Talking Catfish

Crookster

Fish Crazy
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Halifax, West Yorkshire
Hey There, I bought what was labbled as a talking catfish yesterday. Now I don't normally buy a fish I don't know much about, but I liked this littel guy so much I just had to get him. I did look him up in a book while in the shop and it said he would get to about 14cm, and I believe the Latin name is Costatus Platydoras. He has black and white stripes down his body.

Any info on suitible tank mates etc would be much appreciated, I'm particulaly interested in how he will get along on his own or with L number plecs.
 
i have a spotted. U need groups or else they will hide. They are also called striped Raphaael's
 
Is that catfish also known as the hum bug catfish? I will get some soon but i noticed in the shop they are called talking catfish but I looked them up in a book when i got home and they were called hum bug catfish.
 
I've actually had some experience with this catfish, it is often sold as a chocolate catfish, humbug catfish, raphael cat or a Dora (short for the family name)
I personally group them all as doras so for simplicities sake, dora it is!

Doras are shy, very shy and to make matters worse they are primarily nocturnal! Grouping them sometimes works, but i see my doras once in a blue moon. They feed really well, often eating to the point where they resemble ping pong balls with fins! They adore just about anything, but i find high protein foods gets them out.

Doras are tricky lil customers to deal with, some of the family grow in excess of three foot (megaladoras Irwinii springs to mind) but the dora you have described grows to around 14cm. They are really good at controlling snail populations as well, crushing them with their powerful jaws.

In self defence doras can erect their caudal and dorsal fins to extrme angles, presenting an attacker with a spiny mouthfull too big to handle, spotted doras even more so. Also, perculiar to the species, they can emit a loud grunting/rasping nosie when in this state, earning them thier nickname.

Doras as a whole are very peacefull, even the megaladoras can be kept with comparatively small tank mates. They are quick to hide, and i have kept, or known people keep them with loaches, bettas, synodontids, corydoras, cichlids, tetras and various large oddball fish. My doras are kept with several loach, four large synos and three plecos (two L numbered) hope this answers your questions ;)
 
Fishy411 said:
i have a spotted. U need groups or else they will hide. They are also called striped Raphaael's
If i get a group are they likely to live together? The reason I ask is that I want at least 2 L no.s but I only have three suitible places for them to live, ie bogwood. Also I don't want them to dominate the tank. Is about 14cm right for an adult and how fast do they grow.
 
Yes they will live under the same bit of wood! I've got 6 Raphaels and they get on great... Although even with 6 i don't c much of them til night as they're very nocturnal!
Good luck... They're great fish!
B)
 
Oddball said:
In self defence doras can erect their caudal and dorsal fins to extrme angles, presenting an attacker with a spiny mouthfull too big to handle, spotted doras even more so. Also, perculiar to the species, they can emit a loud grunting/rasping nosie when in this state, earning them thier nickname.
when i moved mine he was completely silent until he got close to the tank and i flipped the lid up. He was lucky i didnt drop him! It was like a buzzing. The ating a ton part is true. In my 10 gallon he would eat a whole catfih pellet in like 30 seconds. Now in my 55 he barely eats though. I guess i gotta get some more. Bottom of my tank is getting pretty crowded and i still have some raphaels and pictus's to come.
 
just reread the thread. They grow painstakingly slow. Mine hasnt grown a centimeter in 3 months.
 
Yes doras will share the same wood, funny that this should be mentioned today!!! I've recently been looking at growin some Irwiniis on, and when i went to view the youngsters, six were all sharing the same wood!

Concerning their growth, it is true they grow really really slow the only reason im entertaining irwiniis at the moment, I know i cant curerently house them as adults but hopefully will be upgrading when i move to my own place this summer!

Any one want an irwinii? only £26 lol
 

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