Ellectric cat
- Thread starter Charney
- Start date
It is logical and, moreover, this is what makes short-body variants of common fish be so touchy and have very short lives (sb RTC, sb paroon, etc.). Their backbones are multi-folded and the internal organs are much too big for their size.
Stunting surely diminishes life span but by how much and what the mechanism is, IDK. I've not come across a good treatise on that yet, if such exists. Or even one confirmed case or a study. Has anyone??
I've had my electric catfish, Mr. Lahey, for exactly one year today. He is my favorite fish for sure, due to his general weirdness and what I think is very high intelligence. His eyes just make him look like he is in a constant state of shock which is always funny to me. And he follows anybody who comes up to his tank if he is "rustling around" at the time. If he is hungry he will turn pale and just follow you around until he gets fed. One of my favorite habits of his is when he digs through the gravel looking for morsels. He actually will eat a piece of gravel and roll it around in his mouth, then spit it out, sometimes making the length of the tank. He likes digging huge ditches and making mountains in his spare time. Contrary to most information I've read, he is extremely active during the day (relative to the fact that he is nocturnal). Around 10am-3:30pm (feeding time) is his nap-time. He gets fed simple tetra tropical flakes once a day. Can't explain why this is his favorite food, but I can't complain! He's grown from a wee pup to pushing 9 inches today. The first picture is the day I bought him, second was taken today. He travels to college with me, and has no trouble making the trip. Everyone looks forward to seeing him on campus because he is such an awesome animal 
Looks really nice. I really like mine so far. She seems very intelligent and very active. Always begging for food. They are very intolerant of each other.
Nice catfish, are you currently keeping two together?
Also, biggerbetter, I was watching that guy's catfish vid on youtube again. He has 3 clips. In the first, it looks like a normal cat. In the second, a few months later, the body is looking deformed a bit, like a humpback. In the last clip, a few months after that, it's appears lumpy and bumpy and then it died. I still wonder what caused it to look like that and didn't survive at just 3 yrs and 12". Other catfish, like the channels, that I was reading about, live for years under stunted conditions in tanks, but the e cats, like we had mentioned seem to last about 3 years, so weird. Hope we can get some answers or figure this out somehow.
Also, biggerbetter, I was watching that guy's catfish vid on youtube again. He has 3 clips. In the first, it looks like a normal cat. In the second, a few months later, the body is looking deformed a bit, like a humpback. In the last clip, a few months after that, it's appears lumpy and bumpy and then it died. I still wonder what caused it to look like that and didn't survive at just 3 yrs and 12". Other catfish, like the channels, that I was reading about, live for years under stunted conditions in tanks, but the e cats, like we had mentioned seem to last about 3 years, so weird. Hope we can get some answers or figure this out somehow.
I love these cute little guys. Just be careful with tankmates. I had one shock my last two red snakeheads and break their backs. This was a month after the US ban on SH so I couldn't buy any more of them. Their electrical charge is way less than eels, but when they get larger.
Sent from my SM-N900T using MonsterAquariaNetwork App
Sent from my SM-N900T using MonsterAquariaNetwork App
Yeah... Most of their body is occupied by "bio-batteries". Perhaps, when stunted, something goes way wrong with their electrical storage organs. Maybe they start shorting and the fish withers away trying to make up the lost charge... or it simply damages their vital organs... At 1', they should be able to produce 100 V and for long enough to send a grown man to the ground. Been shown too many times. The fish in those videos looks weak and not producing enough discharge.
I was also thinking about the shorting scenario. When compared to other cats, producing e charges is the main difference I see. So I too think their "bio-batteries" along with the stunting must be causing short captive lifespans. I also wonder, when comparing/contrasting with e eels, whether or not the eels have similar problems with lumpy appearance and shortened captive lifespans associated with stunted growth and "bio-batteries." Any thoughts?
Independent of the stunting that we have discussed, do you think that they can get injured from exposure to their own shocks within the confines of a smaller aquarium,
Thanks, I have been enjoying trying to figuring this out. I also did a water change for her!
Independent of the stunting that we have discussed, do you think that they can get injured from exposure to their own shocks within the confines of a smaller aquarium,
Thanks, I have been enjoying trying to figuring this out. I also did a water change for her!
What I stated was a wild, wild speculation, of course. Not supported by anything other than, as you pointed out, the coincidence of the electric ability and unexplained raising problems.
No, I know very little about the e-eels. Them I've only seen at Public Aquaria and I've never seen a real big one either as they reach 4'-5' in the wild.
It's an interesting thought about "self"-inflicted damage but atm I don't tend to think this is any more possible than what we already discussed
It will take serious search of literature and I-net for perhaps even a chance of seeing if anyone studied this.
No, I know very little about the e-eels. Them I've only seen at Public Aquaria and I've never seen a real big one either as they reach 4'-5' in the wild.
It's an interesting thought about "self"-inflicted damage but atm I don't tend to think this is any more possible than what we already discussed
It will take serious search of literature and I-net for perhaps even a chance of seeing if anyone studied this.
