are pictus catfish and glowlight tetras or neon tetra's okay in the same aquarium? Will the size of the pictus catfish (6 in) be to much for the tetra's? Is their a possiblity that the pictus catfish could eat them?

If so, would a 29 gallon aquarium make a difference? Or are their larger tetra's than the glowlights or neon's that would be more compatible?

Thanks - Jighead
 
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Jighead said:
http://www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/pimelodi/pimelodu/276_F.PHP

This is the catfish i am referring to. At this particular site is says the length to be 4.8 inches.
Usually planetcatfish is a good resource, but I can tell you from experience that pictus cats can grow to at least 10", and faster than you'd ever think (from 2" to 10" in just over a year). Regardless, even at 5", your little tetras would be down the hatch. The only pimelodid (pseudopimelodid, actually, but close enough) catfish that might go OK with glowlight-size fish would be bumblebee cats ( http://www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/pseudopi/microgla/303_F.PHP ). They are predators, though - mine are able to tackle grass shrimp that are about glowlight size. They are also much shyer than pictus cats. If you get them, make sure they're the right kind. There's also an Asian bumblebee cat, but it gets to pictus size. Check the tail: deeply forked=Asian.
 
Now that i have ruled all of the smaller tetra's out, if i were to add 3 cory cats do you think that the (peruvian) pictus cat would bother them? Or possibly eat them?

Thanks - Jighead
 
Jighead said:
Now that i have ruled all of the smaller tetra's out, if i were to add 3 cory cats do you think that the (peruvian) pictus cat would bother them? Or possibly eat them?

Thanks - Jighead
Best I can say is maybe. I would expect a pictus to eat anything that it thought would fit in its mouth. Personally, I wouldn't trust any predatory catfish with any other fish less than half its size.
 
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