Patto Posted January 6, 2006 Share Posted January 6, 2006 Okay, I have a question. Of much dispute no doubt... What are the best Catfish to have in a tank of African Cichlids???? Now obviously this is very subjective, so points are awarded for: 1. How well they "play" with Cichlids? 2. How well they clean a tank? 3. And of course, how good do they look in a tank with colourful Cichlids? I have never had a catfish in any of my tanks before, so this is all new to me - Sorry if this is an old subject. If it makes a difference, i have all Mbuna's. Thanks for your help. Cheers Patto Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timmy2422 Posted January 6, 2006 Share Posted January 6, 2006 cuckoo catfish . They wont eat the algae but they look awsome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patto Posted January 6, 2006 Author Share Posted January 6, 2006 So on a scale of 1 to 10 what do you rate on each point? Obviously 0 points for cleaning the tank!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wui39 Posted January 6, 2006 Share Posted January 6, 2006 Bristlenose would rate pretty highly in at least the first 2 areas. No 3 well....personal preference I guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timmy2422 Posted January 6, 2006 Share Posted January 6, 2006 1. How well they "play" with Cichlids? they play well, and if you have the right ones, the play very very well with them 2. How well they clean a tank? not very, but you can always get a few BN to do that for you. 3. And of course, how good do they look in a tank with colourful Cichlids? They look awsome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patto Posted January 6, 2006 Author Share Posted January 6, 2006 Excuse my ignorance, but aren't bristlenoses catfish? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eddie Salita Posted January 6, 2006 Share Posted January 6, 2006 I find that visitors who dont know fish are often intrigued by my bristlenose. I suppose they are like bulldogs..... cute in their own way . There can be no doubt in my mind they are the cleaning kings!!! Uneaten food and algae isnt a issue when there is a few 4-6cm bristlies in a tank. Having said that, I love my petricola the most. Have bristlies in every tank though..... Cuckoo's are awesome too. Very lively. But in a breeding tank of mbuna, they will run amok wont they? Jason.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timmy2422 Posted January 6, 2006 Share Posted January 6, 2006 Excuse my ignorance, but aren't bristlenoses catfish? You bet they are. What i ment was you could always throw a few in to take over cleaning duties. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patto Posted January 6, 2006 Author Share Posted January 6, 2006 Great! Thanks guys. So the bristlenose are the best cleaners. Which bristlenose is the best looking / mbuna friendly? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wui39 Posted January 6, 2006 Share Posted January 6, 2006 Common are cheapest and the best cleaners. The more exotic ones are a bit more fussy in their diet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Camo Posted January 6, 2006 Share Posted January 6, 2006 Hey Well if you have gone for bristlenose mate. There are the common ones, albino, peppermint, orange spot and a heap of others that will probably go way over the budget for just the cichlid tank. Check some out mate. I would go with Just normal bristle nose at $1 per cm you cant go wrong. Or you could just go for a nice sized sailfin gibbi. Cheers Cameron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patto Posted January 7, 2006 Author Share Posted January 7, 2006 Thanks for your help everyone. Its much appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gianniz Posted January 7, 2006 Share Posted January 7, 2006 peppermints/ albino / would be my choice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D6C1 Posted January 7, 2006 Share Posted January 7, 2006 I would go gibbicep (Sailfin Pleco) :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wormboy Posted January 7, 2006 Share Posted January 7, 2006 Go the normal bristlies, the original and still the best. If you want a little more exotic, go the albinos as they are IMO just as hardy and can be a little more showy (depending on taste). I wouldn't recommend peppies for a mbuna tank as they won't really be happy with the activity levels of the cichlids or the water parameters. I dont know much about O/S bristlies so won't comment. Plecs and gibbis look great but can be a little lazy as they get bigger, they would rather just pinch cichlid food than clean rocks and glass. Same for L001s thats the functional catties. Looks good and plays well. You would have to go Synodontis, any of multipunctatus, polli or petricola (in no particular order). They don't clean rocks or glass but they are lots-o-fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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