75g or 65B wet pet ideas...

[DMD123]

So I am considering a 'wet pet' of some sort and I would like ideas from the group. I have two possible tanks available either a 75 gallon - 48"x18" footprint or a 65B - 36"x18" footprint.

No real right or wrong here. Just want something that can live its life out in this size tank.

Since I already have puffers, bichirs and cichlids, I am looking for something 'different'.

So far my ideas include a Red Wolf fish, Gulper catfish, Cuban cichlid, crenicichla saxatilis pike cichlid

Appreciate ideas from you guys.

 

[DMD123]

other ideas...

Jaguar catfish - gets about 10"
Pseudopimelodus bufonius - Gaint Bumblebee catfish gets about 10"

 

[lloyd378]

Cubans are awesome, but I’ve always secretly wanted to try a wolf fish.

or, thinking outside the box here.... a vampire tetra or needle nosed gar

 

[DMD123]

I tagged @FishBeast on his thread about his wolf to get some updates...

Ive heard that the rainbow wolf or red high fin can sometimes even have tankmates. You got to train them when young. Doesn’t always work but sometimes you can have a community wolf.

 

[DMD123]

I miss having a catfish, my old hoplo cat would eat bloodworms out of my hands. I think I would like a cat of some sort. Maybe even a syno, featherfin type and it wouldn’t have to be a solo fish.

still have lots of time before news tanks are set up.

 

[fishguy1978]

Tiger shovelnose are really cool and don’t get monstrous.
Syn’s Are cool. I would look for a decorous or other variety before settling on a feather fin. AP did have a lg feather fin last time I was in there.
Porthole cats are cool and you can do multiples.

 

[DMD123]

Yeah, I dont know why but cat(s) of some sort are very appealing to me right now. I could see doing a school of Hoplo cats and then a schooling fish and then a main focus fish of some sort. Basically a community tank of smaller fish. Not sure what the eventual stock will be but just want something different than what I have. I already have oddball with the bichir and puffers...

 

[DMD123]

Been researching heavy on cats and have come to the conclusion the gulper is out. Reading some interesting stuff on the life span issue these have. Seems even very experienced keepers with even bigger tanks dont seem to get more than about 4 years out of them. Hunger strikes and wasting away are common at that stage. Apparently not a long term fish.

The jaguar cat is gorgeous but a hider. Also very expensive.

Still intrigued by the giant Bumblebee cat... kind of a hider, highly predatory and would work well for a 75g.

The Red wolf also still on my research list.

 

[sir_keith]

...I don't know why but cats of some sort are very appealing to me right now...

Me too.

 

[DMD123]

Me too.

View attachment 5895

lol, wrong cats

 

[DMD123]

As I read more on the different catfish I like, there is a trait of being hiders that is common. The jaguars are so cool looking but everything says they disappear into a tank and you never see them. Same with the giant bumblebee cats.

So now I’m thinking of a school of slightly smaller cats like the hopplo I used to have. Another option might include something in the synodontis family. I know its common but the featherfin is a cat that would and fairly active for a 75.

 

[fishguy1978]

Flagtail porthole cats are active and attractive.

 

[DMD123]

Flagtail porthole cats are active and attractive.

On my list of possibilities. Leaning more toward the brown hoplo since they tend to get a little bigger and I have wanted one of the albino variants for a while. I had only kept one hoplo in the past, this time I would consider a small school...

Really would like a larger cat that would be in the 6"-10" category. Doesn't have to be large mouth predatory cat. Liking a lot of the cats in the synodontis family. Really interested in the mustache cat Hemisynodontis membranaceus

This guy would possibly get too big and need to go into the 300. It is said to get to 11" but seen elsewhere said a little bigger.

My all time favorite cat is the giraffe nosed. I know there is a dwarf variant that get to about 8" but not a super friendly active type cat from what I read and it really does not look like the big type that much. In fact a couple of the syno look better.

 

[DMD123]

Looking at some other catfish.
Notoglanidium macrostoma “Dwarf Giraffe Cat”

Synodontis pardalis - absolutely awesome looking but not cheap, $110 at Wet Spot

 

[FishBeast]

I never see my jaguar out and about unless I sneak at night with the lights out! My red wolf is getting along really well with my bichirs and datnoid. You can also do a school of small pims like pictus cat. Also the black lancer cat would be a nice showpiece catfish at around 10 inches.

 

[DMD123]

I never see my jaguar out and about unless I sneak at night with the lights out! My red wolf is getting along really well with my bichirs and datnoid. You can also do a school of small pims like pictus cat. Also the black lancer cat would be a nice showpiece catfish at around 10 inches.

Great ideas!

Since doing this original idea Ive aquired a Trimac who now owns one of the 75's and the other is a growout at the moment. Will likely have a 65b open for something...

 

[FishBeast]

Great ideas!

Since doing this original idea Ive aquired a Trimac who now owns one of the 75's and the other is a growout at the moment. Will likely have a 65b open for something...

Hahaha nice! I haven't been on in soooo long. Trimacs are awesome!

 

[DMD123]

Since starting this thread I now have multiple ‘wet pets’ so I really dont need another. The trimac was just the icing on the cake! Never had expected to get one this nice! Thanks again @lloyd378 for helping me get him.

at some point I am going to be done “growing out” my amphilophus and will likely have a 75g so the decision is whether to keep another amphilophus wet pet solo in there or do something else. But the 65B will still be available... Im thinking something different, like maybe small community fish or even a cool goldfish.

Still appreciate ideas from you guys...

 

[lloyd378]

What happened to the wolf fish?

have you ever thought about some Madagascar cichlids.... since most are vulnerable and or extinct in the wild, you would be helping humanity.

 

[DMD123]

What happened to the wolf fish?

have you ever thought about some Madagascar cichlids.... since most are vulnerable and or extinct in the wild, you would be helping humanity.

Not against the wolf just looking at all the possibilities. I hadn’t thought about the Madagascar cichlids. Paratilapia polleni? bleekeri? Are those what you were thinking?

I kind of am also interested in the 5 stars... just feel like I am set for cichlid and was considering other things.