NEW TANK w/ CAT FISH!!

[FERIADA]

HELLO ALL!
A friend of mine who moved to a smaller apartment is giving me their 75 gallon fish tank with 2 LARGE cat fish (he does not know what kind they are, and i havent seen them yet so neither do i).
I am very excited yet know close to NOTHING about caring for them! My friend says they are very low maintenence and prefer to have a fair amount of algue in the tank. I am hoping to gain more knowledge on how to best care for my new catfishes through your help!
Also - - I read that catfish can be very territorial but i would like to put other fish in the tank with them, is this a good idea? what kind of fish would live best with the cat fish?

[stormhawk]

Before we can help you, we need to know what those catfish are. Pictures will help.

[FERIADA]

I figured that, i am getting them this coming sunday. i will post pictures here ASAP. I CANT WAIT!

[VSGenesis]

Other than the tank and the 2 cat fish, what else is given?

Filtration? Your excitement and anticipation is making me feel the same. Lol.

Anyway, folks 75 gal is what 270 liters? I'm guessing 120cm by 45cm?

Just my observation, usually "monster" tanks that has big cat fish has got those gar, flowerhorn, aro and some fish I have no idea. Guessing thy will outgrow the tank though. But hey, i'm just blasting. There's discus! My fave in bigger tanks. Or flagtail prochilodus but then again i'm just saying. Aint helping arent i?lol.

Once the tank comes in, members will most likely go trigger happy with ideas.

We're excited for you too. Can't wait to see the tank.

[FERIADA]

I asked Friend what comes with the tank, he said "everything is there" when asked to elaborate, he said he has both a top and bottom filtration system, a heater, a bubbler, and other equiptment that he says he can explain when i pick up the tank.
MORE IMPORTANTLY...he said they are not really catfish, they are SHARKS! He said he doesnt know the name of them as his x-wife bought them for him. He described the SHARKS as large (one over a foot long, one a little less), all black, large top fin (all black), and sort of a flat head.
I am now a little nervous, last fishtank i had was when i was about 5 with gold fish and they died (very quickly). I am very much a beginner! am i going to get bit? Surprisingly, even though i am kind of scared now, i am even more EXCITED. SHARKS?! man o man, i hope my chihuahua doesnt try to go for a swim! LOL

[Trichopsis]

Sounds like iridescent shark catfish (Pangasius/Pangasianodon hypophthalmus):



While they are often seen in the shops, and can be quite attractive when young, they aren't suitable for most home aquariums, because they require lots of space (unlike many other catfishes, they cruise about in the water, and don't hang around on the bottom), do best when kept as part of a shoal, and are easily spooked. They also get very large, up to 1.3 metres (4 feet) in length.



The species is quite commonly raised in captivity in Southeast Asia, but more for human consumption than for pets:
FAO Fisheries & Aquaculture

Here's some more information:
PlanetCatfish
ScotCat

I'm hoping that my guess is wrong, but I think you ought to be mentally prepared.

[FERIADA]

I showed him the picture you posted and he said thats not it. says the top fin is much larger and it is all black and less "fat". Also the shark that is a little over 1' foot is about 5 years old. so we googled BLACK SHARK. below are some pictures that he says it looks like (but is not sure if it is it):
http://aquariumfishparadise.com.au/Black-Shark.php
images.jpg
us_pets_47906_2.jpg

still says they get to be huge (2feet)...oh man. what am i getting my self into? LOL!

[FERIADA]

i just went on youtube.com and looked up BLACK FISH 75 GAL TANK and there are quite a few videos on there. many tanks had other fish in the tank.

[yellow barb]

the fish look friendly. looks pretty too.

[Trichopsis]

Yes, black sharks are actually cyprinids (carp), and can be thought of as giant versions of red-tailed black sharks or bala sharks. They do require lots of space, but are generally fine with fishes too large for them to eat. Tinfoil barbs might make suitable, similarly active tankmates, if you have the space for a large tank.

We'll see what you actually have when the fish arrive! It's quite unnerving, honestly, but it is kind of exciting.

[yellow barb]

is there albino shark look alike?

[mincedmeat]

I was just on PFK last evening and found that someone needed help IDing a similar fish like this (if you're on the forum, the thread is located here: http://www.predatoryfishkeepers.com/...Fish-ID-needed). The best guess was Osteochilus melanopleura. It looks good though!

[FERIADA]

ok, they're here! & swimming happily in a 75 gal tank! heres the kicker..im preetttyyy suree these guys are iridesent sharks (catfish) as @Pseudogobiopsis had mentioned previously. here are some pics..they arent so great i took them with my phone and these guys are very fast!
IMAG0239.jpg
they are both darker on the top, with a light/silvery belly. one is about 2inches longer than the other. and they seem to really get along with each other too. the swim in circles with each other, follow each other around, rub past each other, and i havent noticed any aggression towards eachother. however the larger one did get kind of fiesty and tried to jump when i moved the bubbler

[mincedmeat]

Are there any other fishes in the tank?

[FERIADA]

nope, just the two. they seem very fond of each other too! beautiful swimmers, im dazed by them! can these guys have other tank mates? maybe ones that are similar in size?

[mincedmeat]

I would think it would be best to keep fishes of similar sizes since these fishes would be predatory in nature. I think endis and gars will give a mix of fishes.

[FERIADA]

does any one know the odds of whether or not these fish will become huge monsters? ive been googl-ing and many sites say they can reach up to 4ft ...EVEN IN AQUARIUMS! eeeekkkk. The larger of the 2 is 5 years old and hes only about a foot long. Also..if i put other fish in the tank should i try to buy the fish already full grown? most fish in stores are babies and would be very small in comparison to these guys.