Grosvenor Tropicals

Grosvenor Tropicals fully supports the OATA's policy on the humane treatment of livestock offered for sale. We reserve the right to refuse any sale where we believe that the customer is unable to provide a suitable environment for care of that species. It is also our policy NOT to supply Goldfish to Stallholders, Traders or Organisations seeking to offer them for sale or as prizes at Fairs or Fetes etc.

Catfish in the Aquarium

Enough of the sensational stuff as you are unlikely to find any of these man-eaters on sale in the UK. You will however find a vast range of species to suit all tastes and tank sizes, and just as well too, for no aquarium can be considered complete without some members of the group.

Perhaps the most famous of the group are a few members of the Loricaridae family, the sucker-mouth Catfish. I can't remember a single day in the shop when I haven't be asked for a sucker-mouth to eat the algae from off the aquarium glass. Equally, (at least according to our customers), all sucker-mouth catfish are Plecos no matter what the species, although most are actually members of other genera.

Possibly next in the popularity stakes are the Corys, the real workers of the Catfish group.
The corydoras genus comes from the Callichthyidae family and contains over 150 specific species with still more being discovered. All corydoras come from South America. They spread from Columbia in the north to Argentina in the south. They are small, with most species growing between 1 and 3 inches long. They are peaceful fish that live in large groups which tend to frequent the bottom of streams and rivers, although there are a few mid-water swimming exceptions. Their peaceful nature, beautiful markings and hardiness make them perfect additions to community aquaria.

Many of the other genera's owe their popularity to looks rather than work ethics, everything for sleek and pretty to downright ugly and weird. Sleek and pretty has to be the graceful Shark Cats, or the Pictus cats with their spectacular markings and long flowing whiskers. Ugly and weird?, well take your pick, there are so many to choose from. Everything from swimming up-side-down to looking like dead leaves, even being shaped like a Banjo..! If you can't find some catfish that takes your fancy you must be very difficult to please.