Pictus Cats

[CatLover]

How large do these get? I'm aware of their feeding habits and am not planning on getting any for a long time, but I do have plans for them in years to come.
I have heard many different lengths ranging from 6 inches to over a meter.
Does anyone have good experience with them?

 

[smithrc]

Big...

Around 12" in a tank...

 

[CFC]

Pictus cats rarely exceed 6" in captivity. Ive kept pictus cats on and off for years and they easily rank as one of my favourite catfish, when kept in a group they are constantly active and will roam up and down the length of the tank looking for anything edilble. Because of their swimming habbits a tank of at least 48" in length is recomended though the width isnt as much of a issue as long as it is at least 12".

 

[smithrc]

What size tanks have you kept them in?
I've seen 2 at about 9" in a 48x15x15 tank...

 

[CFC]

I have kept them in tanks up to 80 gallons (48x20x24) and have not seen one ever reach over around 6", while im not saying they cannot grow larger than this (12"+ specimins have been caught in the wild) as a general rule it is rare for Pimelodus pictus to grow larger than 6" in captivity.

 

[smithrc]

cool... I've never had any myself as i thought they got a lot bigger....

The girlfriend might like to know they are a possibility

 

[zeddsdead]

i had one that never failed to get caught in the net. very fine spines on that fellow. if i remember correctly his spots either got bigger as he got older or faded for the most part.

 

[CatLover]

I think 2 pictus would do good in my 75G. The tank measures 48"x18"x20".
One day I plan to keep 2 pictus and a pleco (possibly Hurci) in the 75G. It's possible for Hurci to live up to 25 years, and he is only about 5 years, if that, so I think he will be around for a long time.

Do you think Hurci (who is a common pleco currently measuring 13") plus 2 pictus would be good for my 75G?

Mind you, those 3 fish would be the only inhabitants of the tank. That is why I will not be getting any pictus until I buy other tanks to house my current fish, or they die in years to come.