Help with tig catfish

when i got mine at 3'' from ichiban a yr or so back ago.. he told me to keep the lights off and throw in bloodworms,, dont even go near the tank. he started loving the bloodworms,, then after that,, i mixed it with pellets.. he slowly ate them and next thing u know,, he eats everything.... i started him in a ten gallon by himself.

IMO, I would not want to risk feeding MP. my bro in law killed 2 tig in the past after feeding shrimp. I wouldn't chance it.. u can choose to believe it or not so it is up to u.

Arowana718 said:

when i got mine at 3'' from ichiban a yr or so back ago.. he told me to keep the lights off and throw in bloodworms,, dont even go near the tank. he started loving the bloodworms,, then after that,, i mixed it with pellets.. he slowly ate them and next thing u know,, he eats everything.... i started him in a ten gallon by himself.

IMO, I would not want to risk feeding MP. my bro in law killed 2 tig in the past after feeding shrimp. I wouldn't chance it.. u can choose to believe it or not so it is up to u.

Click to expand...

Well put

We can only give advice if people wish to take it it's up to them


Sent from my iPhone using MonsterAquariaNetwork app

Nobody should feed only a mp diet to their fish at any stage of the fish's life. Where are the nutrients? It's filler protein and should be utilized as just that. I've had a few tigs, and each one craved different things. One loved tilapia stuffed with massivores. Another loved market prawn stuffed with massivores and my 1st tig loved whole fish. Cut anchovies till he ate whole smelt. I would offer other things to each one, but it seemed once they got hooked on something..that's all they craved...My tigs always loved to eat in low light only and I would drop the food right in front of his face. If he didn't eat it within a couple minutes, I would remove and try later (HIGH MAINTENANCE EATERS,LOL). I would never just drop it and go to bed cause sometimes it would still be in there in the morn, not gd...I certainly don't agree that mp is unhealthy for a juvie tig, but then all of a sudden becomes ok once he hits a certain size..COMPLETE BS IMO..Also, tigs need their little home (within the home). If he doesn't have his little area within the tank that he owns all to himself (they hate other fish swimming near them), he prob won't eat right yet..MINT water quality is crucial as well with these guys for sufficient appetites

thebiggerthebetter said:

JayC74, how big have you grown these three and how long have you had them?

Click to expand...

Don't have them anymore. Miss big cats greatly esp tigs! I love my loaches and they wouldn't go 2feet near my last tig, so loaches would have one side of the tank and the tig basically had the other side. Not one loach ever got eaten though. Plus my tank just simply isn't big enough for a full grown tig

1st tig got to 15inch..killed him by spoiling the tank with too many live blackworms I was feeding my syno cats. Thought hundreds could live in the sand & not affect water quality..oops!.long time ago, certainly an expensive lessen learned
2nd got to just under 2feet. Traded for ST datnoid
3rd got to just over 2feet. Sold to local vendor..Both big guys grew out in 3+years. When I upgrade tank, may think of another

T1KARMANN said:

Well put

We can only give advice if people wish to take it it's up to them


Sent from my iPhone using MonsterAquariaNetwork app

Click to expand...

Ironic that you'd shoot down frozen seafood but advocate frozen bloodworms.

I've raised a few tigs on frozen seafood and never really had any issues. I've always plumped them up on live blackworms for a few days prior to getting them onto shrimp/tilapia/ss/squid. Pellets are always extra IMO as frozen stuff makes up the bulk of my fishes diet.

shookONES said:

Ironic that you'd shoot down frozen seafood but advocate frozen bloodworms.

I've raised a few tigs on frozen seafood and never really had any issues. I've always plumped them up on live blackworms for a few days prior to getting them onto shrimp/tilapia/ss/squid. Pellets are always extra IMO as frozen stuff makes up the bulk of my fishes diet.

Click to expand...

Blood worm is a different story

It's seafoods they seam to have problems digesting or the high salt content


Sent from my iPhone using MonsterAquariaNetwork app

thebiggerthebetter said:

JayC74, appreciate a wonderful answer. Very good info to have.





T1, it looks to me that I (and Rodger and Aro718?) erroneously thought you were referring to crustaceans only, salt water or not, such as market prawn and shrimp. Thanks for clarifying your position. So your advice is not about crustaceans but about avoiding any and all marine foods for a tig under 1' - does this say it right?

Click to expand...

Yes avoid prawns mussel cockle as they seam to have problems digesting it when below 10-12
First of all the TIG will start to have a puff looking body and the owner will think great it's putting on some size
The next stage is they start to get a lump build up in front of the dorsal fin
The next stage is they start swimming like mad even spinning
I have had tig still trying to eat when spinning just be for death

A slim tig is a healthy tig
Pumping them full of food so they are so fat like a rocking horse isn't good for them

People have stated that you need to drop food right in front of them this must tell you they wouldn't be fat like a rocking horse daily or twice per day like people feed them to grow them as fast as poss

It's a risk not worth taking feeding sea foods
Let's face it if you was told you may get hit by a car if you cross a freeway would you still cross it or use the under pass
I know what I would do


Sent from my iPhone using MonsterAquariaNetwork app