Couple of questions on a few fish.

[Calvin and Kyle]

So I always liked the clown loach fish. Very pretty, recently I heard they can sometimes school with tiger barbs? Is that true? I also heard they need monstrously large tanks?? I don't see why? But I'm pretty new to this.

Bumblebee catfish!! Okay so I bought one of these a while back and ended up housing him at my friends house till my tank is finished cycling.
I read they get 5 inches.. Then I read they get 12! And eat everything they can fit into their mouths! And a 12" inch catfish gets a pretty big mouth!

The difference between my readings were South African bumblebee catfish.. And Asian. How can I tell what I've got?? I don't want him to eat any of my future fish. (I've seen him a few very small fish already)

 

[GBHammbone]

Clown loaches can reach large sizes, google search "Marge the clown loach". They need larger tanks because of the size they can get and because they should always be kept in a school of 5 plus fish. They will swim with tiger barbs, at least mine do often.

As for the catfish,i don't have any experience so i will defer to some one else to hide info on those.

 

[Calvin and Kyle]

Okay thanks! No clown loach for me then! And yeah I'm really curious about the bumblebee catfish. I googled it but it was not too clear on the differences.

 

[mikem691]

Clown loaches are cool and grow rather slow but I woulnt start with any smaller than a 75 gallon with small 2 to 3 inch juvis also they are verry sensitive and hard to treat if they get ich. but expect to need to upgrade to a 150 in a year or 2.
I also know nothing on the cat fish sorry.

 

[Hholly]

So I always liked the clown loach fish. Very pretty, recently I heard they can sometimes school with tiger barbs? Is that true? I also heard they need monstrously large tanks?? I don't see why? But I'm pretty new to this.

Bumblebee catfish!! Okay so I bought one of these a while back and ended up housing him at my friends house till my tank is finished cycling.
I read they get 5 inches.. Then I read they get 12! And eat everything they can fit into their mouths! And a 12" inch catfish gets a pretty big mouth!

The difference between my readings were South African bumblebee catfish.. And Asian. How can I tell what I've got?? I don't want him to eat any of my future fish. (I've seen him a few very small fish already)

Post a picture of your catfish. Someone here will be able to identify it. Remember when you are at the fish store looking at what to buy, that they are usually babies you are looking at. They all start out tiny.

 

[Calvin and Kyle]

Okay! Here is a picture:

 

[Calvin and Kyle]

He is about 2 and a half inches at the moment! Have had him for Bout a month!

 

[Hholly]

Looks like a bumblebee catfish (Microglanis iheringi). I think they get to about 4in.

 

[Calvin and Kyle]

It is a bumble bee catfish! But Asian or South African? The Asian apparently gets 12"! And the south African gets about 4.

 

[Hholly]

Look up the species name Microglanis iheringi.

 

[Calvin and Kyle]

Okay! I did! There's about 3 other in the same family. But they are even smaller. So that is reassuring! Of course it says that they're safe with community fish.. Yeah no they're not. That thing ate 3 neon tetras and 1 phantom tetra in a week..

That's why he is in a different tank lol. You guys think he would be okay with tiger barbs? Also what are some good compatible fish for tiger barbs? (Other than green and albino) I like variety in a tank. I was thinking maybe dwarf gourami?

 

[Hholly]

I know tiger barbs are nippy so you want to keep fast swimmers or feisty fish with them. If your catfish stays at the bottom mostly, he should be good with them. Dwarf gouramis are somewhat feisty, but not very fast swimmers. So you would have to keep an eye on that situation. I've heard that you need to keep the barbs in a large group to keep aggression down, like 8-10.
Rainbow fish might get along well with them as they are fast swimmers.

 

[Calvin and Kyle]

Okay cool! I planned on keeping about 8! A mixed school. And I wasn't worried about the catfish! More worried about him eating the barbs lol. What do you think?

 

[Hholly]

Okay cool! I planned on keeping about 8! A mixed school. And I wasn't worried about the catfish! More worried about him eating the barbs lol. What do you think?

Is he big enough to fit them in his mouth? I bet the barbs would be fine.

 

[Calvin and Kyle]

Well I wanted to get smaller barbs do maybe down the aggression when I try to introduce a gourami? Or you think that I should just go adults n not talk the risk?

 

[Wiggles24]

Whst you have is an Asian bumblebee. Those get bigger than the syndonis version. I don't know about the Asian I have syndonis and the syndonis will absolutely eat anything they can fit in their mouths luckily they don't get super huge not sure about yours though

 

[Calvin and Kyle]

Yeah I've heard Asians are the same way. I don't want him anymore if he's Asian. I don't wanna wake up to missing fish randomly.

 

[Coursair]

Any wide mouth cat AFAIK will eat sleeping fish that fit in their mouth. They are opportunists.

 

[Scottyhorse]

serpae tetras are good for tiger barbs, they are also pretty nippy.

 

[Calvin and Kyle]

Man.. I don't know if I'm gonna take back my catfish ever then lol. Might just "forget" him at my friends house. He seems to be doing fine there and he can't eat any of the fish he is with.

And really?? I for some reason thought serpae tetras were calm. Hmm that's something to think on.

What about peacock cichlids?

Also I got a peacock eel over at my
Buddies house in his eel tank. It's obviously eating because its been there nearly 3 weeks still alive.

But I've NEVER seen it willingly leave the gravel.. Always gonna be like this? Or anyway to get him to come out? No point in having a fish that doesn't ever show itself? Do better I'm groups?