Oil Catfish

[fishcollector7000]

Hi there,

I have seen this guys in a aquatics near by they look relitively small and i would like to have one but my problem is that i dont know a great deal and am in process of researching and also do they devour small fish!!!!

All information is welcome

Thanks

 

[invader]

I've kept these fish for almost a year and I haven't had a problem with them eating small fish, because they stay relatively small themselves... but I would think they would try to eat things that are probably fry size.

They are really neat fish to have, but there are some things you should know about them before you get them; they only eat frozen/live food (I have never seen mine eat other), you will only see them at night (when they do come out, they swim like crazy!), and they will lodge themselves in the smallest holes, usually on driftwood, so it makes it hard for you to get them out for general maintinence.

I would suggest keeping them in their own tank or at least keep them in a tank where other fish will not out compete them, because they can be pretty hard to feed. I have had the most sucess with them when they are in their own tank. When I had them in a comm. tank, they would get a lot less food.

One last thing, they are gluttons!

Good luck with them, if you decide to get them. PM me with any more questions and if you want info on breeding, check out Planetcatfish.com's article.

 

[~T~]

Yup thats good advice, I only ever got mine to eat frozen bloodworms but he would come buzzing out and eat them from my figers(and still does in my girlfriends tank)so I could be sure he was getting enough to feed.I used to drop a cube of bloodworm into one of those floating feeding cones after lights out so he could get enough food.

 

[fishcollector7000]

wow Thanks this is excellent advice!
Do they prefere to be kept in groups or singular?
also what kind of water flow did you have with yours?
Also with issues such as medication are they alloud regular types?

Thanks guys!

 

[invader]

I have always had mine with others, but I wouldn't know what they would act like alone. I have pretty high flow for them in my tank and they always hang out in the driftwood right next to the filter outlet, so they must like it.

I have never had to medicate them, so I wouldn't know the answer to that. I don't think there would be an issue with meds such as Melafix and Pimafix, but you might want to be careful with others.

 

[VampirePlec]

with catfish the medication is usualy abit less (usualy stated on the back of the bottle) because they are scaless.
i have always wanted one of these but have never found any here, plus catfish here can get pretty pricey.
good luck, ally.

 

[fishcollector7000]

Thanks guys this is all good ! is there anything else i should know?

 

[invader]

Thanks guys this is all good ! is there anything else i should know?

Just be careful of who their tankmate will be, since they are kinda hard to feed. They're not hard to take care of, so good luck!