Bottom feeders for 55 gallon/ Irridescent shark

Question
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Followup To
Question -
Hello,
I have a fully cycled and established 55 gallon aquarium. It currently houses:
6 blue gouramis (2 gold, 2 opaline, 2 three-spot)
1 Red Parrot cichlid
1 Firemouth cichlid.
I would like to add a bottom feeder and I am very
interested in Irridescent (spell?) shark catfish.
I read on a very good website--www.aquapetsplus.com that Irridescent sharks rarely if ever get past 6-8 inches at the most.
For proof they had a 600 gallon pond with these catfish living in it and everyday they changed
300 gallons and no Irridescent shark grew past
18 inches. So they guarantee that these catfish will NOT grow to 3 feet and be even less in a smaller volume of water like an aquarium. They will even give a refund to the customer if one of their catfish grows past 12-18 inches.
Then I read about some that grow to 39 inches+
on other websites and I am scared away from these
beautiful neat-looking fish. I wish I knew which
website to believe. I am experienced with a great many species of tropical fish and own and maintain many aquariums.
I was wondering if you really knew 'the truth'
about Irridescent shark a.k.a Pangasious catfish.
would they really get 3feet plus? what about
AQUAPETSPLUS.com experience.
I don't know who to believe.

Thank you for your time and help,
please forgive any misspellings.

sincerely,
Susan.
Ps: If they really will get three feet what other bottom feeder would you recommend for my 55 gallon
keeping in mind my current occupants.
my Ph: 7.6
my Ammonia: 0 (zero)
other: sorry I have no other test kits.

Answer -
Hi Susan;

They are usually okay in tanks 55 and larger, but they are better off in 100 gallons and larger. What if the one you get happens to grow to 18 inches? Yikes! Another problem is they don't feed off the bottom very much. They are very nervous mid-dwellers. Not really a scavenger if that's what you need. Cool fish though! One of my favorites. Most larger catfish don't feed off the bottom much. They are predators that want fresh food.

Plecostomus are good scavengers though. They also eat lots of algae. They have very thick armored skin so they aren't bothered by the fish you have.

Followups welcome

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins
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Hello.
Wow, thanks for your quick reply! Your information was very helpful and
helped with my decision and I have decided NOT to get a Pangasius catfish
even though I do LOVE these fish.
I was needing a scavenger in my 55 gallon with the blue gouramis and
cichlids. I always thought Plecostomus were strictly algae eaters.
Will they really eat fallen food on the bottom? Much like say corydoras?

What about a Bristle-nose (Ancistrus) plecostomus?
How are they at scavenging any leftover food?
Will they destroy live plants? (my tank is planted)
Are they difficult to feed supplemental food?
What about Hikari Algae wafers? will they eat those readily?
Do bristle noses need any special water conditons?
Are they hardy? And easy to acclimate to an aquarium?

Thank you again for your always helpful information,

sincerely,
Susan*  

Answer
Hi Susan;

The bristlenose will eat plants I'm afraid. If you could find some large corys, they should do okay. (I was thinking your fish were bigger...sorry, been a long day)Just make sure they aren't small enough to be eaten. They have those pectoral spines that inhibit other fish from being able to swallow them. Corys like to be in schools too. Three or more are best. They will hide among the plants and swim together looking quite nice. ;-)

Followups welcome

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins