9 replies to this topic

[TruestEggroll]

Would it be possible to keep a madtom in a 10 gallon community aquarium?

I am aware that they can eat a lot of things so could someone give me ideas of a fish that can reproduce a lot? 

[Michael Wolfe]

10 gallon sure... community, well that's a stretch.  But it depends on the species I think.  I have kept Margined Madtoms and they get bigger and definitely can eat full sized 4 inch fish.  On the other hand I kept an Ozark Madtom for 8 years and never had any losses.

 

So I think you could do it with the right madtom species.  It seems to me that some species stay smaller and have a smaller more forward pointing mouth.  Others (like margined madtoms) get larger and have a larger mouth more shaped like a bullhead.  I am not describing that maybe very well, but there is definitely a difference in mouth shape.

[TruestEggroll]

10 gallon sure... community, well that's a stretch.  But it depends on the species I think.  I have kept Margined Madtoms and they get bigger and definitely can eat full sized 4 inch fish.  On the other hand I kept an Ozark Madtom for 8 years and never had any losses.

 

So I think you could do it with the right madtom species.  It seems to me that some species stay smaller and have a smaller more forward pointing mouth.  Others (like margined madtoms) get larger and have a larger mouth more shaped like a bullhead.  I am not describing that maybe very well, but there is definitely a difference in mouth shape.

do you think that a speckled madtom could do then? 

Edited by TruestEggroll, 06 January 2023 - 10:06 PM.

[Michael Wolfe]

I dont have any direct experience keeping speckleds... but Petersons says they stay smaller and more slender and all the books (Mississippi, Alabama and South Carolina) all mention only inverts and no fish in their diets.  I think it sounds like it would be worth a try.  Are you coming to the convention this year?  Might could see a speckled and maybe a few shiners big enough to not be seen as a meal?

[TruestEggroll]

I dont have any direct experience keeping speckleds... but Petersons says they stay smaller and more slender and all the books (Mississippi, Alabama and South Carolina) all mention only inverts and no fish in their diets.  I think it sounds like it would be worth a try.  Are you coming to the convention this year?  Might could see a speckled and maybe a few shiners big enough to not be seen as a meal?

ah i didn't even know there were conventions. 

I am most likely going to buy a speckled off of jonah's aquarium. Stocking the tank with guppies, a mudminnow, snails, shrimp, and a madtom. 

[keepnatives]

With any madtom and mudminnow forget the guppies and shrimp unless they are the planned food and as Mr. Wolfe hinted 10 gallon is not going to help.  Tadpole madtoms are sometimes found with mudminnows.  Maybe one, with a few mudminnows in a well planted 10 gallon might work but the guppies and shrimp will be food.

[TruestEggroll]

With any madtom and mudminnow forget the guppies and shrimp unless they are the planned food and as Mr. Wolfe hinted 10 gallon is not going to help.  Tadpole madtoms are sometimes found with mudminnows.  Maybe one, with a few mudminnows in a well planted 10 gallon might work but the guppies and shrimp will be food.

I was thinking about having the guppies and shrimp as a secondary food source but thinking about it. I do not think I could keep a stable population of guppies in the same tank as a mudminnow and a madtom. I'm a little bummed out about the shrimp though but I think I could maintain a stable population of snails in the tank though instead of shrimp. 

[Michael Wolfe]

Yes you can keep snails with shiners and mudminnows.  Sunfish and darters both tend to predate on snails a good bit.

[julesnikolaus]

It is not advisable to keep a madtom in a 10 gallon community aquarium as they can be very aggressive towards other fish, especially during feeding time. Madtoms are also known to burrow under rocks and substrate which can disturb and uproot plants, and potentially harm other aquatic creatures in the tank. Additionally, madtoms require specialized care such as a sandy substrate and hiding places to mimic their natural environment. It is best to house madtoms in a species-specific tank or in a larger community tank with caution and careful observation.

[julesnikolaus]

 

 

It is not advisable to keep a madtom in a 10 gallon community aquarium as they can be very aggressive towards other fish, especially during feeding time. Madtoms are also known to burrow under rocks and substrate which can disturb and uproot plants, and potentially harm other aquatic creatures in the tank. Additionally, madtoms require specialized care such as a sandy substrate and hiding places to mimic their natural environment. It is best to house madtoms in a species-specific tank or in a larger community tank with caution and careful observation.