polka-dot pictus catfish

I've added three (3) polka-dot pictus catfish to my 29 gal tank with six (6) tiger barbs and four (4) opaline gouramis. The driftwood, hornworts, and various small rocks make hiding places.

The most charming trait is that they all three like to swim in the air bubble column. They even have a favorate column of two available. They swim down and float up and then repeat it.

I know the fish do best in a school of six plus, but I am maxed out in space in the 29 gal tank.

We're pretty new to each other but it seems that the pictus catfish stay out of my way (helping me avoid the poison on pectoral and dorsal fins) whenever I have to re-arrange or clean. (The opaline gouramis, OTOH, tend to swim up and lightly nip/no discomfort at my finger tips when I reach into the tank.)

Does anyone else have any experience with the pictus cat? I find them charming.

 

I had pictus cats for years and loved them.. Mine got pretty big (~4.5 inches) and they were always fun to watch scavenge.. I had a bubble wall on the back and my pictus did the same thing riding the bubbles.. Watch for your smaller fish as pictus will eat many of your other fish..

 

I have a 7" pictus. Looks like a pimodella cat, but every time I post an ID, everyone says its a pictus. I've had since it was 3inches. Its housed in my 125 with about 15 other catfish. Very stocked at the moment. Pictus is definitely the meanest and the king of the tank. I watched him kill a 5" fancy tail goldfish too, viciously.