Tigrinus Info

Foods - I've seen some say not to feed fish/shrimp when they are small. What do you guys feed?
*** This should help: http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?598702-Help-with-tig-catfish

Water Movement- Powerheads necessary? I run MP40s in my reef tank, just wasn't sure if they needed something as strong???
*** They are a fast water fish but even in fast water there are calmer spots behind rocks, debris, etc.

Tankmates - Cichla, gar, clownknife would be what the tig would live with. Your experiences?
*** Fine if no one can swallow any one. Except may be the gar - these guys bite fish they cannot swallow. Especially timid fish. I think a tig may be such a victim. I'd not risk it until the tig is over a foot, if ever.

Growth Rate - From what i've read, about the same as cichla, being 1-1 1/2" / month, up to ~14 inches, then slows...Your experience.
*** Appears to vary a lot. Perhaps because many have problems weaning them onto dead foods. 1"-1.5" a month are the highest numbers reported. Slower after 1' by 2x or more although some report such a strong slowing down only after 1.5'. Almost no growth after 2'. On my memory, only one tig has been shown here in recent years that was 3'. I don't recall even a 2.5'-er. Sometimes 26"-28".

Common Disease susceptibility - ?
*** see the first link

Special concerns/notes - ????
*** They are not nearly as greedy / voracious as other common large Pims. It appears none of the brachies are. They often, ~ always (?) take time to come out to dinner or wait for food to get near. Hence, in a large community where all others feed aggressively, a tig is unlikely to receive adequate feeding which calls for special measures (individual feeding, spot feeding, etc.)

It seems poorly understood why in roughly 50% cases people report an easy transition to dead foods and even pellets whilst others meet an exceedingly stubborn resistance (such was my case too).

bacon said:

For those who own or owned a tig, would you get 1 again?

Click to expand...

Most definitely and not one but several. Many complain theirs are too inactive but I am in the camp that believes tig's attractiveness far surpasses this "flaw".