Catfish That Don't Eat Plants

[Midwater]

What catfish are there that don't eat plants?

Not otto, cory, farlowella or anything small. Not that I don't like them, I just don't want tiny fish. Also, I don't want enormous catfish.

So more specifically, what catfish are there that:

• don't eat plants or suck on moss
• grow to between eight and twelve inches
• eat the left over ghost shrimp that are lying around
• possibly suck on driftwood
• and importantly - look good

I look forward to suggestions, and then I can see if they are available at any LFS.

 

[Rtc/tsn]

What catfish are there that don't eat plants?

Not otto, cory, farlowella or anything small. Not that I don't like them, I just don't want tiny fish. Also, I don't want enormous catfish.

So more specifically, what catfish are there that:

• don't eat plants or suck on moss
• grow to between eight and twelve inches
• eat the left over ghost shrimp that are lying around
• possibly suck on driftwood
• and importantly - look good

I look forward to suggestions, and then I can see if they are available at any LFS.

Royal pleco is the only one I can think of. By not eating plants do you mean large plants or does it also include algae. Not many catfish can digest driftwood other than royal plecos to my knowledge but all plecos will eat algae as well as any leftover shrimp. You could also get a striped Raphael or marbled Raphael both get a good medium size and look really good. There’s also synodonis species you could look into

 

[Rtc/tsn]

Royal pleco is the only one I can think of. By not eating plants do you mean large plants or does it also include algae. Not many catfish can digest driftwood other than royal plecos to my knowledge but all plecos will eat algae as well as any leftover shrimp. You could also get a striped Raphael or marbled Raphael both get a good medium size and look really good. There’s also synodonis species you could look into

My mistake, marbled Raphael are a smaller species. There’s on that is stunning and gets about 10” but I can’t remember what it is. It looks very similar to the marbled Raphael though

 

[Midwater]

I have got a couple of Striped Raphaels. They are about eight inches long, and nearly that much across. Really fat. They have been eating thick algae in the pond, and if none were available, I am sure they would go for fresh plant material.

I like Synos, but I am not sure I would trust them either.

 

[WOLF2013]

Pimeldous blochii 4 lined pictus are a cool catfish.
ornate pictus catfish are cool too.

 

[MultipleTankSyndrome]

I was going to suggest those, but fair warning that they need very big tanks. Thebiggerthebetter found that his 4 line pictus catfish at least were sedentary and unhappy in a 2.44 meter long, 908 liter tank due to lack of space, and the ornate pictus would likely be similar due to its size.

Maybe an Asian upside down catfish male. They get about 23 cm (keep an eye out for the genital papilla to make sure you get a male and not a 30-45 cm female).

 

[Fishman Dave]

A number of the pims, a couple of the hemibagrus, black lancers, marbled lancers, dwarf giraffes, Asian bumblebee, jumper cat, platysilurus for a few

 

[fishguy1978]

Gulper cats (Asterophysus batrachus) or a black driftwood cat (Trachycorystes trachycorystes.) Synodontis cats don't mess with plants and get over 9in. Hoplosternum littorale reach 9in and are peaceful and active.