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Hey all I have a 30 gallon w/ a Convict pair, 6 Tiger barbs, 1 CAE, 1 Flying fox, & 3 juli cories. I noticed that the dorsal fins on the cories are showing signs of nipping. The Convict seems to ignore them & I've seen the t. barbs giving chase a few times. I was wondering if anyone has any good suggestions for a larger catfish, that can handle its own, & does as good a job as the cories do, keeping the tank bottom clean.

nothing, over stocked now.

I know. They're all juvi's, except for the 2 barbs. I plan on taking out either the Flying fox or CAE with the cories. I "inherited" them & had no idea they could get so big. So, what would be a good replacement?

Go for some kind of Doradid, preferably Platydoras costatus because they tend to stay smaller than the other commonly available species.

They are pretty much impossible to kill, and they will eat your Convict fry during the night (which you will consider to be a good thing once yours start breeding).

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I'm not your neighbor, you Bakersfield trash.

I would have to agree with Cory Addict. I have two striped raphael cats in my cichlid tank and they are doing very well.

Thanks. I went to my LFS to check out the striped raphael & my local fish guru told me it's rare for stores to carry them in this area. I described my situation & he suggested a Pictus cat.(http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/profiles/610.htm) I've done some research, & it seems to be a good fit.

I really wouldn't recommend a Pictus Cat for a 30 gallon tank due to their activity level. They get about five inches long and are extremely hyper (especially at night), so they will probably disturb your other fish. Pictus Cats also do not have any bony plates covering their body, so the Convicts may be able to injure them.

The Raphael, on the other hand, tends to be a very slow-moving, inoffensive fish.

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I'm not your neighbor, you Bakersfield trash.

Go with Cory Addict's suggestion.

Doradids are armoured battle tanks that can live with the hardcore criminals of the Cichlid world and shrug off anything that the Cichlids are stupid enough to throw at them. They're covered all over in spiny armour that feels like razor wire if you run your fingers along it, which should give you an idea how well protected they are

In addition, Doradids live in the wild alongside Oscars and a whole collection of 'dangerous' fish species without coming to grief too much. A Doradid would probably come to grief if eaten by a large Spectacled Cayman, but the larger Doradids are too spiny a mouthful even for them!

Any Cichlid that tries taking a nip at a Doradid soon learns that its companion is a self-propelled chestnut burr that is VERY well protected, and furthermore, Doradids have powerful pectoral spines. If attacked, one of their defence strategies is to clamp the attacker between the pectoral fin and the body. There's a special set of body spines strategically located for this very purpose, which makes extricating a finger from the grip of a Doradid a VERY painful business. Most Cichlids have the sense to try a tentative approach once, then upon discovering that the fish is covered in its own razor wire defences, leave it alone from that point on. Even bad boys such as Green Terrors will leave a Doradid alone (Green Terrors and some Doradids share the same native waters) so a Doradid such as a Raphael Cat will be an excellent choice for an aquarium containing aggressive Cichlids.

Choose your species carefully - some Doradids grow to be two feet or more in length!

One to look out for is Acanthodoras spinosissimus, known as the Talking Catfish. Reaches around 4 to 5 inches in length, and possesses a very amusing attribute - it makes audible grunting noises! So if you suddenly wonder where the pigs have appeared from in your living room, it's the Talking Cat making the pig grunting noises!

The scientific name of this fish tells you a lot about it too. Acanthodoras translates as 'spiny helmet', while spinosissimus translates as 'extremely spiny'. A fish that will probably be safe with just about anything upon account of the fact that it's armoured better for its size than an M1 Abrams main battle tank - about the only part of the fish that doesn't have spines on it are its barbels! It's reasonably peaceful, tends to mind its own business, though it WILL swallow fishes that are small enough to fit into its mouth, usually at night. Adapts well to the aquarium environment. Give it caves, bogwood arches, shaded areas, possibly some floating plants to provide shade if the Cichlids won't rip them to pieces, and it'll be happy and secure. Nocturnal or crepuscular in the wild, it will need 'lights out' feeding for the first couple of weeks or so until it learns that your presence means food, in which case it will start to become bolder during the daylight hours. It'll probably stay in the shade though. Not often seen in the hobby these days, but if you find one, a good species to acquire if you need a heavy-duty armoured catfish to live alongside bad tempered Cichlids. Be VERY careful if you have to remove it from the aquarium for any reason (this goes for all Doradids, but especially for this one) because [1] it'll get tangled in a net with ease, and [2] if you get your finger caught between the pectoral fin and the body, extracting your finger will be a VERY painful (and bloody) affair ...


Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

A striped Rphael catfish is a horrible suggestion for a 30 gallon tank. They grow much faster than their spotted cousins and require a lot more swimming room than you are recommending. This whole business about just how sedentary they are is ridiculous. They are nocturnal. I can walk up to my tank around 2 or 3am any night and see my cats swimming around like crazy. Around the whole length of my 6 foot tank. They are a huge stress on the bioload of the tank and cannot compete for food when owners will only feed during the daytime. My experience with them is over years of ownership. Do yourself a favor and buy a smaller species.

Koi

Empty chairs at empty tables, the room silent, forlorn.

Well, the saga continues How about a small pleco species, like a clown pleco, or something along those lines? Once again, I just want something that will clean up along the bottom of the tank & hold its own when it comes to the convicts.

I think a rubber lipped pleco might work after you free up some room. I keep one with my Mbuna and they do alright- they are about as active as the rapheal catfish, they just dont get as big ^_^

Inky

I'd still do the rounds of Planet Catfish and look for a small Doradid. If you can find one that won't grow too big (I've already suggested Acanthodoras spinosissimus if you can find it) and won't prove to be overly hyperactive, a Doradid will still be your fish of choice. There isn't a Cichlid on the planet that can get past the armour of a Doradid, especially if you pick a visibly spiny species!

Although Amblydoras hancocki hits 6 inches, this species (the Marbled Raphael) is described by PlanetCatfish as, quote, "A perfect aquarium resident".

Platydoras costatus, the Striped Raphael, apparently hits 6.3 inches. Might be a tight squeeze in there!

If you do decide to go with a Striped Raphael, despite Koi Keeper's caveat above, watch that you don't get the very similar looking Orinocodoras eigenmanni, which looks very much like Platydoras costatus but hits 8 inches! PlanetCatfish has the details on how you tell them apart.

One species on their database that IS worth checking out is Acanthodoras cataphractus, the Dwarf Chocolate Raphael. This only reaches 3.9 inches, and although it's a generally shy and retiring fish, it's an excellent bottom feeder. Unfortunately, the data sheet says that they're never directly collected intentionally, and most that turn up in stores are 'contaminant' specimens among Striped Raphaels. Look out for one, though, because [1] it'll fit your boll perfectly, and [2] if you're sold one for the same price as a Striped Raphael, you have a bargain, because here in the UK, that fish would be worth twice as much as the standard Striped Raphael!

Basically, small Doradids fetch premium prices in the UK market at the moment, because there's a demand for them, but they're rare in the trade. Big Doradids are cheaper because there are more of them in circulation.

Oh, and because it's a member of Acanthodoras, it will make VERY LOUD pig grunting noises! If you find one amongst a shipment of Striped Raphaels, and it starts turning your living room into an acoustic piggery, then you know you've got the right fish!


Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

plecos clown loaches and synodontis - and a bigger tank! just go nuts, I havent seen convicts go super agro, like others talk about though!

I don't know of any doradid that doesn't actively seek out food, including any and all "raphael" catfish. They are far from inactive.