My fish is nuts!

[schwartzy]

Hello guys, good to post back here. As many of you know I started fishless cycle had problems and went the bio-spira method and everything seems great so far. Here is my fish selection I have in my 45 gallon tank. 4 green tiger barbs, 1 paradise fish, 2 silver dollars, 1 pictus catfish, 1 common pleco and I'm not sure what the other one is. It is a scaless black fish that looks like a catfish and a shark. I cant post picture at the moment nor can I seem to find a picture on the internet. All I can tell you is since I have boughtrn him- he has not stopped swimming in circles in my tank. He patroles the whole tank, almost at the top of the water really fast. He seems healthy as all my other fish do as well. When I put in flake food he skims across the top of the water with his mouth and is a fricken slob. I just cant figure out what it is. His belly is all white and the whole top half of his body is black. I'm hoping that someone can recognize this fish for me by describing this wierd behavior. Also I knowor think I am maxed out on my fish amount or will I be fine? Another thing is my pictus catfish is in one corner and swims up and down all day. Top to bottom all day. I thought this fish was a bottom dweller. I reall dont see it eat off the bottom. All my levels are in good range by the way.

 

[depthC]

Could this one fish you describe be a upsidedown catfish? Check it out. As for the pictus cat swimming up and down a side of the tank this is quite normal. My cory cats do it normally and It seems a bit playful.

Andrew

 

[Jadenblack]

if it is a columbian shark (aka White Tip Shark)

http://www.elmersaquarium.com/image_fish/01 shark_colombian.jpg
http://www.aquariumfish.net/images_01/shark_white_tip.jpg


If this is the fish that you are talking about my roommate had 2 and they grew to be over 12 inches. They were crazy!!! I was scared so many times that they would swim right out of the tank!!

I know that I have seen them in pet store and alot of times they state they be about 4-6 inches they are way wrong!!

Size and Life Span. In the wild White Tips Shark Cats grow to at least 12" and possibly 16", but in aquariums they are rarely larger than 6". They have a life span of 6 to 10 years.

 

[Lotus]

It almost sounds like a shovelnosed catfish

 

[Jadenblack]

It almost sounds like a shovelnosed catfish

I just read that they can get 66 INCHES LONG!!!!!!!

 

[Sandtiger]

Sounds like an upside-down catfish to me.

 

[culinaryartcook]

shovelnose. a guy at a lfs has one of those. It's friggin awsome, but it's huge (probably a good 1.5 ft or more). The fish you've got schwartzy sounds like a shovelnose. Sounds exactly like the one this guy's got. But I'm not one to tell. Still a big newbie at the fish stuff.

 

[FroggyFox]

Well whatever it is it sounds interesting! Would it be possible to call the place where you got him and ask what they think he is? (or sneak back in nonchalantly and look at the tag on the tank haha) I've been known to do that from time to time.

I've always wanted a pictus...very cool fish. As long as the crazy fish isn't something that will completely take over the tank...sounds like you have a good mix going on. If you have troubles with any of the tiger barbs getting out of hand you might choose to put some more in there...usually people have said that their nipping etc tends to focus more on each other if there is a group of 6 or 7+ in the tank. I dont know, I've never had them...thats just what I'm usually told

One of my roommate's friends has a shovelnose...he brought me a picture on his camera phone a couple months ago...said its as long as his arm! (he's a big guy lol) but a very cool lookin fish...kinda looks like a...shovel. lol