Talkin Catfish...

[DiscusAngel]

i dont really know much about catfish... only corydas... but i saw this adorable "Talking catfish" at my lfs they didnt know much about them they were £3.00 and looked quite fun! if you guysknow the proper common name or latin nam or any infomtion i would be very greatful!

 

[Cl@ssy Burd]

I have one, they are Rapheal Catfish, they come in two variations, striped or spotted.

Mine is now bout 6" long and hides most of the day in his plantpot

 

[gettotank110]

i just bought one myself and i didnt know wut it was i just got him because he was cool looking and he does hide all day i just got him to come out by feeding him sinking granulets

 

[beechey]

i think there nocternal (spelling) but mine comes out in the day at feeding time, it has a very big mouth swallows tetra plecos wafers in one.... belly swells up also like a puffer fish aswell . seems very friendly with my other fish and shares his house with 3 clowns

 

[andywg]

I have one, they are Rapheal Catfish, they come in two variations, striped or spotted.

Mine is now bout 6" long and hides most of the day in his plantpot

Talking catfish (Family Doradidae) contains more than two species. One of the species grows to over 2 feet (though takes ages to get there).

 

[prankster705]

don't you mean 3 feet andy?... but not more than 3 feet ... I believe you're talking about oxydoras niger... am I correct?

the more common species grow a lot less though ...

 

[Tommo]

They are nocturnal and can be difficult to persuade to come out of their hiding places. Most of the commonly sold varieties stay small but check the species latin name as some grow very large.

 

[andywg]

don't you mean 3 feet andy?... but not more than 3 feet ... I believe you're talking about oxydoras niger... am I correct?

the more common species grow a lot less though ...

Nope I wasn't, as Oxydoras niger is rarely sold as a talking catfish, I was actually referring to Megalodrus uranoscopus which gets a little past 2 feet.

 

[fry_lover]

if your talking about the Raphael catfish then dont bother, i dont see the point in a fish you never see LOL

 

[prankster705]

I'm sorry than andy... I thought the oxydoras niger was the only talking cat that got that big... never heard of the other one... thx for the info ...

 

[andywg]

Check through Paul_MTS's threads. He owns one. I seem to recall CFC might own as well, though that may be erroneous information.

 

[DiscusAngel]

it was the one beechey showed. i went back to have a look at him and he's gone so thnks for all the replies!! i appreciate it!

 

[Tiger Tiger]

don't assume that these doridae only come out in the Dark. The baby ones i find this most of the time is true but stick with it because as they increase in size they get more bolder.
My Humbug/Striped is now around 6inches and he will come out for the last two hours and the first two hours of lights on/off.
The secret is do not feed them at night . Feed first thing in the morning and if you are a twice a day man 2 hours before dark. They are not stupid they work out that if they wait until dark its all or mostly gone and in the morning the food will be gone if they hide out.
They also make a very nice sound of a 'Sawing' motion as if you are using a hacksaw.

The rest of your fish no matter how big will respect it because if it barges into them it is like being hit with a missile as these boys have thick armoured plating. I was down a local shop once and one popped out of his tank as he was putting it in a customer stepped on it as he walked by. Not a mark on him as he was picked up and put back in the tank. That's what i like about them you could put a 6inch Striped in with a massive 4ft fish and he would not touch him...Respect

 

[gettotank110]

hes been geting braver he does eat thos whole pleco wafers at one time surprisingly. or he carries it around with him in his mouth around the whole tank funny i think

 

[Tiger Tiger]

Like i said they do get bolder, I think they are stunning cats. I call mine 'Panzer' as he has armour plating like one.
Most people stay clear of them as they think they will not see them but i have had many and i see them for atleast 4 hours a day, that's enough isn't it!
Also the Spotted is a fantastic one but the larger one's are a bit hard to find but small ones are in abundance.