Question I've Been Pondering For Years

[keithp]

I used to have an aquarium as a kid with some tropical fish. I had this small black and white catfish that was somewhat spiny, I dont know what species it is. The catfish hid under the gravel for so long (months on end), it outlasted all my other fish, and when I went to empty the tank, I found it buried alive, and ended up keeping it alone for another 2 years! I thought it had died and decayed, because I always moved the gravel and even siphoned the tank bottom and gravel with it still in there (my other fish were in temporary tanks at cleaning time) and it never came out of hiding even with that loud siphon. I never saw any gravel moved at night, and even watched late at night for it to emerge, it never did, but I did have a lot of debris on the bottom, so it could have eaten without moving much.

Anyway, wanted to know what this catfish was, becuase I would suggest to anyone as a very hardy fish!

 

[kizno1]

One of these maybe http/www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/species.php?species_id=880 ?

 

[keithp]

Yup, that's it! Do they typically get large and live long? What do they eat?

 

[kizno1]

They get 8" and some as most cats live fairly long lifes. Kept well i would think 15-20 years would be the average age. They will eat most sinking pellets and frozen/live bloodworm, BS and so on.

 

[keithp]

Oh, so mine back then must have not been cared for well to only live 2 years. I only fed flakes so my fish probably weren't well, I was a kid and that's what I was told to feed my fish. If I had them now I would know what to feed them.

 

[kizno1]

Some can die younger than others naturally just like humans but 2 years does sound very short. I would expect atleast 10 years as there quite slow growing.

 

[simonas]

I knew that you were describing that cat!! lol