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I'm in the process of redoing my tank right now and I would like to get some unusual looking catfish for my tank. I will be planting my tank heavily with eco-complete as my substrate. My tank is 29 gallons. Could anyone give me any suggestions about catfish

Are there any non-catfish tankmates?

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Billy was a scientist, Billy is no more. For what he thought was H20, was H2SO4

I would recomend the bumblebee catfish, they are nocturnal though, you might not see them that often. They should be kept alone as they are aggressive towards their own kind. They usually only get to be 5 inches in the aquarium, max 6 inches. My dad has had one in his 75 for several years now, it is 5 inches and very pretty.

i dont knowmuch about them but maybe a banjo cat? they certainly look diffrent and i think they only get to like 5-6 inches. although if you have smaller fish in the tank i think they are also a little predatory towards smaller fish. just a thought.anyways good luck

The true test of character is not how much we know how to do, but how we behave when we dont know what to do.

If you run with the Bumblebee Catfish, assuming that by this you mean Pseudomystus siamensis from Asia, then I would NOT keep that fish with anything small enough to swallow. It possesses a surprising capacity to eat other fishes if you put temptation in its path.

Note that this fish used to be known as Leiocassis siamensis in the past, and may still be offered for sale in some places under the old name.

There is, however, a South American Bumblebee Catfish, Microglanis iheringi, which at just 2.2 inches in length is likely to be compatible with a MUCH wider variety of aquarium companions. However, fry and some very small juvenile fishes would be lunch for it (particularly after lights out) but adult specimens of most common aquarium fishes would face no danger from this species.

There is also an African Bumblebee Catfish, Microsynodontis batesii, which despite the scientific name containing 'micro' in its Genus, is bigger than the South American Bumblebee Catfish at around 3.5 inches. This one is likely to be somewhere between the two species above in terms of compatibility with other aquarium inmates from the standpoint of treating them as lunch, i.e., can only be trusted with somewhat larger companions, but companions don't need to be quite as large as they have to be for the Asian Bumblebee Catfish.

A much rarer offering, and on you won't mistake for any other, is the Giant Bumblebee Catfish, Pseudopimelodus bufonius, which not only hits 9.6 inches as an adult (and has an appetite to match) but has a cavernous mouth even in comparison with other similar sized catfishes, and is basically a gluttonous juggernaut that will be wholly unsuitable for your planned setup.

Even less likely to appear on your shopping list is Pseudomystus leiacanthus, which is a highly specialised blackwater fish with demanding requirements that hails from the same habitats as Chocolate Gouramis, and requires similar 'hothouse' conditions to prosper.

Finally, a pretty - but big - fish to look out for among the "Bumblebee Catfishes" is Schultz's Bumblebee Catfish, Pesudopimelodus schultzi[, which exceeds 8 inches as an adult and again is unsuitable for your aquarium.

So, having introduced you to a nice list of possible "Bumblebee Catfishes" for you to peruse, now you can have fun sorting out their various requirements.

If I were you, I'd go with the small South American Microglanis iheringi, because you'll not only have more space for other fishes, they'll be a lot less likely to wind up as its lunch.



Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

You know, funny thing, Cali. I've never seen the smaller species of bumblebee catfishes in person, but an LFS near me did have our good friend the jelly catfish AKA giant bumblebee catfish; not just one, but multiple specimens! I was definitely surprised. I also felt sorry for anyone who bought one of those; then again, as ugly as they are, someone buying them probably would have an idea what they are.

I'm going to actually come back from the limb I'm usually hanging out on and say glass catfish. They're clear. How much more unusual can you get? Also, they are not large enough to bother tankmates which you might not want to be eaten.

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The aquarist is one who must learn the ways of the biologist, the chemist, and the veterinarian.