Pimelodus Pictus, Any Owners

[poopsydrew]

Hey all,
I was at my lfs today when i came across an awesome looking catfish called pimelodus pictus or a "pictus cat" i guess. I did some research and everything sounded good until i read that small fish will be eaten. I am getting a 50 gallon soon and want to know if i could keep three of them with the followong fish in my soon to be tank:

6+ glass catfish
6+ boesmani rainbowfish
pair of german blue ram cichlids
butterfly fish
bristlenose pleco
moolight gourami or maybe some dwarf gouramis
Corys (maybe sterbai, wtvr i just love corys)
Java moss
plenty of plants and bogwood.
sand substrate.
not sure what kind of filter it comes with as it is a free gift.

will he work with the fish i want to add or not. I really like these guys and want to "rescue" some from the lfs 2.5 gallon tank they are in now. If they wont work though i would like to know before i buy

 

[foxycatfish]

Hi m8 you should be fine with the fish that you have. have had pimelodus pictus for years. They will only eat fish the size of Neon Tetra.A few journals quote that you can keep them singly but in my experience they are never very happy in this scenario and do prefer a few of their own companions , at least 4 should suffice.

 

[poopsydrew]

Hi m8 you should be fine with the fish that you have. have had pimelodus pictus for years. They will only eat fish the size of Neon Tetra.A few journals quote that you can keep them singly but in my experience they are never very happy in this scenario and do prefer a few of their own companions , at least 4 should suffice.

Great i am so glad to talk to someone that has owned one! thanks for your response! I have another question for you, i have heard there spines on their "whisker" are very sharp. I have never had a fish i am afraid of before, but i still love these guys.
A.Is it going to be a problem taking him home from the fish store and getting him in my tank?
B.Am i going to be able to put my hand in the tank to clean it and move stuff, or could i get cut??

any help thanks

 

[stang1]

We keep our 3 Pictus withh different sized fish, the smallest being Pentazona Barbs which are about 1 1/2". We've had no problems whatsoever.
When moving them, never use a net as they have sharp fins which will get caught up causing unnecessary stress and harm to your fish. Always use a plastic container or something similar.
Also, be aware that they are quite an active fish, especially at feeding time so it's best not keeping them with slow moving fish. And as Foxycatfish pointed out, they are best kept in groups of 3 or more.

 

[Bloo]

That sounds like a lot of fish for 50 gallons - it would take several months to build stocking levels up safely. And if you do add Pictus, do so after the tank has been estabilshed for around 6 months. They are not the hardiest of fish as starters in new tanks. Also, ensure plenty of open spaces along the substrate - so not too much wood and rocks around the tank - though enough to provide basic decor.
And also not sure how happy the cories will be with a crazy picturs zooming around

Ps: I kept mine in a 3ft 50 gallon as a single fish - and would say that is the absolutely minimum. If you want to keep more than one (and they are said to do better as 2 or 3 etc.) you would need a minumum of 4ft ++ (in my opinion and experience).

 

[stang1]

That sounds like a lot of fish for 50 gallons - it would take several months to build stocking levels up safely. And if you do add Pictus, do so after the tank has been estabilshed for around 6 months. They are not the hardiest of fish as starters in new tanks. Also, ensure plenty of open spaces along the substrate - so not too much wood and rocks around the tank - though enough to provide basic decor.
And also not sure how happy the cories will be with a crazy picturs zooming around

Ps: I kept mine in a 3ft 50 gallon as a single fish - and would say that is the absolutely minimum. If you want to keep more than one (and they are said to do better as 2 or 3 etc.) you would need a minumum of 4ft ++ (in my opinion and experience).

Good point Bloo, I hadn't thought about the cories...
Also size wise, I'd agree on a 4ft minimum. When ours were small, we kept them in a 3ft 48G tank and they were fine while they were small. They are now about 5"-6" and live in a 5ft 137G tank and they take full advantage of the space!

 

[Bozza]

Corys a very shy and having a very active fish down on the bottom with them will freak them out and they will hide 24/7 and maybe die eventually. I had a few corys in with 2 yoyo loaches and they didnt go so well so I moved them into another tank. I would either get corys or pictus. My 2cents

 

[andywg]

With regards to being better in groups I have a differing experience to most people. My 3 foot contains 5 pictus (together with about 5 upside downs, 5 bumblebee cats and a few woodcats) and ever since the pictus got larger than 2" the only interaction between the fish has been fighting for spots to sit in during the day.

 

[Bloo]

With regards to being better in groups I have a differing experience to most people. My 3 foot contains 5 pictus (together with about 5 upside downs, 5 bumblebee cats and a few woodcats) and ever since the pictus got larger than 2" the only interaction between the fish has been fighting for spots to sit in during the day.

But isn't that because it's a 3ft tank with so many bottom dwellers? In my opinion way too many for a 3ft tank.
I think you might have a very different experience, had they been in a 6ft tank.

 

[andywg]

But isn't that because it's a 3ft tank with so many bottom dwellers? In my opinion way too many for a 3ft tank.
I think you might have a very different experience, had they been in a 6ft tank.

The tank is 3x2x2, so there is more than enough room, not to mention being over half full of bogwood to provide many hiding places. Furthermore, the pictus were exactly the same in the 6x1.5x1.5 and the 6x2x2 when they only shared the bottom with a rainbow shark and a plec so I cannot agree that the tank size is causing any woes here.

The pictus care little for the other fish in the tank, but will chase each other on site, and while one hole will often contain a bumblebee, a pictus and wood cat (or multiples of the non pictus) it will never contain more than one pictus. I do know of a couple of othe keepers who have saiud the same thing about pictus, while others comment on seeing a shoal swimming around looking for food of an evening.

 

[poopsydrew]

That sounds like a lot of fish for 50 gallons - it would take several months to build stocking levels up safely. And if you do add Pictus, do so after the tank has been estabilshed for around 6 months. They are not the hardiest of fish as starters in new tanks. Also, ensure plenty of open spaces along the substrate - so not too much wood and rocks around the tank - though enough to provide basic decor.
And also not sure how happy the cories will be with a crazy picturs zooming around

Ps: I kept mine in a 3ft 50 gallon as a single fish - and would say that is the absolutely minimum. If you want to keep more than one (and they are said to do better as 2 or 3 etc.) you would need a minumum of 4ft ++ (in my opinion and experience).

Bloo,
Thanks for the input, forgot to check back on this thread! oh by the way everyone turn out my tank is a 55 gallon long!! woo-hoo, anyway thanks for pointy out the problems with the corys, i think i am gonna hold of on the pictus for now. And as for stocking my tank, yes, it will be a very slow proccess over 6 months or more. And just to let you know i am over-filtered running 3 external filters. (dont ask me why, the guy who gave me the tank gave me all three so i set em up lol) anyway, i am not saying i am adding all of those, those were just my ideas, but i wont overstock it, i promise Who wants to do a water change every other day?
p.s. i appreciate the input from everyone, sorry forgot to put that in there and i really do appreciate it!

 

[wendywc]

What are the tank dimensions? I'm curious and I would like to see pics too!

 

[poopsydrew]

What are the tank dimensions? I'm curious and I would like to see pics too!

No idea, seeing as i dont have a tape measure lol. I will ask the guy i got it from (for free might i add) and i am sure he will know, and i would love to show off some pics of my tank, i will ask my gf if i can use her camera tomorrow and will post some for you guys, it is so great to finally have a big tank(i knw 55 gallon isnt big for most of you but for me it is like a dream come true considering i had a 10 and 5 gallon before) c ya guys

p.s. for the tank dimensions i can eyeball it and guess that lenght wise it is AT LEAST four feet long, dont know if that helps but i will post some pics and find out for you...

 

[wendywc]

No idea, seeing as i dont have a tape measure lol. I will ask the guy i got it from (for free might i add) and i am sure he will know, and i would love to show off some pics of my tank, i will ask my gf if i can use her camera tomorrow and will post some for you guys, it is so great to finally have a big tank(i knw 55 gallon isnt big for most of you but for me it is like a dream come true considering i had a 10 and 5 gallon before) c ya guys

p.s. for the tank dimensions i can eyeball it and guess that lenght wise it is AT LEAST four feet long, dont know if that helps but i will post some pics and find out for you...

haha, stop rubbing it in. I had to pay for mine, dangit.

 

[Bloo]

Excellent and great to hear poopsydrew 55 long is a great tank.

The Pims really are great though - and I absolutely loved mine. Such characterful fish. But you do indeed need to cater to their needs more than the other general / standard community fish in my opinion.

Have fun stocking it up