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Well my striped raphael is feeling lonely. not really i think hes fine. but i want another bottom dweller lol. love them anyways the Raphael is in a 55 gallon tank and hes about 3 and a half inches long. there are 5 cherry barbs in the tank as well. before anyone says anything lol i know that they will need to be moved sometime. im keeping a close eye on them and they will be switched to my thirty when he grows abit more. So does anyone have any suggestions for another fish? anything that might be interesting with a raphael? I thought about a spotted raphael but i hear they are wayy more reclusive then a striped. maybe a school of one the larger corys? anyways thanks in advance for your input!!!

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.

Bottom feeders rock.

Hmmm, you could do Corys. They'll be good for quite a long time but the raphael does get to be pretty big; you may end up having to move the corys as well in the long run. Perhaps some of the larger callichthyids such as flagtail or porthole may suit you better in the extended long run as they get much larger, but would still be appropriate in a 55.

You could also go for certain Synodontis species which shouldn't be too bad. Some of them are real bruisers but having enough hiding places will help.

Of course there are plecs as well that would be appropriate, especially if you can afford some of the pricier ornamental types.

Pictus cats wouldn't be bad either if you don't have any small fish.

If being reclusive is an issue there are many bottom feeders that you will almost never see unless you decorate your tank smartly to make sure all "hiding places" are visible. This is how I try set up my tank, but even then the fish often find some way to hide from me, lol.

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

heck yeah bottom feeders kick butt. Somehow i knew you would be the first one to reply to this shini. hows that catfish only tank coming? Ive thought about a school of corys. Its just when the time comes to move them my bottom in the other tank is pretty full. Didnt think of a porthole! that might be a good possibility! several Synodontis species poped in my head. I actually found three more Featherfins. its just these ones are bigger. they arent terribly big but they are like $16 each. which I do not have for one fish right now. plecs are a good suggestion thanks.. um commons would be out obviously... that'd push the filter to hard. maybe a rubbernose? idk. ill check this sites profiles when im done with this. I actually already do have a pictus! its just in my 30 gal. not sure yet if i want it in there. possibility i guess. i had a thought earlier. maybe another striped raphael? Would a 55 be enough for two? wuld they stake out territorys? i love my doradids but i still dont know enough bout them. i havent heard much about what they are like with each other. I really need to work on my tanks decor to create some more hiding places... oh also i do believe i will be putting in a pair of angelfish eventually. not sure what else will be going in their once the cherrys are out.

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.

Hah, it's only because I spend way too much time on this site. The catfish tank is going well. I've gotten quite a few fish in the last month, so now I'm just going to let things chill out for a while.

I'd go for bristlenose instead of rubbernose. Nothing against the rubbernose, lol, just a personal preference I'm throwing out there. I added bristlenoses about a week ago. We'll see if they get on with breeding in the future.

I have likewise not heard much about behavior between two raphaels. I am not aware of striped raphaels being territorial. It'd probably be okay to keep multiple specimens.

When adding some more active feeders, such as perhaps Synodontis, make sure the raphael is still able to get enough food. It may be a possible concern, but I haven't kept raphaels before so I'm not sure how they compete in a setting with multiple nocturnal species.

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

hey dont knock spending to much time on this site...i do it....
lol glad to hear its going well! You should post some pics of the new guys in the photobooth!
Bristlenose....good idea...the main reason i said rubbernose is because thats the only kind ove seen here besides commons.
Well i think ill buy another raphael then. may as well and see what happens. At the very least ill be able to answer when some one asks that question.
As to the comepition part...well all ive ever had were nocternal species until the cherry barbs. He was with two clown loachs and two upside down cats for a good long time and was fine at getting food. and up until just recently he was witht he two upside down cats and a pictus. i dont know how they compare to synodontis so i cant say for sure...but i think he can handle himself.

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.

I actually have posted pics in the booth. Check'em out!

Well, I think the Raphael should be able to take care of itself then if it's been kept with CL's as well as upside-down cats. Upside-down cats, of course, are a species of a Synodontis.

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

Very nice. i just went and looked.
and yeah lol i actually was more worried about the upside down cats getting enough food. i have only seen one of them eat one time. but they keep getting bigger lol. so they gotta be eating something. also you inspired me. im thinking about makeing my 55 gallon into an all catfish tank. i just want abit more activity during the day. but until i get more money to redesign the tank it'll be a community i guess.

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.

Bwahahahaha, I'm forming a following!

Trust me, I've been looking for black lancers since I read the 2001 Catfish of the Month article at PlanetCatfish! A 9" fish like a black lancer can definitely live in a 55 gallon. I got mine for $20 when it was about 2" long in August. I was hesitant because it was really small, and of course pricy for its size... But it's definitely not the most expensive catfish ever. I was worried about it just keeling over for no good reason, which, while I hate to admit, happened to my very first lancer, which had also been at a larger size when I purchased it (actually, a pic of him is in the gallery for the profile). However, there is no reason for me to believe that the black lancer is a difficult fish to keep, sometimes bad stuff just happens. Knowing that my LFSes aren't exactly the best ever, and that it appears these fish are getting more common, I'd say you might be able to ask your LFS. You might not hear anything back for a couple months, but perhaps it'd be worth it, haha.

You might consider some of the schilbeids or midwater silurids if you want some midwater catfish too that swim around during the day. K. minor is okay but there are bigger species that could be more permanent residents. I wish K. bicirrhis actually was imported because it gets 6"...

If you haven't already, switch that substrate out for sand. Perhaps you can do what I did, which was make areas of sand and areas of gravel. Of course the sand mixes with the gravel over time, but I didn't feel like taking out everything at once, so it works okay. As far as I can tell the Corys love it, and I'm sure a Raphael would love it too. I read that raphaels will actually burrow if given the chance.

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

yes....a following....say the word and we will obey.....

Yeah the black lancer looks really cool. im glad you think it would fit in my tank! i was always told it got really large lol.

Ive actually been debating weather or not to get glass cats. they look pretty cool. but how active are they?
maybe i could go for a school of upside down cats? i hear they are fairly active in schools. i only have two so mine hide all the time. what other bigger species were you refering to?

NO!!! I am not switching to sand lol. at least not yet. i just got my gravel like a month or so ago. if i take it out ill have like 50 pounds of gravel just laying around!!!! But you are right. raphaels do like to burrow. i thought about trying to do sand and gravel and slowly mix out the gravel. but id rather do it all at once...besides if they raphaels burrowing wouldnt that mix the two all the faster? I will do it eventually though. i really want sand. ive just heard nightmare filter stories so im taking it slow when it comes to that.

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.

A lancer doesn't get any bigger than a raphael.

Glass cats are not the most active fish in the world... From what I hear it's not unusual for them to find a spot in the tank and just hang out there all day, wiggling their little tails. On the other hand, the glass cats at the LFS appear to be more active than this, swimming back and forth. Not having actually kept them yet (I'm considering it), I can't draw from personal experience. Plus, they might also run into Raphael compatibility problems in the future.

Hmmm, upside down cats won't be especially active unless given plenty of shade, although getting more specimens will help. A lily/lotus such as dwarf lily might be nice in your tank as it will produce leaves that will float to the surface and give nice shade. I'm considering getting one for my tank to produce shade, but they're not too common. In the mean time I have some water sprite at the surface. Pieces of wood, more plants, and just more stuff to hide under will help these fish feel more secure so they will come out more.

I have a ton of unused substrate just... lying around... Anyway, yeah, sand mixes really easily, and the raphael will help with that.

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

hm ok. well im gonna try and get myself a black lancer than. maybe a bristlenose...and idk. it would seem empty...but im not sure how much strain these fish (when grown) will put on the filter. im thinking of buying another smaller filter to help out. oh and i forgot the second raphael...maybe ill take out the bristlenose...gah decisions decisions....i wish i had like a 1000gal. tank lol.

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.

Well i got another Striped Raphael today. looks to be about 3/4 of an inch. little bigger than my cherry barbs. Cant believe my first raphael was ever that small. well lets hope they go well together!

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.