Pictus catfish problem!

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Rach84

Aquarium Advice Newbie
Joined
Jun 6, 2013
Messages
6
Hello! Sorry this is my first time posting posting so if its in the wrong place . . . . Sorry!
My boyfriends had the pictus in the tank for about a month now no problem. He then added a small jack dempsey still no problems. But today he's added a Texas and as soon as the fish went in the pictus started swimming round the top!? Mainly into the filter stream. It's now been a few hours an the pictus is still going!? Anyone got any ideas? The lights been off the whole time an neither the jack or texas is bothering the pictus he just won't settle back down. Any help greatly appreciated!
 
Is it a new tank? Adding fish too quickly to a new tank can overwhelm the system and be harmful to the fish.
 
No we had set up the tank ages ago and we had had tetra in it for weeks up until yesterday.
 
I can't quite believe it but I've gotten up today an he's still doing it!? I thought it would have tired itself out by now an met his end . . . But he's still swimming around the top! The other fish in the tank have settled perfectly. Hope someone knows something we could try for this pictus? Xx
 
I have had about 6 of them and mine did the same thing. I had them in a 40 gallon octagon tank and all they did for more then 6 months was circle the tank day and night. They are crazy!! Now they are in my 100 gallon with freshwater and African chiclids and they are fine!! I only have 2 now and they are very active but on the bottom of the tank and love a huge catfish I have.

image-143318128.jpg

This the catfish they always hang out with. He is about 5 inches bigger now but they love him even though he barely moves.
 
I'm confused, why is everyone's pictus so different than those that I have? It's the same fish but the patterning is completely different!
 

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Mine look exactly like yours. The picture I posted was a picture of another catfish mine just pitcus just love and hang out with.. Sorry to confuse,
 
Mine look exactly like yours. The picture I posted was a picture of another catfish mine just pitcus just love and hang out with.. Sorry to confuse,

Ok, I thought they labeled mine wrong for a second. I've seen quite a few "pictus" on the forum that look like the one you posted.
 
The picture I posted I have no clue what kind it is actually. Maybe someone could tell me!! I bought it for my son but he moved out so its in my tank now,
 
I'm confused, why is everyone's pictus so different than those that I have? It's the same fish but the patterning is completely different!

Pimelodus is actually the genus name with a few different species. All of them have a pretty similar body shape. The particular species you have is actually pictus. However, in the trade some time ago they started using the species name of your fish to describe all fish in the Pimelodus genus. Hence the "four-line" pictus and the "spotted" pictus are actually both Pimelodus and only the "spotted" is truly Pimelodus pictus.
 
Pimelodus is actually the genus name with a few different species. All of them have a pretty similar body shape. The particular species you have is actually pictus. However, in the trade some time ago they started using the species name of your fish to describe all fish in the Pimelodus genus. Hence the "four-line" pictus and the "spotted" pictus are actually both Pimelodus and only the "spotted" is truly Pimelodus pictus.

Ahh, thanks for clearing that up so well, it's been bothering me since the day I joined :)
 
Thank you very much!! I just wasn't sure but that's why my spotted pictus likes that fish so much. The four lined pictus just sits there and barely moves unlike the smaller spotted pictus that constantly swim around. Thanks again for the answer.
 
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