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I'm getting a 20 gallon tank and im going to put a jack dempsey in the tank. I want to get a couple pictus catfish or a couple raphales but i want the pictus a lot more then the other. I need a pleco i need to know what type i need.

Don't get a pleco; They get to be over a foot and will need a bigger tank. Go with some alge eaters or octilious cats (get about three of them they will only grow to 2" each)

Pictus cats are supposed to do best in trios and get about 8"+ If you went this route, you may need to upgrade your tank.

Corys are supposed to go well with the tanks. They have some spotted ones. A salt&Pepper cat might look nice too.

Have you considered a rainbow shark or some other tankmates?

Inky

None of the fish you listed will do in a 20 gallon tank. A jack dempsey will get huge and need at least 55 gallons and so will a pictus cat. You might need to rethink your stocking options for this tank.

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~~Melissa~~
"Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder."

Don't get a pleco; They get to be over a foot and will need a bigger tank.

Not all get over a foot long, in fact the best algae eating pleco, the bushy nose (also known as the bristle nose) pleco only gets to 4-6 inches depending on which one. And the BN pleco is an excellent algae eater that will do nicely in a 20 gal tank.

Pictus cats are supposed to do best in trios

Actually, when they get larger and more mature fish, the pictus cats will not tolerate each other. It is a long time farce the belief that they are schooling fish. As young fish, yes they will school, but once matured they will not tolerate each other.

Corys would also do nicely in a 20 gal, you could have a school of 6 and even more depending on which type you get of them as well. However, not sure how they will get along with a full grown JD, as you suggest you are getting.

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There is always a bigger fish...

Here's the play-by-play:

Jack Dempseys aren't good draft choices for the twenty gallons. Too big, too messy when executing plays, don't get along well with teammates. This one should get hooked up with something more big-league. It'll probably want to take out pretty much any other fish you try to stick it with in a tank this small.

The pictus are also a little on the large size. No way they're capable of hitting the eight inches though, they're only four or five inches. Not massive, but still a bit clunky for your tank of choice. They also don't play well with other pictus- big egos, ya know? Maybe when they're rookies, sure, but when they grow up and become stars then you can forget it.

Why a pleco?

Cories would get slaughtered, they're weaklings. They don't have much big-play capability, they play more as support and aren't going to do anything huge for you.

Boom! There's the commentary. Looks like you may need to call an audible on this one.

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And when he gets to Heaven, to Saint Peter he will tell: "One more Marine reporting, Sir! I've served my time in Hell."

Sorry for my "Misinformation" I am just going by what I read... (I do alot of reading)

Plecos usually do get very big though, especially the "Common" ones marked in stores. I was told by several people and in several books that they get tp be about a foot. ^_^ Not trying to argue about size though...


I agree that you need to rethink your considerations and tank size.


And I still like rainbow sharks, though I am not sure how compatable it would be with your other fish (Depends on size)

Inky

A JD could never fit in a 20 gallon, they get huge, and can be a very aggresive fish, imagine shoving a football player into a closet and making him live there? well basically that's what you would be doing to the JD. And on top of that you want to put a pictus cat in there too? pictus cats get kind of big for a 20 gallon, alone it could do ok but not with other fish, i have a pictus in a 66 gallon tank and he spends all day smimming from one end to the other, so he could not do that very well in a 20. Anyways it's your choise and you probably will do what you want, but please remind yourself that in the long run your fish will not be happy, and when your fish are not happy, the fish keeping experience is not as pleasurable as it can be.

Plecos usually do get very big though, especially the "Common" ones marked in stores

The "common" pleco does yes, but there are many other types of plecos out there that stay under 5 inches, and many of these are available in many/most lfs. There several hundred species of plecos. And some actually get larger than 2 feet, and push even the 3 foot mark.

No worries, I was not being harsh, nor demeaning, just being more specific.

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There is always a bigger fish...

ok im puting her in there becaused my JD is getting harassed in my 55 and i dont want her to die. She is 3" right now and she will get big but i still have a 55 that i can put her in so no problem there and yes i do have room for a couple pictus catfish in there and they wont get hurt. She is getting harrased by my oscar pair and they will go into a 125 gallon once they get to big for my 55 gallon tank. i will move my oscar pair before i move her in that tank and i will put some other type of fish in there and i need seggestions on it. i was thinking

2 angle fish
1-2 pearl gouramies or 4 blue rams 2 male 2 female
1 bushy nose pleco
6 panda corys

after i move my JD and my pictus cats over to the 55 if they could fit and could i get her a buddy i think she
would like it she has been with other fish all her life and she loves other fish that she cant eat if she can she will and i dont want missing fish. I want her to be alright she is so sweet but when it comes to food she isnt. I dont want to spend money on fish that arnt made for eating. That has happened to me before. I want the fish i buy for show and not for eating.


Last edited by riri1 at 28-Dec-2005 01:00

"...and yes i do have room for a couple pictus catfish in there and they wont get hurt."

How can you say that? First of all, maybe a couple of juvenile pictus catfish will fit. Once they grow larger though, they will need more than twenty gallons. Plus, Jack Dempseys are mean. If yours is three inches, then it is already capable of an attitude problem. A surly jack dempsey can definitely kill pictus catfish if it tries.

"2 angle fish
1-2 pearl gouramies or 4 blue rams 2 male 2 female
1 bushy nose pleco
6 panda corys"

There's very little chance that any of these fish (besides the bristlenose) will work out for long. Again, Jack Dempseys are usually very mean. Young ones can be tolerant of tankmates, but they usually get nastier as they age. If you don't believe me, ask someone else. I'm sorry, but I just think that there will be problems with this setup.

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And when he gets to Heaven, to Saint Peter he will tell: "One more Marine reporting, Sir! I've served my time in Hell."

As ACidrain mentioned, there are hundreds of species of plecos, and there are several that would work in a 20 gallon--bristlenose, clown, otocinclus, queen arabesque, flash pleco, for example. I love plecos, but they do produce a lot of waste so good tank maintenance is an absolute must. Some species don't mix well with live plants--they either eat them or can tear up your aquascape.
For a 20, I'd go with some cories and possibly one of the plecos listed above.
I really like otocinclus...great little algae eaters, and generally not as timid as most other pleco species--but they should be kept in groups.
Good luck!

"I am a believer in punctuality, though it makes me very lonely" EV Lucas

ok once the JD and the pictus cats get big i will move them into my 55 gallon. i will move my oscars into my 125 gallon so they will breed.