Pictus catfish

[Greatsoccerman]

I just got 2 picus catfish and they were doing fine for abot a week. Now they are all bloody. At night they just ram into the glass or rocks or anything in the aquarium. And when they do they will just keep swimming into it like they are trying to push it out of the way. Any ideas with this storage behavior?

 

[allaboutfish]

how big is the tank?

 

[Greatsoccerman]

125 gallons

 

[allaboutfish]

oh they might do better with another 1 or 2 if you can they do like company. i've heard of this problem b4 and they fixed it with more pictus

 

[Greatsoccerman]

So it's like 2 of them will either kill each other or kill themselves but if you get 3 they will be fine?

 

[allaboutfish]

supposively that's what i've seen i really wish someone else would coment bc im not 100 % sure let me look it up and see what i see

 

[allaboutfish]

that's what i seem to think it is try it and see what happens

 

[agarciajr]

Pictus cats do like being in groups.... But what else is in the tank with them? Is the water reading right? All the times I see Pictus stressed out, they just swim In one spot or along the top.... Their fins down just endlessly wondering...

 

[Kribensis_2004]

I am woundering as well along the lines of agarciajr, also do they have open spaces with plants around the sides, this is becuse they love swimming room and the plants will provide them with shelter and comfort, as well as what do they share the bottom with. I could see you actually getting a group of around 7 in that size of aquarium.

 

[Greatsoccerman]

I have a pleco brown knife peacock eel tetras and mating pair of krinensis . I read something online about two cats will fight but more than that helps. Because 2 cant just beat each other to death that third one is there. And there is plenty of plants and rocks and open spaces.

 

[agarciajr]

Have your kribs ever picked on them for any hiding places??? Or the knife??

 

[Greatsoccerman]

The only time the kribs pick on anyone is when they get near their nest. Otherwise they are pretty peaceful. But never has any of my fish been as bloody and beat up as this catfish was.

 

[agarciajr]

Is there any way u can separate them... That way u can possibly bring them back up and then readd them to ur tank with at least one more???

 

[Greatsoccerman]

No not really. I'll be getting on in like 2 days. I'll make another cave type shelter on the other side of the tank so they will be comfortable on both sides. And will hopefully find homes on opposite sides

 

[agarciajr]

I hope that helps at least until you can separate them... Have u tried eyeing them at night when u turn off the light? Might give u a first hand account of who's fighting who...

 

[Kribensis_2004]

well i think the more pictus catfish that you have the better so i am sticking by the origanal 7. but other then that the aquarium sounds good for those fish.

 

[BfishLpond78]

I actually have two pictus in my 55gal and they seem to be doing fine, they always hang out together and swim around the entire aquarium, i have seen a few little fights but nothing that last more than a second. I mean there have been times when they just swam downward along the aquarium all day, but they both seem to hang out in one corner of the aquarium, I think they have marked it as there little piece of the tank.

 

[Greatsoccerman]

I ended up getting 2 more so I have a fatal of 4. They dug this hole in the sand that looks like A bowl anyone know why they do that?

 

[spoonman]

I have pictus in my 140 and my 240. I hardly ever see them. They like to hide in caves and cover and come out to eat. I dont think the issue is swimming room, its hiding places.