Here is the deal with the goonch, it has gained much popularity after the Jeremy Wade show on TV. Remember how you use to read in the old TFH books, there was a little face, or skeleton under the picture indication how hard it is to keep a fish? well here is a skeleton or disclaimer: experts only
I've been importing this fish for almost 10 years now, from various countries such as Thailand, India, and through Taiwan from both countries, also other Bagarius sp. suchus, rutilus, and b. bagarius.
B. suchus comes from Burma, once settled in, they seem to be pretty hardy, I've had one get to 15" before being sold, it is the flattest of all species, peaceful in nature, and very rare in the US hobby. Max size is 36"
B. bagarius, I've imported on several occasions through a Thailand exporter and transhipper. After keeping the fish for several months, the fish never grew big, even my customers stated that the fish remained around 6" after 2 years. It is just as sensitive as the last batch I've had all died within a month, even though they were eating well. the last batch I had lived for a while, until I did a big water change, and all died within 1 hour, and I used amquel
B. rutilus, I've obtained several times through a local wholesaler and also once through Singapore, however this fish is just as tricky, I had large ones near 15" and small ones about 7", all lived with no more than several months. My largest one lived, ate well, but died after a few months. This fish has orange colored fins, and seems to be a medium sized bagarius.
B. yarelli, the ones I've imported from Thailand seem to be very hardy, I had a huge one in the store that tried to eat a 12" pike cichlid, in 80 some degree water.
B. yarelli from India is a different story, they are touchy, on arrival, some will die just as I pick up the bag, they start to have seizures, then get stiff, and die. All the same while acclimating, about 10% of them will die in the same manner. Once established in a tank, I've had them grow very fast, more active than the thailand bagarius yarelli, eating a lot, and growing.
The reason I'm writing this is that some people are having a hard time keeping them alive, even my friend that lives 5 minutes away, kept his, ate well for a week, then to suddenly find it dead, no changes in tank, water, temp. etc...
The ones I've had, all were kept in a 60 gallon, with a powerhead and airstone, of course filter too. No salt, just clean cycled tank, tap water, ph is 7.4, temp. 78 degrees. Each night they are fed cut smelt and shrimp from the supermarket, I could even hand feed them, as they smell food, they'll dart up in mid column water to catch the food, and I have not lost a single one yet after the first day. I've had them for 2 weeks now.
At this point, nobody can tell me how and why some die, its not from shipping, since my friend lives literally 5 min from me. I can hold mine, catch them, with no problem.
I do suggest a powerhead, airstore under it to disburse bubbly current for them, and also possibly using chemi pure elite to remove any possible harmful chemicals in the water. I have a suspicion that they are sensitive to some kind of metal.
I have also shipped them from Taiwan to US, and recent shipment to Canada, and east coast, and have reports of them all doing great.
When acclimating this fish, please just float the entire bag in the tank for 30 minutes then open it up and place the fish in the tank. Unless your ph is extreme high or low. Normally a ph of 7 is the best, its neutral, and will not shock your fish one way or another.
Do not dump fish out even if you notice its upside down, I use a sedative when shipping and fish may be lethargic, if you dump it out into much warmer water, it will die.
I'm almost sold out, have a few larger ones remaining. Some of the ones that died I tried to help out the hobby by replacing them at cost or considerable discount, each case considered individually. I do this for the love of the fish and hobby, as I import these fish, I only get reiumbursed for the fish that are dead on arrival, but also have several with missing barbels, torn lips, and die the 24 hours after arrival, which all of the cost I absorb, on top of it, I pay about $150.00 per box of fish, with 4-8 fish depending on size, so if I lose 20 fish on arrival, I don't get reiumbursed for shipping, which means, $500.00 down the drain again.
In the future, this fish will be sold to only experts who can provide for the fish, accept the possibility of dead on arrival, or death in the near future.
I try my very best to provide the best customer service all around, even if it means that I will lose some money on my end. Have a happy weekend, I'll see if I can post some pictures of videos I took with my cell phone sometime!
I've been importing this fish for almost 10 years now, from various countries such as Thailand, India, and through Taiwan from both countries, also other Bagarius sp. suchus, rutilus, and b. bagarius.
B. suchus comes from Burma, once settled in, they seem to be pretty hardy, I've had one get to 15" before being sold, it is the flattest of all species, peaceful in nature, and very rare in the US hobby. Max size is 36"
B. bagarius, I've imported on several occasions through a Thailand exporter and transhipper. After keeping the fish for several months, the fish never grew big, even my customers stated that the fish remained around 6" after 2 years. It is just as sensitive as the last batch I've had all died within a month, even though they were eating well. the last batch I had lived for a while, until I did a big water change, and all died within 1 hour, and I used amquel
B. rutilus, I've obtained several times through a local wholesaler and also once through Singapore, however this fish is just as tricky, I had large ones near 15" and small ones about 7", all lived with no more than several months. My largest one lived, ate well, but died after a few months. This fish has orange colored fins, and seems to be a medium sized bagarius.
B. yarelli, the ones I've imported from Thailand seem to be very hardy, I had a huge one in the store that tried to eat a 12" pike cichlid, in 80 some degree water.
B. yarelli from India is a different story, they are touchy, on arrival, some will die just as I pick up the bag, they start to have seizures, then get stiff, and die. All the same while acclimating, about 10% of them will die in the same manner. Once established in a tank, I've had them grow very fast, more active than the thailand bagarius yarelli, eating a lot, and growing.
The reason I'm writing this is that some people are having a hard time keeping them alive, even my friend that lives 5 minutes away, kept his, ate well for a week, then to suddenly find it dead, no changes in tank, water, temp. etc...
The ones I've had, all were kept in a 60 gallon, with a powerhead and airstone, of course filter too. No salt, just clean cycled tank, tap water, ph is 7.4, temp. 78 degrees. Each night they are fed cut smelt and shrimp from the supermarket, I could even hand feed them, as they smell food, they'll dart up in mid column water to catch the food, and I have not lost a single one yet after the first day. I've had them for 2 weeks now.
At this point, nobody can tell me how and why some die, its not from shipping, since my friend lives literally 5 min from me. I can hold mine, catch them, with no problem.
I do suggest a powerhead, airstore under it to disburse bubbly current for them, and also possibly using chemi pure elite to remove any possible harmful chemicals in the water. I have a suspicion that they are sensitive to some kind of metal.
I have also shipped them from Taiwan to US, and recent shipment to Canada, and east coast, and have reports of them all doing great.
When acclimating this fish, please just float the entire bag in the tank for 30 minutes then open it up and place the fish in the tank. Unless your ph is extreme high or low. Normally a ph of 7 is the best, its neutral, and will not shock your fish one way or another.
Do not dump fish out even if you notice its upside down, I use a sedative when shipping and fish may be lethargic, if you dump it out into much warmer water, it will die.
I'm almost sold out, have a few larger ones remaining. Some of the ones that died I tried to help out the hobby by replacing them at cost or considerable discount, each case considered individually. I do this for the love of the fish and hobby, as I import these fish, I only get reiumbursed for the fish that are dead on arrival, but also have several with missing barbels, torn lips, and die the 24 hours after arrival, which all of the cost I absorb, on top of it, I pay about $150.00 per box of fish, with 4-8 fish depending on size, so if I lose 20 fish on arrival, I don't get reiumbursed for shipping, which means, $500.00 down the drain again.
In the future, this fish will be sold to only experts who can provide for the fish, accept the possibility of dead on arrival, or death in the near future.
I try my very best to provide the best customer service all around, even if it means that I will lose some money on my end. Have a happy weekend, I'll see if I can post some pictures of videos I took with my cell phone sometime!
