What Fish To Put With Hoplo Cats?

[N0body Of The Goat]

A nice big group (~10) Synodontis nigriventris would work well with Hoplos, they are very social and much less likely to exhibit any nipping in a good sized numbers. The more bushy plants and bits of wood suckered to the tank sides (like mini horizontal platforms) you can fix at mid and even high up, the more likely you are to see their social behaviour.

 

[friendlyfishy777]

I think that's what I'll go for then.

Who should I introduce to the tank first, the hoplo or the Synodontis nigriventris?

I like the idea of having a mainly catfish tank, and also wonder if I have room for a bristle nosed pleco.

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

200l gives you some really good options for an all catfish tank, something I pondered about a little while ago, before realising the limitations of my 620T...

• "Debauwi Catfish" (often the smaller ~7cm P. buffei, real ~10cm P. debauwi are much rarer in the hobby) love current and swim mid-water. Quite shy fish, need 10+ groups, even then a good reassuring "dither" group helps them. When happy, these fish are lovely to watch swimming in very tight schools. Diurnal, so they will be seen in the day.
• Shadow Catfish like lurking in midwater amongst bushy plants, stay quite small at just over 4cm, pretty social. Diurnal too. Only slight downside is that these fish come from acidic blackwater around pH 5, gutted when I spotted a group of 10 at LFS and then found they would suffer in Southampton's tap water.
• Porthole Catfish (Dianema longibarbis) are known to swim midwater when kept in good sized groups of 6+.
• I think all three "pygmy" Corydoras species will spend time midwater.
• Glass Catfish are another midwater social species, K. minor is a much better community fish than the slightly predatory and larger K. bicirrhis. Needs big group to prevent fish from going on a hunger strike through pining, but apparently they are not good at dealing with water quality changes. Prefers slightly acidic water too I think.
• Otos could certainly work once the tank has matured for several months, would love to own some Zebras one day or the brand new "Robocop" species.
• "Whiptails" are another option, but not a group I know much about.
• One or two of the Synodontis family could work besides S. nigriventris, a group of 3/4 Pyjama spring to mind, very social like Upside Downs and captive bred ones tend to stay under 10cm.
• Not to mentions others like BN Catfish.

As for which fish to add first (once you have "fishless cycled" the filter), I would probably go with the Hoplos, as mine have been an absolute joy over the past few weeks. In addition this might give you more time to get some bushy plants like Echinodorus growing nicely and some Anubias heterophylla/barteri attachiong to the upper surface of some bogwood, not to mention getting some small platform-like bits of wood/cork secured to the glass with suckers screwed in place with stainless steel screws, all ready for the Upside Downs.

 

[friendlyfishy777]

Thank you so much for this list of choices (you are a credit to this forum). I've been looking into them today and I'm pretty certain now that I will be going for an all catfish tank. Though I think I'll skip the Glass Catfish, they sound rather difficult going by this page.

Sorry to hear you couldn't have Shadow Catfish. My PH is 7.6, is that okay?

I love the Otos. Certainly on my list for when the tank matures.

 

[friendlyfishy777]

not to mention getting some small platform-like bits of wood/cork secured to the glass with suckers screwed in place with stainless steel screws, all ready for the Upside Downs.

This sounds like a fablous idea, what size wood you recommend? Do you have something similiar in your tanks, if so, I'd love to see a photo to get a better idea.

 

[KittyKat]

Though I think I'll skip the Glass Catfish, they sound rather difficult going by this page.

For the most part, people have problems when keeping them in small groups (I say 10 is an absolute minimum, more is better), in bare tanks (they are shy fish) and with boisterous companions (…very, very shy fish). If you can provide them with the right conditions, they should not be difficult to look after.

 

[friendlyfishy777]

Hoplos are fairly boisterous though, aren't they? I really wouldn't want to stress them.


I found someone selling Dianema longibarbis the other day, the only thing is they only have two of them, having sold the rest. I am thinking of purchasing them but I wonder if this would be wise. As ideally they need to be in groups of at least four. Would it be okay to purchase the pair and simply wait (however long that takes) to get a few more. I suppose if I don't purchase them someone else will.

My tank is fully cycled now.

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

Glad to hear the tank is now cycled, is that including a "qualifying week" too (7 consecutive days of no ammonia or nitrites)?

The mini wood/cork platforms is something I do not have at the moment, but having won a 4-foot tank this morning, it is something I plan to do. Despite having nine Synodontis nigriventris in my 620T for the last month or so (as one or two of the younger batch of five were just a little too small to risk putting in my Rio240 with my "teenage" Leopard Bushfish), they spend very little time away from roosting in the Anubias barteri clump during daylight hours. It would be nice to see a little more of them and these platforms are really supposed to help in that respect.

Your water is not so alkaline compared to what we have in Southampton, but as to whether Shadow Catfish would do well at pH 7.6, I would suggest you post at planetcatfish on that one to vastly increase the odds of getting replies from keepers of these lovely little fish. My guess is that it would still be a little too hard and alkaline.

Tricky call on the two Dianema longibarbis, I would personally hold out for getting a batch that gives them the required social group, having experienced sourcing frustrations with my Synodontis nigriventris (bought last three from one store, found another few months later, then paid silly money for some tiny ones almost six months later) and hopefully someone with an existing group will buy those last two.
I forgot to mention a while back that D. urostriatum also are supposed to swim midwater when kept in groups, which are availble at Kesgrave Tropicals on Ebay, http/www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FLAGTAIL-PORTHOLE-CATFISH-Dianema-urostriata-/280722417180?pt=UK_Pet_Supplies_Fish&hash=item415c5c261c

 

[friendlyfishy777]

Yes, that's with the seven consecutive days of 4ppm does of ammonia at 12 hour intervals - no ammonia or nitrites results at 12 hour testing.
Today I found the shop selling the Hoplos has sold out (worst luck!) so I have just ordered three online today (nervous about that, hope they have a safe journey!). Soon as they confirm delivery date and time I will set about draining the tank, doing 100% water change, and turning the heater down a bit (to 25c) as 30c is rather too hot for them.

I took your advise and decided to not buy the two Dianema longibarbis. I hope some more will appear sooner or later to buy. On topical fish finder it seems the nearest stockist is over 60 miles away currently. I'll try to see this delay as a good time to get the tank sorted out. I in-bedded nana into my large lump of bogwood yesterday, and placed some other plants at the back of the tank and a few craves. It's looking very nice. I've also been cycling a 60 L tank for a week now, which I will use for any other fish prior to placing in the 200 L, once it's ready.

I've been looking at the D. urostriatum on ebay, I'm very tempted by them indeed ... *finger hovers over the buy it now* teehee

 

[KittyKat]

[…] and turning the heater down a bit (to 25c) as 30c is rather too hot for them.

I recommend you already start turning the temperature down gently, in preparation for the fish (the bacteria don't seem to process ammonia quite as fast at lower temperatures, so let them multiply a bit more )

 

[friendlyfishy777]

Thanks for the tip Kitty, shall go and do that now!

 

[tribalbrit]

I have 17 hoplo's the largest being 7 inch and the smallest being 1.5 inch they all live happily together along with otto's, corrie's, bristlenose, banjo's, talking cats, clown loach and other comunity fish.

I love hoplo's, they are always on the go and very entertaining, Mine like to be tickled on their bellies. (big ones)

The best thing to keep with them is more Hoplo's.