Identification and tank config help, please?

[Omgee]

TL;DR: Questions are in bold below. Sorry for huge post.

First, I want to thank you all for your support in starting my aquarium hobby. This is my first post, but I am a long-time lurker. My fish and I are extremely grateful for all the assistance your posts have provided us over the past few months.

I just inherited a used ten-gallon tank that was in pretty bad shape. The tank was overstocked and the water was essentially toilet water. The former owner, a very young child, apparently did not do any sort of maintenance at all. The kid's grandfather didn't even know how many fish were in there. The tank featured antique plastic plants in there that were literally disintegrating; pieces of them were floating around the tank and the fish were trying to eat them. The ammonia levels were off the scale. I didn't even test the other levels before putting the fish in a bucket and dumping the whole thing. No clue how the fish were still alive. The tank held six tetras, one kinda sleepy pleco-catfish-cory-bristlecreature, and a very excited tiger barb.

I cleaned the tank out completely, added fresh water (with Prime and Stability) and have acclimated and introduced the fish to their now-clean home. Obviously this means the tank is going to have to cycle, which will be rough on the fish but hopefully better than living in a toilet. I know I'll need to do frequent testing and water changes on that tank. I do have several other tanks available for me to use and will be moving some of the critters around to try to balance the load.

Here are my questions:

1. Can anyone identify the three-inch fish in the attached photos?
2. What would be the best arrangement for these fish? I have the following:

A. 20 gallon tall, low-light planted and cycled tank. Filtered with Penguin 150, heated to 81º (on the slightly warm side as they recover from a recent outbreak of ich). Currently housing five gold neon tetras, one male betta, and a few accidental snails.

B. The aforementioned ten-gallon standard, unplanted, scratched and beat up tank with six neon tetras, one tiger barb, and the catfish or pleco thingo whom I am trying to identify. Heated and filtered but will need a new filter before long.

C. Poor, very sad female betta who is presently living in a half-gallon jar but would like very much to live in one of the larger tanks, right away.

D. A friend has a 10-gallon tank with two tetras, an aquatic frog (who can be rehomed if necessary), a beast of a mystery snail, and a ghost shrimp. The friend is willing to take the tiger barb, the pleco creature, or one or two tetras.

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All of the fish in the ten-gallon seem to interact well. The tiger barb is highly active and would probably be an issue for either of the bettas, so I'm thinking that one can go to the friend's tank. If the pleco/catfish/cory/whateveritis can live in the 20-gallon tank with the male betta, that would be ideal. Then the female betta could move into the ten-gallon and life would be a bit smoother. Is this an acceptable solution?

I realize there are multiple issues with these tanks. I'm hoping some of you will be willing to constructively help me sort this out. Sorry for writing a book for my first post. I figured it would be better to give too much information than not enough.

 

[maxwellag]

That looks like a featherfin catfish (Synodontis eupterus). I would keep it in the largest tank you can. Also, if you can't find a larger tank for the betta you may want to consider rehoming it.

 

[butterfly_koi]

It's hard to identify by the pictures without seeing the top fin extended.
My guess would be a Synodontis eupterus as Max suggested or a Synodontis nigrita. Both can look similar. The eupterus will have spots on the body and what looks like vertical stripes on the tail and the nigrita will have spots on the body as well as the tail.

 

[Omgee]

Thank you both for responding and for deciphering my terrible photos. This fish does have spots on the body and tail, so I'm guessing he or she is a Synodontis nigrita -- a false upside-down catfish. Google Images supports that hypothesis.

Max, you recommended a large tank for this catfish. Could he or she move to the 20-gallon low-light planted tank with the female betta and tetras? Obviously the ten-gallon is too small. Catfish plus male betta equals bad idea, according to AqAdvisor, but Chickenofthetank (the male betta) and his group of tetras could move to the ten-gallon if they had to. I could also rehome the catfish if necessary. Thoughts?

Also, if you can't find a larger tank for the betta you may want to consider rehoming it.

Of course. The original purpose in my taking the 10-gallon tank at all was to provide a reasonable home for her. It tears me apart to see her in her tiny half-gallon jar with no filter or heater and only a small silk plant to swim through. She was an unexpected rescue, and I have no intention of keeping her in a puddle for long, as that wouldn't be much of a rescue at all.

Thank you both again for helping me fix some of these issues I have inherited. I wouldn't have even known where to begin with identifying this fish. I really appreciate it.

 

[butterfly_koi]

The Nigrita can grow well over 6 inches in length so it really depends on if your tank is a 20 high or a 20 long. In my honest opinion and experience it could be possible to put one into a 20 long due to the fact that they are not as active as other fish. They prefer to stay well hidden most of the time.

 

[Omgee]

The Nigrita can grow well over 6 inches in length so it really depends on if your tank is a 20 high or a 20 long. In my honest opinion and experience it could be possible to put one into a 20 long due to the fact that they are not as active as other fish. They prefer to stay well hidden most of the time.

Mine is a 20 high, although it does offer some decent hiding spots in the plants and driftwood. This one doesn't move around much at all, although in the 10 gallon tank there's not really much to explore anyway, I guess.

I read that Nigritas like caves. I'd be more than willing to add a cave and give the 20 a try, but only if the fish will be reasonably pleased with the circumstances. If a 20 high isn't enough for my new false upside-down friend to feel comfortable and safe, then I suppose I'll need to find a new home for this fish.

Thanks again for your help.

 

[butterfly_koi]

You could try it for a while but you may need to end up rehoming him. They don't roam much in the tank and usually do most of their foraging for food at night. There are smaller breeds of catfish that would do quite well in a tank that size.

 

[Omgee]

You could try it for a while but you may need to end up rehoming him. They don't roam much in the tank and usually do most of their foraging for food at night. There are smaller breeds of catfish that would do quite well in a tank that size.

Okay. I'll give it a shot and see how he does for a bit. He is apparently several years old and is still only about three and a half, maybe four inches long, so if he's still growing, he is doing so very, very slowly. Might have something to do with the ridiculously small habitat he's been subjected to for his whole life, too, I guess. I certainly don't mind rehoming him if he'll be happier, though. How do I know whether or not he's doing well?

 

[butterfly_koi]

It's hard to see growth in this particular cat. When they are young they have a growth spurt and then the growth slows down, way down. Just make sure he is eating well and seems generally healthy

 

[Omgee]

I wanted to come back and update this. The cat has been moved over to the 20-gallon and seems to be quite thrilled about the move. I'm watching him closely to make sure he stays well-fed and happy. He's in there with five gold neon tetras and that female betta who was in the jar before. The ten-gallon tank is presently housing six neon tetras and one very active tiger barb. Tiger barbs apparently need much, much more room than I am able to offer, so that one will be getting rehomed as soon as I can find a suitable home.

My male betta is presently riding solo in a new (heated and filtered) five-gallon tank, which was supposed to be a hospital tank but may become his long-term home. His fins were getting torn up pretty badly in the 20-gallon, possibly due to the current from the filter. He seems much happier and is significantly more active in the slower, calmer waters of the five-gallon, and he doesn't seem to mind not having tankmates. I'm on the fence about whether or not five gallons is enough space, but it'll work for now.

Thanks again for the help.