Red tail catfish not eating

Catfish can be stubborn after a move, I wouldnt worry yet. Your nitrate are a bit high, might want to do a wc or 2 to get it down and the ammonia is likely a mini cycle from adding a big messy fish. Be sure to remove food if he doesnt eat it right away but keep offering food every day. What are you trying to feed and do you know what he was eating before?

A few days is no big deal. Offer food once every few days until he starts eating and if he's healthy it won't take long.

90ppm nitrate is pretty high and will only go up once the fish starts eating and growing unless you start doing more WCs, upgrade the tank, or reduce the bioload by removing fish and feeding less.

200L is on the small side for an 8" fish. Be prepared for a massive upgrade or rapid series of smaller upgrades. My cats(TSN, RTC, Hybrid, Niger) are going to be due for an upgrade from my 8x4' 450G in the very near future and it's only been a bit over a year since I upgraded from a 120G.

Sarah0000uk said:

Thanks for your input we were told he was fed on blood worms so that's what we have tried along with pellet and cockles he seems fine within his self swimming around at night but just turns his nose up at all food , appreciate will need a bigger tank fairly quick the tank we got him from in the shop was half the size of mine so don't think it's the size at the moment that's stressing him , any suggestions on foods that he will love ?

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Try shrimp (without the shell, I usually buy a bunch and freeze them) and meaty white fish like tilapia. Many catfish like this will take pellets, and you should try to get them eating something high quality.

No worries , you can rise you tank temperature to 85f and have some feeder gold fish in the tank , he will hunt by him self . The best option for those catfish is bring feeder and let them hunt by them self


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no mate, feeders carry virus'... feeders are a bad choice, a high quality pellet is the best option like hikari massivore but quite pricey... frozen seafood and white fish are ok... sorry to be blunt but 90ppm nitrate is pretty much animal cruelty, its basically swimming in its own feaces... you need to change half the water every day with tap safe added and start searching for a massive 1000 gallon/ 3500 litre plus home for him, if well cared for they will hit 2ft in one year.... dont think you realise what you have taken on here. either that or sell it before you cant get rid of it for love or money at 18 inch 2ft, if you have plans and know exactly what you have bitten off im sorry.