From the article: Pictus Catfish
Have you kept a Pictus Catfish? If so, share your experiences about care, habitat, feeding and breeding of Blue Pictus Catfish. Your knowledge could help other owners! Share Your Experiences
Beautiful fish
- I just bought two and let me tell you their a handful! My mistake was not reading up about them. I had 2 Blue Neon tetras and 2 Orange Neon tetras when I woke up they were all dead. :[ Sadly I couldn't part with the cats I named Kitty and Neko [Cat in Japanese] so I decided to just keep them. Sadly three days ago Neko died for an unknown reason. I think it could of been the size of my tank [10 gal] I heard they need lots of room and two of them in a small tank could of done it. I also heard some cat fish could get territorial so maybe they fought but it seemed like they enjoyed each others company so it could have been anything. Also the catfish will eat any fish they can fit in their mouths not just neon tetras so be careful. They enjoy bloodworms and algae wafers they also enjoy caves and hiding places. If you really want to keep these amazing creatures happy make sure they have lots of swimming room and places to hide. Hope you enjoy your new Pictus, they're a truly beautiful creature
- —Guest Kitty
Love these guys!
- I recently saved two pictus who were in pretty bad shape, their owner had posted them up on kijiji. And let me tell you I absolutely love them, they're active and playful and when you watch them you can't help but smile. They get along great with my two upside-down cats, pair of kribs, and trio of swordtails. They are active during the day and night. They love earthworms as a treat, but their staple is frozen bloodworms. The pictus leave plants alone which is a huge plus. I however recommend that they each have their own cave and lots of open floor space to swim. Also, make sure you have a good lid, as mine have attempts to escape a couple times. Oh, and the whole "they will eat whatever fits in their mouth" is very true. Don't chance it. Otherwise these are awesome fish for an aquarist with a bit of experience. Lastly, if you have cats these fish will keep them entertained for hours (all three of mine will sit infront of my tank for hours watching them!)! Truly awesome little fish!
- —Guest Hannah
Unsure with my pictus
- Yes, I have a pictus catfish with a red tailed shark. They seem very happy together. These just weren't the fish I would have picked. I'd like to trade them for different fish since I am not sure what other fish I can safely introduce into the tank with them. My children want to keep the catfish and red tailed shark. There is a store in the area catering primarily to fish. I went there seeking advice. Their tanks were very dirty with some dead fish so I just left. I don't know anyone else with an aquarium and am very new to the hobby.
- —guppy5
The Perfect Addition
- I was looking to add some movement in my 75g Cichlid display and decided on catfish. Corydoras species seemed too small and other species were too large to keep in a group. The Pictus Catfish were perfect because of their adult size, color, and level of activity. You do have to keep in mind they will eat very small tankmates but I haven't had any problems keeping them with medium sized cichlids. They also share the tank with Silver Dollars which draw little interest from the catfish which prefer to chase each other around. They do require a getting to know you period but once they feel at home they roam constantly.
- —Guest Jason Gresham
Great fish
- I have had my pictus cats for 4 years they started out in a 10 gallon tank (while they where little) then moved up to a 30 gallon tank then to a 55 gallon tank (you will only need a 20 if it's just these) they are awesome they are housed with 2 baby channel catfish and an Oscar what's great is that they eat all the food the Oscar doesn't so it's very hard to overfeed
- —Guest Guest Name*
Beware of Pictus with smaller fish!
- I purchased a Pictus Catfish for my community tank, which included 3 neon tetras. Next morning I could not find 2 of the tetras, after looking for 15 minutes, I had to leave for work. After work I could not find any of them. I looked in the filter, Under and inside any decorations used for hiding, and NO tetras anywhere. The catfish (named Fluffy - cause its a cat...) had to have eaten them. I took him back to the fish dealer and got 2 albino corydoras, ( and 3 more tetras!). The cories are so cute and swim all over the place, they do not bother the tetras. So BEWARE of the Pictus if you have small fish, they WILL disappear!!!
- —mclovins
