Fish ID Help please!!!

[Aqua315]

So a few days ago I went to my lfs and got 3 oto catfish for my 28g. I didn't look at them very well in the bag and one had been in hiding in my tank and I only caught glimpses of it. Tonight I saw it for the first time out in the open and realized that it was definitely not an oto. Please can anyone tell me what I've got here? I thinking I'm gonna have to make a return trip.

 

[Tigroscr]

Well it's definitely some type of cat fish other than that idk, sorry! Looks pretty cool though!

 

[Aqua315]

I'm just worried not knowing what it is. I have no idea whether it's an aggressive species or if it's going to get way too big for my tank. I'm thinking of taking it back anyway. I really wanted otos to help with algae and this fish is not a suckermouth.

 

[Tigroscr]

Might be a type of Cory cat but looks like the barbs r too large for one of those! There's so many species of catfish I'm not sure, does it have pigmentation or is it albino?

 

[Tigroscr]

I'm just worried not knowing what it is. I have no idea whether it's an aggressive species or if it's going to get way too big for my tank. I'm thinking of taking it back anyway. I really wanted otos to help with algae and this fish is not a suckermouth.

Yeah, i don't blame you I've yet to see an aggressive catfish but I'm sure there are some. Poor little guy! Maybe someone else on here will know.

 

[Tigroscr]

If it wasn't for the large barbs i would swear its a Cory cat though! What else did they have in the tank where you got your ottos?

 

[Tigroscr]

FYI if it's a Cory cat they're not aggressive at all and do an excellent job of cleaning bottom of your tank eating any leftover food. But I've never seen mine eat algae though.

 

[Aqua315]

I've had corys before and this doesn't look like any I've seen. The tank it was in was all otos so it must have just been in the wrong tank. It is pigmented. It's hard to see in the photo but it actually has a pattern resembling an oto with a dark stripe down the side ending in a spot near the tail.

 

[TheCrazyFishLady]

I'm thinking some type of synodontis because of the body shape.

 

[Homer8]

i think if its not doing any harm in the tank you should keep it for a little while to find out what it is. maybe its a rare expensive catfish.

 

[TheCrazyFishLady]

I would not recommend that. It must be some type of synodontis which means he needs numbers and most likely will get a good size to him. I would return him and get another oto.

 

[Homer8]

so i searched and searched through plante catfish and i found a very very close match. Mystus armatus

here is a picture

i keep finding very similar ones such as this one
Mystus castaneus

 

[Aqua315]

I'm gonna have to agree with TheCrazyFishLady on this. I'll make a trip back tomorrow to see if I can return it and get an oto. I'm hoping they'll wave the 48hr return policy since it was sort of their fault.

 

[Homer8]

while your there check out the lables to see if its on there somewhere

 

[Mogurako]

It's not a Cory or any type of Synodontis it look like a Mystus armatus or some sort of Pimelodella cat.

 

[spoonman]

so i searched and searched through plante catfish and i found a very very close match. Mystus armatus

here is a picture

i keep finding very similar ones such as this one
Mystus castaneus

I think you nailed it!~

 

[Bubble_B0y]

I believe its an ATER CATFISH!

 

[FishEggs]

Here it is Pimelodella lateristriga • Heptapteridae • Cat-eLog • PlanetCatfish • Forum • PlanetCatfish.com
I'm pretty sure it's a Pimelodella of some sort. There are others that look more like otos but this is the closest i could find to your pic.
If the store wont take him back i'll trade you some plants or fish for him if you dont want to keep him.

 

[Aqua315]

Well I was able to exchange it for another oto so everything worked out. I feel kinda bad because he was really cute but it looked like he was gonna get big, so I didn't have much of a choice. The guy at the store said it looked like a pimodella catfish.

 

[absolutangel04]

Well I was able to exchange it for another oto so everything worked out. I feel kinda bad because he was really cute but it looked like he was gonna get big, so I didn't have much of a choice. The guy at the store said it looked like a pimodella catfish.

Yeah, he was definitely a cutie, but it was good that you wanted the best possible home for him. It honestly makes me happy to see that.