MissMTS

I have heard that african cichlids need to be kept by themselves due to their aggressive nature and requirement for high pH levels. I am trying to research a catfish that I can keep in my 40 gallon african cichlid tank that can hold its own and can handle the high pH. Does anyone know of a species that will work?

Barbrella

You could try a smaller Synodontis, but you need a few.

http://www.planetcatfish.com/cotm/co...article_id=124

MissMTS

Thanks so much for the link. It was very helpful. That is a very nice looking catfish! Do you think that 3 in my 40 gallon tank with my cichlids is a good ammount?

Barbrella

You can do a search on PlanetCatfish to try and find smaller synodontis, or you can join the board and ask the members to recommend one. Those people know their catfish!

ETA: I forgot about the Upside Down catfish, or Synodontis nigriventris. They are often seen in African cichlid tanks and only grow about 4".

drumbum540

I don't know if this is the type of catfish that you are looking for but I like to go out to a creek and catch some baby catfish from under rocks and watch them grow. they are actually pretty cute in a way. And when they grow too big you can just but them back where you got them, sometime in the summer. I am doing that right now and he was about 2 inches long and is now about 5 or 6 inches long. They are VERY easy to keep and I have always fed them frozen bloodworms or rosy reds. I once had 3 of them in a 29 gallon with African cichlids and they got along just fine. If you want to be able to see them a lot get a piece of slate and lean it up against the front glass making a little cave. they don't even know that you are right there watching them. I hope I helped.
-drumbum540

Angela_96

I have a common pleco w/ mine and he is thriving very well in the tank, hes grown at least 3 inches since jan in the tank. I just got a new common pleco in my little tank to go w/ my peacocks. My mom kept the same plecos w/ her african cichlids when she had them and they did really good.

Allie

We have a 10" common pleco in our 120g too. He gets along great & doesn't put up with bullying.

Sabi

Common plecos are the best! But even so, when i kept a 8in common pleco with african cichlids, sometimes i used to see nips in his doesal fin which my alpha male used to give him. He just hated the common pleco!