Striped Raphael Catfish

[Tyler Lacroix]

Hey, who owns a stripedraphael catfish? what's your experience with them?

 

[fluttermoth]

I have one. Peaceful, although will 'accidentally' eat small fish like neons. Prefer to be in a small group, but are ok alone. Make sure you have enough hiding places, but not ones that it can get itself wedged into!

Do not underestimate the size of these fish! As well as being 6/7" long they are a very, very chunkily built fish, and they all seem to have bellies that look as if they've swallowed a golf ball!

They're also a very long-lived fish; I've had mine about 13 years and it was a rescue, so at least a year or two old when I got it.

 

[Tyler Lacroix]

I have one. Peaceful, although will 'accidentally' eat small fish like neons. Prefer to be in a small group, but are ok alone. Make sure you have enough hiding places, but not ones that it can get itself wedged into!

Do notunderestimate the size of these fish! As well as being 6/7" long they are a very, very chunkily built fish, and they all seem to have bellies that look as if they've swallowed a golf ball!

They're also a very long-lived fish; I've had mine about 13 years and it was a rescue, so at least a year or two old when I got it.

I've seen a lot of them being really chubby and I thought it was pretty comical. I'm trying to get one, but I live in Canada, and it's hard to find interesting fish here. Wish I lived in the US or something.

 

[fluttermoth]

Yeah, they are funny trying to balance on that belly!

 

[2 sheds]

They really live a long time, bought 2 in 1974 (yes 38 years ago when I was a lad))they are still going strong, have outlived 100s of fish moved house 5 times, looks like they will see me into my retirement.

 

[Tyler Lacroix]

They really live a long time, bought 2 in 1974 (yes 38 years ago when I was a lad))they are still going strong, have outlived 100s of fish moved house 5 times, looks like they will see me into my retirement.

holyyyy 38 years?!?!?! I didn't know they live THAT long O_O I just got a baby one two days ago I named it Mephistopheles lol. I'm planning to buy a Spotted Raphael to go with it haha.

 

[raptorrex]

yeah, I've got one too.
great in a community tank.
mine is in with Polka-dot loaches, amongst other things, and i have had no problems.
might worry a bit about cory though.

as flutter says, they grow quite big (mine is about 7 inch).
and the "Dickensian" belly is quite amusing.

I think mine is 4 years old.
lol it looks like it could outlive me. if 2sheds comments are anything to go by.

 

[2 sheds]

Ha ha yes, they should issue a warning " don't buy if you are over 25" or they'll end up in your will.
Seriously they are truly great pets and recommended, so peaceful and it's no wonder they live long, they only move when they smell food.

 

[Tyler Lacroix]

k guys, i got a spotted raphael to go with my striped raphael today. How do i make sure my spotted raph gets his fair share of food. My striped raph is quite adventurous and is brave enough to go wandering around for food anytime of the day/night, so im afraid it'll eat the food that was meant for the spotted raph. Should i just put more food in? or will that just mean more food for striped raph?

 

[raptorrex]

Ha ha yes, they should issue a warning " don't buy if you are over 25" or they'll end up in your will.
Seriously they are truly great pets and recommended, so peaceful and it's no wonder they live long, they only move when they smell food.

how true.

mine spend all day in his "cave". well an 8 inch long section of guttering.

he and the Crayfish have one each.

oft times the Cray will move into the cats cave.
we then get a period where the cat sulks by the heater, before moving into the vacated cave.

just occasionally the opposite happens.
the Cray then runs around the tank, returning to the cave to display.
but finally goes to the vacated cave and settles down.

I call it "he" but have no idea of the sex, not much interested really.
he is my "humbug" hoover.

I've also noticed the Gold Sev likes to hang around the humbug.
not really sure why though.

 

[fluttermoth]

They really live a long time, bought 2 in 1974 (yes 38 years ago when I was a lad))they are still going strong, have outlived 100s of fish moved house 5 times, looks like they will see me into my retirement.

Wow, I had no idea they could be that long lived either, how marvellous

 

[FisherGirl]

I have one. Peaceful, although will 'accidentally' eat small fish like neons. Prefer to be in a small group, but are ok alone. Make sure you have enough hiding places, but not ones that it can get itself wedged into!

Do notunderestimate the size of these fish! As well as being 6/7" long they are a very, very chunkily built fish, and they all seem to have bellies that look as if they've swallowed a golf ball!

They're also a very long-lived fish; I've had mine about 13 years and it was a rescue, so at least a year or two old when I got it.

I've seen a lot of them being really chubby and I thought it was pretty comical. I'm trying to get one, but I live in Canada, and it's hard to find interesting fish here. Wish I lived in the US or something.

I live n Canada and I have one of these, he does hide during the day as they are nocturnal. They can be bought at PetSmart - that is where I got mine.

 

[phantomlink]

I live in Canada as well and while I didnt find any at Big Als, I found one at my independent fish store