Whats Wrong With My Eal Tail Catfish :s

[bala]

hi guys,

i baught a eal tail catfish from the pet store the other day (aroun 15cm long) got him home and put him i his new tank (did all the right things) but all he does his sit at the bottom NEVER moves, dosnt eat, and hills gills are like blood red (i dont knwo if this is normal but i dont think so), he gets spooked HELL easy and when he does he go nuts swims hel fast and BANG....BANG.....BANG up against the glass (like BIG thuds his hitting it pretty hard ) and then just lays back down at the bottom..... please help!

Ph: 7.4 (bit high), could this be the problem?
Temp: 27-29oC
Food Provided: Beef Heart, nothing. Sinking pellets, nothing. Bloodworms, Nothing.

 

[kizno1]

how big is the tank?
most catfish will hide in one spot all day and then come out at night to feed then go back next day. have you been leaing the food in ower night to see if it goes?
you tank seems a little hot i think it would prefere it about 24-25c.
the ph is ok acidic would be better but aslong as it was aclimatized well it should be fine.

 

[bala]

yea left beef heart and sinking pellets in over night, i dunno if his just chillen then coming out at night, he dosnt seem very well, his red gills?, ill drop temp to about 26oC. and the tank is about....30litre, 35litre, his going into the 4ft when his out grown it but im just worried he wont make it

 

[kizno1]

red gills are normal.
no wonder hes ill a 15cm fish in a 30l tank he must be about aslong as it he needs to go in the 4 foot tank soon.

thats proberly why he bangs into things because he cant turn round in that little space.

 

[Kitty_Nin]

Is the tank cycled? What are your ammonia/nitrite/nitrate stats?

 

[bala]

its just i got a oscar thats about.....20cm long (fairly big) in the 4ft, but im sure he wont be able tyo eat let alone catch the catfish, ill put him in the 4ft now, also i have a large yabbie in there, it wont bother the catfish too much?

i dunno whatmy levels (other than PH) are dude, i dont have any of the test kits (besides PH)