Help me pick out new fish

[mrzap]

1. Tank size

29 gallon

2. Current filtration

Eclipse system (blue stuff with carbon inside, size H) with bio wheel

3. Type of substrate

Eco-Complete with 8 live plants

4. pH of your water

Haven't tested yet as the tank is still cycling. It will probably be close to 7 because I use distilled water for changes.

5. What type of fish you like the most.

Pictus Catfish, Golden Algae Eaters, Betta (probably would be difficult to add betta in with other fish), ghost shrimp


I've had pictus cats and golden ae's in the past, but never at the same time. Would they be compatible? I was thinking about getting two of each. I will probably also load up with ghost shrimp. I like bottom feeders

I've had a female betta in with those guys in the past without issues, but I haven't mixed her in with any non-bottom dwelling fish. I don't require having a betta in my new setup, but would be nice.

Help me pick out some non bottom dwellers!
My girlfriend demands I get some colorful fish. She wants me to get some angelfish, but they seem too needy.

[Talon242]

I could be wrong since I never had a pictus catfish, but wouldn't it eat ghost shrimp.

[Lonewolfblue]

Are you using straight distilled water for your PWC's? I'd add some tap water to it so the water in the tank doesn't lose too much buffering capacity. It's like RO water, need to mix in with tap water.

[talloulou]

I always thought it was a bad idea to use distilled water in the tank because it's unstable and has no KH?

[RoK]

Pictus catfish need LOTS of room. Minimum tank size for them should be 55g. They are very active and without enough room they will suffer. You could have some angels, tetras large enough not to be eaten, and loaches. I'm not sure if loaches would bother the shrimp or if a betta would be ok with angels.

[mrzap]

I had 2 pictus in a 10 gallon for months. They loved my bubble wand (endlessly circled it) and they were doing great until I got some mollies carrying ich from a bad lfp which killed off my entire tank awhile back.

What would eat the tetras?

Will loaches eat any leftover fish flake as primary food or do they need specialty diet?

I never had pictus + shrimp. My golden algae eaters didnt seem to mind my shrimp but they aren't carnivorous like pictus.

On the distilled water, I had used it in my 10 gallon exclusively and my PH was a near stready 7.0 all the time, but I'll take in the suggestions.

[Tiffi]

Your pictus could eat the tetra and also the shrimp. The catfish get about 5" in size. I think that's quite a bit for your 29gal! Maybe they were happy in your old tank, cuz they weren't that big yet and never got that big cuz they died to soon.

Why don't you consider some pygmy cory cats, some otocinclus? The otos look very close to regular catfish, they just don't have the whiskers, don't get that big and don't eat any other tank inmates.

[mrzap]

Forgetting the betta requirement and pictus requirement what would be the most colorful fish I could get. I don't think I am a fan of tetra.

[zenkatydid]

what about guppies? or rainbowfish?

[mrzap]

I added some clown loaches and male endlers. I am going back for guppies in about a week.

[sudz]

Clown loaches get VERY big. You'll have to trade them in. They can reach up to 12 (usally 8-10) inches. I have ONE for my 44 gallon, when he reaches 6 inches, i'm trading him in at my local big al's.

They LOVE to eat snails. They also like spiurlina? (spelling?) tablets, though they may fog your water for a bit) Shrimp pellets also fly with them.

[mrzap]

Are spirulina tablets the large green wafers for algae eaters?

They don't seem to be going crazy going after any of the food I put in for them so far.

I tried freeze dried bloodworms (couldn't get the frozen stuff yet) and that didn't really interest them. One nibbled one and then came back down seemingly uninterested.

They nibbled a tad on one of my algae eaters tablets, but the sinking tablet more for carnivorous catfish they barely touched.

I'll try shrimp pellets. Have you tried any of the frozen or freeze dried shrimp?

[sudz]

My clown loach eats almost anything. It'll actually swim up to the top of the tank and catch the flakes as they fall. He motored through the spirulina tabs in a heartbeat though. I used to feed them regularly to my CAE, which is probably where he developed his taste for it.

I've actually heard him click with contentment at spiurlina tabs! (only once though)