# Would it be okay to put a pictus catfish & an iridescent shark in my tank



## Luti-Kriss (Nov 18, 2009)

I'm interested in getting at least 1 pictus cat and 1 iridescent shark for my tank. 

I have a combination of Zebra Danios, Platys, and Harlequin Rasboras in my tank. 
Would pictus catfish & iridescent sharks mix okay with those fish? Or no?


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## Ghost Knife (Mar 12, 2008)

Luti-Kriss said:


> I'm interested in getting at least 1 pictus cat and 1 iridescent shark for my tank.
> 
> I have a combination of Zebra Danios, Platys, and Harlequin Rasboras in my tank.
> Would pictus catfish & iridescent sharks mix okay with those fish? Or no?


Definitely no on the shark since you have community fish. The Pictus Catfish might work if you had a large group like 5-6. How large is the tank in question? If it's not very big then I would go with a group of Cories.


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

Pictus is predatory and will eat the rasboras or choke to death trying.
The iridescents just plain get too big for most tanks and eat everything in sight.


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## Luti-Kriss (Nov 18, 2009)

Ghost Knife said:


> Definitely no on the shark since you have community fish. The Pictus Catfish might work if you had a large group like 5-6. How large is the tank in question? If it's not very big then I would go with a group of Cories.


Yeah. I realized I'm being a little unrealistic here. My tank is only a 10 gallon and yeah the shark would not be good with my fish...

What about the pictus catfish though? Do I HAVE to keep them in groups? I wanted to get a small one. Or should I say no due to tank size?


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## Ghost Knife (Mar 12, 2008)

Luti-Kriss said:


> Yeah. I realized I'm being a little unrealistic here. My tank is only a 10 gallon and yeah the shark would not be good with my fish...
> 
> What about the pictus catfish though? Do I HAVE to keep them in groups? I wanted to get a small one. Or should I say no due to tank size?


A 10 gallon is simply too small for Pictus Cats. You could get about 4-5 Cories though and they come in some beautiful colors. They are also some of the best bottom feeders I have seen for home aquariums. I have 21 Cories of four different species in my 125 gallon tank and they keep the gravel spotless of uneaten food.


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## Luti-Kriss (Nov 18, 2009)

Ghost Knife said:


> A 10 gallon is simply too small for Pictus Cats. You could get about 4-5 Cories though and they come in some beautiful colors. They are also some of the best bottom feeders I have seen for home aquariums. I have 21 Cories of four different species in my 125 gallon tank and they keep the gravel spotless of uneaten food.


Okay. Well it makes sense lol. 

Well I've seen cories at my pet shop lots of times but when I think of those guys I always think of the albino ones cuz they always have tons of those and they're not very attractive to me. Maybe they'll have different ones though. What are cories like? Would I have to worry about them eating my other fish at all?


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## Ghost Knife (Mar 12, 2008)

Luti-Kriss said:


> Okay. Well it makes sense lol.
> 
> Well I've seen cories at my pet shop lots of times but when I think of those guys I always think of the albino ones cuz they always have tons of those and they're not very attractive to me. Maybe they'll have different ones though. What are cories like? Would I have to worry about them eating my other fish at all?


Cories will usually stay rather relaxed except during feeding time where they become more active. They do not eat other fish and are very peaceful and there are several species to choose from. Petsmart or Wal-Mart will generally carry Green, Peppered, and or Albino Cories. If you're lucky Petsmart will carry Emerald Cories, which look similar to the green, but have a much shinier look to them. They particularly like sinking shrimp pellets and veggie flakes. Also, remember that they like to be kept in groups of 4 or larger.


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## jaunypic (Sep 20, 2009)

how big can a pictus cat get???


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