HELP Colombian Catfish Sick????

[nlynton]

Hi, I am new here.

I have a Colombian Catfish. About six inches in a 20 gallon tank. Yes, I know. They grow big. I unfortunately didn't know that before.

Anyway, I have had him for about one or two years. Recently he has been exhibiting strange behavior. His fins are NOT clamped. So I don't think he's sick. Normally he sits on the bottom under a plant. Over the past three days he has been constantly swimming and exhibiting digging behavior around plants. He hasn't been eating like he normally does. Normally I drop in food and it's gone in 10 seconds. I haven't seen him eat for three days.

Most disturbingly, he has been swimming in vertical circles along one side of the tank for most of the past two days. His nose was scarred so I dropped in some fungus medication. The scarring has almost dissapeared after a few hours. I also did a water change. His verticle circling has been reduced, but he is still constantly swimming and digging.

Can someone explain this recently strange behavior???

 

[CFC]

Your catfish is showing migratory behaviour which means that it MUST be moved into brackish or marine conditions as soon as possible, if not it will die in a short time. In the wild columbian shark catfish live in costal areas and esturies and only enter FW to spawn, the young catfish then spend a short while in FW until they are big enough to travel out into saltier water and join their parents.

Your fish is very small for being between 12 and 24 months old, i have one at 8 inches which is not 6 months old yet. It is very likely the size of your tank is stunting the fishes growth which will lead to its premature death, you should upgrade the tank to a minimum of a 55g with enough salt added to the water to bring it up to a SG of 1.010 or find a shop or zoo that can take the fish for you.

 

[nlynton]

Well, I keep the water brakish, because that helps with disease.

I have a 55 gallon tank in the basement that is dry (hasn't been set up for years). I didn't want to set it up.

How would it do in this large tank by itself? How long (in this particular case) should I have the tank set up, before I dunk him in it?

Any other suggestions?

 

[Cat]

Transfer everything to the big tank,filter ,stones ,water and put him in it.

 

[CFC]

Well, I keep the water brakish, because that helps with disease.

I have a 55 gallon tank in the basement that is dry (hasn't been set up for years). I didn't want to set it up.

How would it do in this large tank by itself? How long (in this particular case) should I have the tank set up, before I dunk him in it?

Any other suggestions?

How brackish is the water? There is a big difference between adding a few spoonfulls of aquarium salt to a tank and actually keeping a brackish tank, a 60 litre brackish aquarium can have as much as 1 kilo of marine salt in the water just to bring the SG up to 1.010 which is around middle range, adult columbian sharks need a SG above this in the 1.015 to 1.020 range.

Cat is correct, if you transfer everything from the tank including the filter then you can place the catfish in its new home right away.

 

[nlynton]

Well it will take some time to get the 55 setup. I have a town house and will have to tear down some furniture. Room problem...like the fish, ironically.

I added about 1/2 cup of salt to the tank and that seems to have calmed him down.

Now the problem. I have had these fish in the same tank since I bought both (tank and fish). Never a problem before (I know, the bigger he gets the more salt he needs).

This is a list of fish I have, which can I transfer with him and which will have to stay freshwater?

2 clown loaches, one glass cat, 1 bristle nose pleco, two black sharks, two bala sharks, two barbs, two chinese algae eaters and two dinosaur eels.

 

[CFC]

none of those fish can be transfered to brackish water, the clown loaches and bristlenose especially will not thank you for adding salt to their tank.

 

[Cat]

I'd say you have a bit of a dilemma on your hands

If your not to attached to the catfish try seeing if a fish shop will take him,otherwise your going to need 2 tanks going and it sounds like you don't have a lot of room.

 

[nlynton]

Yep, I am attached a little, but I will give him away. I found a pet shop that will take him.

Last time I ever buy a fish without checking it's background.

Anyway, thanks for the patient answers...learned a lot.

 

[Cat]

CFC is the brains were catfish are concerned ,he knows what he's talking about,if you need help with anything else just ask