My catfish keeps scaring me

[gale]

A week or so ago, he was sitting very still and not quite upright, in the plants. I stared and stared and swore he was not moving. With a huge sigh I got out the net, went to scoop him out, and he took off on me!

Then last night I went to turn out the light. He was way back in the plants again, only this time he was nose down, tail up. I knew that couldn't be normal. Right?? So I quickly loaded the dishwasher (which is what I was on my way to do when I was going to shut off the light) and then went to get him. Since he was waaaaay in the bushy part of the plants, I got my fork shaped plastic thing that's on the tail end of my scraper and was going to get him loose so I could net him. Again he took off like a bat out of hell. I literally jumped that time.

I can't take the stress.

 

[SirMinion]

Sound like the habits of a syno cat, yes?

Our s.schoutedeni likes to hang head down in a plant looking dead too, but he always moves when food enters the tank!

 

[CatLover]

Haha, sounds like normal behavior to me. Sometimes they enjoy resting on things in odd positions. This is true for my catfish as well as my loaches.

There is nothing to worry about. He is just relaxing.
Odd posture doesn't mean death. I always look to make sure the eyes are clouded over before I attempt to take a fish out. If it's dead without clouded eyes, then it's always either stuck to the filter or half eaten.

 

[karrihug]

i have a common pleco who does that to me. i am used to it now though. i always wait till he is nose down stuck in a plant for a few hours before i react now, but the first time he did it i was in tears and my husband thought i was nuts. it's amazing how much personality a fish can have.

 

[bunjiweb]

You know your fish is dead when the other fishes are starting to pick at it Most catfish love to lounge around in odd places during the day, nothing to worry about.

Ben

 

[CatLover]

Aww, I totally know how it is, karrihug. Fish are packed with personality

 

[Tolak]

I have a couple of plecs that I really don't see unless i sneak up on them at night with a flashlight. I check to see if they still exist every week or so.

My large common freaked me out last week. I was thawing some brine shrimp & heard taptaptap....taptaptap... there is a small basement window next to the tank, what the hell?? taptaptap....taptaptap... the plec was sucking on the floating thermometer & tapping on the side of the tank! This is the one that will eat brine shrimp from an eyedropper at the top of the tank. Don't know if it was a coincidence, or if he knew I was doing brine shrimp. Weird fish.

Tolak