The Puffer Forum

For my birthday my boyfriend went and bought me 4 fish for my 20 gallon aquarium. I don't think he really thought about the fact that different fish need different needs or considered the fact that I had never dealt with these kinds of fish before. So now I need advice. He bought me 2 high fin tetras, some sort of small catfish that has a gray body with black leapord like markings (idk the breed), and a rainbow shark. Right now they are all in a 20 gallon together and they are doing fine, but I know they all have different needs. I have a 55 gal with one gsp in it and the 20 gal they are sharing. Advice? I heard rainbow sharks get large and are aggressive. This one is very shy however.

I would break the news to him and see if you can take them back for store credit.

Can you get pics of the catfish.

As for the rainbow, I do believe you are correct about them getting big and aggressive.

The tetra's should be fine in that size tank. Depending on the type of catfish you maybe fine with just returning the shark.

Take them back and educate him on the need to do research before getting a pet.

the catfish, by description alone, sounds a lot like a pictus cat.

The catfish is a firewood cat. Or atleast that is what it sounds like to me!

It is not either of those, I looked at the pictures. The pictus cat had long whiskers, this one doesn't, and the firewood catfish seemed to have more of a solid color with occasional spots. This ones spots are all connected in an almost wavy pattern (reminds me of an ocelot's spots) it also becomes one solid color when it is stressed. A dark gray, then back to a vibrant black on gray pattern when calm. Its only an inch long or so.