I have a 38 gallon tank with 2 silver dollars(about 3") and 1 clown loach. Would 2 or 3 pictus be good companions?
Answers:
They shouldall get along okay but the Loach would really prefer a higher pH than the other 2 species. Also the Loach and Silver dollars are schooling fish so you might want to consider getting more of those 2 species as oppposed to adding a 3 rd species.
Pictus
Scientific Name: Pimelodus pictus
Other Names: Spotted Pimelodus
Family: Pimelodidae
Origin: Colombia, South America
Adult Size: 4 inches (11cm)
Social: Peaceful, suitable for Community tank
Lifespan: 8 years
Tank Level: Bottom dweller
Minimum Tank Size: 20 gallon
Diet: Omnivore, eats most foods
Breeding: Egglayer
Care: Intermediate
pH: 5.8 - 6.8
Hardness: 4-8 dGH
Silver Dollars
Scientific Name: Myleus rubripinnis rubripinnis
Other Names: Redhook
Family: Serrasalmidae
Origin: Gyuana, Amazon
Adult Size: 4 inches (10 cm)
Social: Peaceful
Lifespan: 10+ years
Tank Level: Mid dweller
Minimum Tank Size: 20 gallon
Diet: Omnivore, will eat plants
Breeding: Egglayer - never bred in captivty
Care: Difficult
pH: 5.0 - 7.0
Hardness: up to 15 dGH
Temperature: 73-81 F (23-27 C)
Clown Loach
Scientific Name: Botia macracanthus
Family: Cobitidae
Origin: Indonesia, Sumatra, Borneo
Adult Size: 6 inches in captivity
Social: Peaceful schooling fish
Lifespan: 15+ years
Tank Level: Mid, Bottom dweller
Minimum Tank Size: 20 gallon
Diet: Omnivore, eats most foods
Breeding: Egglayer
Care: Intermediate
pH: 7.2 - 7.5
Hardness: soft
Temperature: 77-86 F (25-30 C)
The pictus should be fine. The silver dollars are middle column swimmers and get too large for the pictus to bother. They should be fine together. They won't bother the loach either, and they will all eat the same foods.
I agree with fivespeed they should be fine and they look really good!!
