The Brittle Nosed Catfish

[randalthor]

I love the looks of my two brittle nosed catfish. I got them in my LFS and they were swimming around and eating algea. Now after I got them they dont get out of thier hidding spots till its pitch black. I know now that they are nocternal, so what is the point of having these fish if you can never see them?

 

[pica_nuttalli]

let them get used to their tanks and they'll be out a lot more often. if your tank is in a high traffic area, it may take a bit longer for them to really feel comfortable.

once they start moving about in the day, start feeding them in the mornings or when you get home from school/work. mine is an absolute greedy-guts and pounces on food within a few minutes.

(FYI, they're called bristle nosed catfish. if you'll look closely, their noses are quite fleshy and well adapted to squishing around on things eating algae. even the bristles that grow on their noses are soft and not brittle at all! )

 

[-cAtFiSh-]

i see my one quite a lot. they do take a little while to get used to their new environment.

 

[dwarfgourami]

I felt a bit disappointed when my corys took to lying in a cave all day and only coming out at nightfall. Then I decided to make early mornings and evenings my special cory-watching time. When the tank lights go out, I draw up a chair and pretend I'm in the Amazon. I actually think I get more pleasure from them, now that I'm accepting them on their own terms. I feel like David Attenborough, rather than someone watching performing animals in a circus.

Also, after they'd been in my tank for 6 months and started spawning, they have become a lot more confident and I more often see them out in the day. For some reason they seem to prefer mating in daylight, just around breakfast time, so I've had some wonderful moments watching that.

Perhaps your bristlies just need a bit of time. In the meantime, you can sneak down for nightly rendez-vous, great fun! If you leave the room lights on for a bit after the tank lights go out, and feed them after dark, you should get some good viewing.

 

[randalthor]

Pica, I do not live in a high trafic area, how long can I expect the fish to get used to it?>

 

[Bloo]

Some of mine hardly ever came out. Even though they had lots of caves, hiding spots etc.

Now I have two albino's in another tank and they are out and about all the time - even with the cat jumping on the lid, aeroplanes above the house every 10 minutes and lots of traffic on the road. That has no relevance.

I think it depends on the setup and individual fish

 

[Miss Dib Dabs]

No, what she means is if the tank is situated in a place where ppl are always walking by it rather than in a quiet room for instance.
Give them time. Some fish get stressed by such things. I was told I'd never see my synos by the light of day but they are out all the time. The 3 baby synos however, I can go weeks without seeing all three. I actually thought one had gone to fishy heaven (it is a heavily planted tank) only for it to turn up next my hand during a plant tidy and clean time. Nowadays they're all getting big enough not to hide so well and one comes out more.
Patience is a virtue.
Hugs,
P.

 

[pica_nuttalli]

No, what she means is if the tank is situated in a place where ppl are always walking by it rather than in a quiet room for instance.

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that's exactly what i meant! all of my plecos have been easily startled to some degree, so i think that if there's a lot of sudden movement around your tank, it may take them a while to adjust. or as bloozoo mentioned, you may just never see them again the number of cars driving past your windows is, indeed, irrelevant

the biggest suggestion i can make is to add the algae wafers/sinking food during a lighted period. most fish aren't too shy when they're hungry, so feeding when its convenient for you to watch is a good way to encourage your bristlies to be out and about. try not to make sudden or frequent movements around the tank at those times and you will further help your fish to adjust to your presence. and definitely don't bang on the glass!

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

This artcile by planetcatfish.com has some useful tips on taming your plecs to come out more ;

http/www.planetcatfish.com/shanesworld/s_c_172.php

 

[WAG741L]

Some of mine hardly ever came out. Even though they had lots of caves, hiding spots etc.

Now I have two albino's in another tank and they are out and about all the time - even with the cat jumping on the lid, aeroplanes above the house every 10 minutes and lots of traffic on the road. That has no relevance.

I think it depends on the setup and individual fish

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Is it me? I thought Bloozoo was demonstrating gentle humour/irony in respect to traffic/aeroplanes/cats ...

Maybe I missed something here ...

 

[pica_nuttalli]

i think she was being funny but randalthor misunderstood my use of the term "traffic". i forgot that not everybody would instantly know that i meant "foot traffic" or "people moving around a lot".

 

[jollysue]

My 3 Orange Bushy Nose are out at all times from the first day. They are wild caught too. Go figure.

Maybe they feel more secure if there is more than one or two in the tank. Not that they hang together or anything like the clowns and cories do.


The best driftwood is in the front and they are all over it. The only time they get a little shy is when I stick my nose up to the glass with a camera flash going off. They rule the woodlands.

The cories on the other hand stay in the darker shaded areas, peeking at me. One is usually foremost and looks to me like he's the sentinal. We shall soon see how adding a larger group affects the cories.

 

[randalthor]

Thanks for all the help evoryone

My fish are in my 10g in my room ON MY DESK, so combined with all the typing I do, and homework I would say it will take them quite some time. I basically dont even know they are there (I have not seen them for 1 week).