help with my pictus cats

okay, so i just bought two pictus cats. now what. what kinds of plants should i get? is a five gallon tank okay for now? cause i know this one site said they need bigger. will it work until i get the funds to upgrade? what kind of food is the best for the pictus? would it be okay to put them with bala sharks?

 

How large are the fish now? Do you have anything else with them in the 5 gallon? How long do you think it will take for you to get a bigger tank? What size tank will it be?

-Chelle

 

they are about 1-2" long. they are the only fish in there for the moment. i don't know what size tank i will be getting. if i need one, what do you suggest?

how big do full grown pictus get?
plus i am pretty much new to this whole fish thing so anything else i need to purchase or know?

 

Pictus cats get about 10" long as adults and as such will require a very large aquarium. As you have two I would suggest at least 40 gallons, but more like 50 really. If you keep them in the five gallon for any length of time you will risk stunting them. Also, you will need to get sinking catfish pellets and places for them to hide during the day. Pictus' do not like light, so subdued lighting is best along with a few caves for them to sleep in during the day.

How long have you had your tank set up and are you planning on getting any other fish?

 

my tank has only been set up for less than a day. i would like to get other fish but if the tank needs to be much bigger than 50 then i don't know if i will be able to afford or maintain it.
how long does it take for pictus to reach full size? what kind of plants are good for them? and what else do i need to know about aquariums.

 

You're going to be in for some major problems (and probably dead fish) soon. Not only is a 5 gallon way too small for those fish, if it's only been set up for less than a day, it's not cycled so ammonia will build up and poison the fish.

I highly recommend returning the fish immediately. Then read the articles below about fishless cycling. Once the 5 gallon is cycled, then you can add fish, but I only recommend getting fish that will actually be able to stay in it for it's fully lifespan (overstocking a tank with plans of upgrading later isn't really a good idea). Then when you have a larger tank, cycle it, then get your pictus cats.

Fishless Cycling:
http://forums.fishindex.com/showthread. ... eadid=7387
http://www.tomgriffin.com/aquamag/cycle2.html

And some info on pictus cats:
http://www.thetropicaltank.co.uk/Fishindx/pictus.htm
http://fish.orbust.net/pictuscatfish.html
http://centralpets.com/pages/critterpag ... 4492.shtml
http://planetcatfish.com/catelog/pimelo ... /276_f.php

-Chelle