My Chaca Chaca catfish

Caveden

Redtail Catfish
MFK Member
Jul 21, 2020
1,773
2,053
154
24
Tbh you need to know what specie name of tree they fell from.
Here’s what I’ve done with the twigs, boiled for 1.5hrs after. Not the best scape now, looks messy imo. Will touch up and place the twigs to be more natural looking tomorrow. It’s 2.30am here and I’m tired out. 😂😂 I’ll add new hornwort and floating plants (duckweed, red root floaters) tomorrow when I visit the aquarium.

IMG_1026.jpeg
 

SilverArowanaBoi

Peacock Bass
MFK Member
Sep 21, 2023
1,076
849
120
Houston, Texas
Here’s what I’ve done with the twigs, boiled for 1.5hrs after. Not the best scape now, looks messy imo. Will touch up and place the twigs to be more natural looking tomorrow. It’s 2.30am here and I’m tired out. 😂😂 I’ll add new hornwort and floating plants (duckweed, red root floaters) tomorrow when I visit the aquarium.

View attachment 1537817
I mean it doesn’t look terrible, I think it looks pretty good. I like the contrasting sizes of the driftwood. However, I think the two larger pieces on the right look kind of wonky, I think they should be repositioned to hide the thick stem part. Idk if that makes sense or not lol. Perhaps you can add some smaller red plants, it could look cool (that aren‘t floating). Green plants (to me) would look funky with the black water look but I think red plants could possibly work.

Here is a video by MDFishTanks about a Red Devil Angelfish aquascape that to me reminds me of yours (despite the size difference):
Perhaps it can help you with you design.

I hope this helps, good luck!
 
  • Like
Reactions: kno4te and Caveden

Caveden

Redtail Catfish
MFK Member
Jul 21, 2020
1,773
2,053
154
24
Finally managed to hear the famous “croaking” sound coming from the catfish. Went to adjust the hardscape tdy so took it out to avoid injuring it. Thought to myself, why not try to take it out of water? Sure enough, I managed to see it open its huge mouth and produce the frog like sound. Took some pictures of it. Cool to see its mouth has an inner red lining to it.

IMG_1743.jpeg

IMG_1741.jpeg

IMG_1744.jpeg
 

SilverArowanaBoi

Peacock Bass
MFK Member
Sep 21, 2023
1,076
849
120
Houston, Texas
Finally managed to hear the famous “croaking” sound coming from the catfish. Went to adjust the hardscape tdy so took it out to avoid injuring it. Thought to myself, why not try to take it out of water? Sure enough, I managed to see it open its huge mouth and produce the frog like sound. Took some pictures of it. Cool to see its mouth has an inner red lining to it.

View attachment 1539956

View attachment 1539957

View attachment 1539958
Thats incredible! Such a huge mouth for a smaller fish, I didn't realize how big of a mouth they had. I want one now!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Caveden

Caveden

Redtail Catfish
MFK Member
Jul 21, 2020
1,773
2,053
154
24
I would worry about the spines of the khuli loaches.
How long has the Otto catfish been in the aquarium?
Ottos have been around since day 1. Chaca shows no interest in them too. Had 4 of them for months now and none of them eaten, they were the very first fishes I’m the tank. Same for the kuhlis as well, the chaca shows zero interest in them.
funny thing is, the kuhli loaches like to hide UNDERNEATH and beside the chaca catfish, burrowing beside him. I see them going over the mouth of the chaca with no interest from him as well.

IMG_1798.jpeg
 

Caveden

Redtail Catfish
MFK Member
Jul 21, 2020
1,773
2,053
154
24
Interesting update:
From the start of the thread I’ve mentioned how I’ve got 2 chaca chaca catfish, but I’ve mostly been posting one of them only ( the larger one ). This is because I thought the 2nd one died a few months back. Never saw it again until today, where it suddenly made an appearance at the front of the tank. Shocked to see it still alive, and apparently doing well. From the last time I saw it, it has grown an inch or two more and definitely put on some size. They really are master camouflagers, or I’m just straight up a blind bat 😂

2nd pic: two of the chacas in the same photo. Can you spot them?

IMG_2032.jpeg

IMG_2035.jpeg
 
  • Like
Reactions: tlindsey
zoomed.com
hikariusa.com
aqaimports.com
Store