Clarius

[threeeightsix]

Any one have any links to information about these fish.

I got three of them, they literally own the tank, even the 4 pirahnas I have let these bad boys walk all over them.

Suppose im also a little concerned as to whether they are going to declare war on my tank at some point. They dont appear very nasty towards the other fish though they are very incosiderate, they just barge theeir way around knocking other fish out of the way they couldnt care less,they often splash water out of the tank and my dog is sh*t scared to go in my room now. Also - do they have teeth?cuz they frequently go up to other fish in the tank and kiss/ bite (lol) them. Mine are huge, they eat everything including dog food (lol) and rump steak (lmfao)...their stomachs stretch so big after a feast they look funny.

Any links would be appreciated cheers.

 

[k.o.d]

Three clarius catfish?? How big is your tank?? You do know how big they get?

They are predatory catfish and are quite capable of killing bigger fish than themselves.

Clarius are not my cup of tea for several reasons, but they are efficient.

 

[threeeightsix]

Ye, I already upgraded my tank not long ago to a 5.5 ft one because they are very big. The new tank is only as wide as my other tank though, does this mean they will only go the length that the width will allow? Surely this must be the case otherwise the fish will not be able to turn around to swim the other way. At present the longest of the three is almost as long as the width, he is just about able to lie flat on the bottom width ways. Can these beasts get any longer?Might a need a wider tank in the future? If so....dang.

 

[Miss Wiggle]

wow i love clarius catfish, think they're really cool.

but yeah i think your gonna need a bigger tank for 3 of those bad boys!

 

[threeeightsix]

NOOO!

This newer tank is already on the big side, Im not sure wether I could fit a swimming pool in my bedroom, is there like some potion I can buy that will stunt their growth? Maybe I could get them smoking cheap cigs that usually does the trick

I Guess i could cut down on the beef steak and other high protein foods that I feed them, that might be a good start. If they continue to grow I might have to take them back to the pet shop

Gutted.

 

[Miss Wiggle]

well you've not really given a clear size so it's hard to say if teh tank is big enough or not.

however if the catfish are already nearly the same width as the aquarium then that indicates it's not big enough, they need it to be at least 1.5x they're length as an absolute minimum to allow for easy turning around and swimming.

 

[threeeightsix]

Ye I just read that on a previous thread about the tank to fish ratio sizes. Im going toget a ruler and actually measure the fish when its at rest and see if I'm within the guidlines.

BTW, do these fish have teeth? Might they bread? how do i distinguish between male/female?


Thanks for all the replies you are all very helpful

 

[k.o.d]

If you feed them beef steak regularly it wont matter what size tank you have as you will kill them pretty quickly anyway.

Fish are not meant to have regular portions of relatively fatty meat such as beef.

Do not believe anyone who says the fish will only grow to the dimensions of the tank, they are deluded, the fish will grow to the size it normally grows to.
What is the depth ( front to back ) of your tank.

This unfortunately is why you see lots of Clarius free to a good home in the papers

 

[Miss Wiggle]

Ye I just read that on a previous thread about the tank to fish ratio sizes. Im going toget a ruler and actually measure the fish when its at rest and see if I'm within the guidlines.

BTW, do these fish have teeth? Might they bread? how do i distinguish between male/female?


Thanks for all the replies you are all very helpful

sounds like a good start!

sorry i can't help any further i'm by no measns a catfish expert, never kept clarius as pretty much all i know is they get too big for any of my tanks, once i found that out i've not really researched any more!

 

[threeeightsix]

Ye suppose thats a fair point, though the reason i was feeding them meats is because Im going through fish food at a redicuously fast rate, and I'm feeding according to guidlines on the backs of tubs, i.e only feed the fish as much as they will consume in 10 minutes, but these monsters along with the 4 pirahna just eat eat and eat, and when I stop putting bits of food in the tank, they still keep coming up to the top and fighting over bits of food for a good 20 minutes, only then do they retire to the bottom for a rest. This fish food is expensive its TetraPrimua red sinking pellet stuff.

Once I got told these catfish will feed on just about anything I saw this as a chance to save money, I just rinse the meat under the tap for a while so that it aint got loads of juices and oils in it, then i put it in the tank, and these catfish will littlerally vacum a small peice of cod, but this is usually scraps from our own meals that were not eaten so it isnt costing me any money.

Actually, theres a question for you - are there any homemade fish recipes I could make rather than just buying this tetraprima all the time, its like 6 quid a tub, and a tub every 2 or 3 weeks is too costly.

 

[k.o.d]

Buy tesco value frozen prawns and see if you can get whitebait and mussel from a fishmongers

I go through 4 packs of prawns and another 2 packs of whitebait every month plus cockle and mussel

Tetra prima is not the best food for the bigger type fish ( as you will have found out )

Prawn, strips of white fish, whitebait and earthworms are brilliant low fat meaty foods

Should cost you less than Prima as well

 

[threeeightsix]

They actually love prawns, its good to know they are safe. Ill stick to them kinds of meats then and just use a small amount of the tetra prima once they have already eaten, the silver dollars i have love the tetra stuff and dont eat a lot of it so theres one way to save money.

Nice one for the info.