Striped catfish help - hiding in the filter

[sweir1]

Hi, I recently bought a striped catfish about a week ago.

However, it is forever hiding, and most recently he has been hiding at the bottom of the internal juwel filter.

I removed it yesterday but overnight it has gone back in there.

Should I continue to remove it or will it just come out of its own accord?

 

[coriesinhawaii]

Hi,

I would make sure there’s plenty of good places for him to hide in the tank other than the filter (caves and plants). You might add extra ones right now than you would ultimately want to have just until he gets settled in and then you can remove his least favorite ones. He’s likely stressed from the recent change in environment and that’s making him seek out a secure place to hide. These fish are usually more active at night so he might be coming out during the night when you’re not able to see. Im not familiar with that type of filter but so long as he’s able to come back out on his own and there’s no way for him to be harmed in there I wouldn’t be too concerned. Keep an eye on him and if you don’t see him at all for a few days then I would intervene (take him out again) just to make sure he’s getting food. He will likely stop hiding there once he feels more settled and finds other places he likes in the tank.

 

[sweir1]

Hi,

I would make sure there’s plenty of good places for him to hide in the tank other than the filter (caves and plants). You might add extra ones right now than you would ultimately want to have just until he gets settled in and then you can remove his least favorite ones. He’s likely stressed from the recent change in environment and that’s making him seek out a secure place to hide. These fish are usually more active at night so he might be coming out during the night when you’re not able to see. Im not familiar with that type of filter but so long as he’s able to come back out on his own and there’s no way for him to be harmed in there I wouldn’t be too concerned. Keep an eye on him and if you don’t see him at all for a few days then I would intervene (take him out again) just to make sure he’s getting food. He will likely stop hiding there once he feels more settled and finds other places he likes in the tank.

Thanks, I took it out of there and then it has not returned to it since. I put a few ornaments around their as well but its not really taken to them. Do these catfish live under the sand? I lost it again for a couple of days and then last night I happened to see it again and we have quite a thick layer of sand substrate.

 

[Gypsum]

I can't see it or ID it in your photos, but if it's a striped raphael catfish, it prefers caves. Most of them (not mine) are entirely nocturnal. If you drop some sinking pellets at night, it will find them. Quickly.

 

[coriesinhawaii]

I haven’t kept these fish before but I’ve heard they do burrow into the sand sometimes. I agree a cave would be best. An area of thick plants might help too. The more hiding places available the more comfortable the fish will feel to actually venture out.

 

[Ichthys]

I hope you don’t expect to see it much. Striped Raphaels are one of the most nocturnal fish out there. You’ll be lucky if you see it more than a few times each year.

 

[Gypsum]

Not always. I seem to have trained mine to come out during feeding time and I often see them prowling around the tank during the day. That isn't the norm, though!

 

[Metalhead88]

My striped raphael comes out for feeding and every night when the lights go off. He hides in a piece of drift wood, but his tail always hangs out the bottom.