Flexing the Jelly Catfish

[quasar]

So I'm going on a work trip for 5 days and had no one to take care of my fish, so I loaded up the tank with some feeders for my Jelly Catfish to munch on (normally he eats Shrimp and Tilapia).

Normally since the cat only eats foods that sinks, he just lays in his hiding spot away for everything. But since there's finally activity in the tank with the feeders he came out. Forgot that he still had to grow LOL. Say hello to Mr. Popo!

 

[fishhead0103666]

He can go longer than a week without eating.

 

[kno4te]

Nice apurensis. 5 days isn’t too bad w/o food. Caution with live feeders.

 

[SharptoothBass]

So I'm going on a work trip for 5 days and had no one to take care of my fish, so I loaded up the tank with some feeders for my Jelly Catfish to munch on (normally he eats Shrimp and Tilapia).

Normally since the cat only eats foods that sinks, he just lays in his hiding spot away for everything. But since there's finally activity in the tank with the feeders he came out. Forgot that he still had to grow LOL. Say hello to Mr. Popo!View attachment 1396279View attachment 1396280View attachment 1396281

Nice catfish he should be fine with the feeders while you are gone. Mine mainly eats tilapia and shrimp but has been eating feeders for almost five years with no issues.

 

[SharptoothBass]

yellowcat who knows more about this family of fish than anyone I know also likes to keep feeders in with his cats. Anything can happen when it comes to fish but I haven't had any issues yet. Actually another member lost three or four of these big cats and he doesn't use feeders at all.

 

[Yellowcat]

Thanks Sharptooth Bass for posting the pictures of my c. fowleri (top pic) and my former c. apurensis (bottom pic). I still have the fowleri cat, going on 13 years now. I did the same with keeping the tank stocked with goldfish when going away on two week fishing trips. While at home I hand feed 4 or 5 large nightcrawlers which the fish seems to prefer over goldfish even when they are available to her. I've read all the cautionary stuff about thiaminase or something in goldfish that's supposed to be bad for them but apparently doesn't seem to be a problem with the several cephalosilurus I've kept. The biggest worry with goldfish is they often are infested with ick but these fish seem to be immune to it. I once got some goldfish infected with anchor worms which in turn infected a mystus gullio catfiish in the same tank with the fowleri. The fowleri never was attacked by the anchor worms and I was able to cure the m. gullio. I noticed recently that Viktor has gotten his apurensis to eat Hikari Massivore which is surely a very safe bet to feed them. I've never tried to feed fish fillets or shrimp to these fish, tried pellets but they were ignored. With former red tail cats I used to feed gold fish with no problems, they also liked chunks of beef heart but the problem with that was that uneaten chunks hidden in the driftwood would end up rotten and covered with cotton like fungus, definitely not good. Of course not recommended by many on here, one of my red tail cat's favorite treat was chicken breast from Pollo Loco!

 

[SharptoothBass]

Thanks Sharptooth Bass for posting the pictures of my c. fowleri (top pic) and my former c. apurensis (bottom pic). I still have the fowleri cat, going on 13 years now. I did the same with keeping the tank stocked with goldfish when going away on two week fishing trips. While at home I hand feed 4 or 5 large nightcrawlers which the fish seems to prefer over goldfish even when they are available to her. I've read all the cautionary stuff about thiaminase or something in goldfish that's supposed to be bad for them but apparently doesn't seem to be a problem with the several cephalosilurus I've kept. The biggest worry with goldfish is they often are infested with ick but these fish seem to be immune to it. I once got some goldfish infected with anchor worms which in turn infected a mystus gullio catfiish in the same tank with the fowleri. The fowleri never was attacked by the anchor worms and I was able to cure the m. gullio. I noticed recently that Viktor has gotten his apurensis to eat Hikari Massivore which is surely a very safe bet to feed them. I've never tried to feed fish fillets or shrimp to these fish, tried pellets but they were ignored. With former red tail cats I used to feed gold fish with no problems, they also liked chunks of beef heart but the problem with that was that uneaten chunks hidden in the driftwood would end up rotten and covered with cotton like fungus, definitely not good. Of course not recommended by many on here, one of my red tail cat's favorite treat was chicken breast from Pollo Loco!

Awesome thanks for replying. With me I just use a common sense approach with the feeders I don't get them when the water is very dirty they are kept in. I don't get them if they don't look healthy clamped,torn or bleeding fins, any spots or sores, fish flashing, or itching themselves, sluggish or sitting on the bottom and I won't touch them. Op's batch looks good from the photos they seem fat with their fins spread open wide those are usually good signs for me. They look like regular goldfish. I don't see a problem with chicken as long as it's not seasoned or cooked.

 

[SharptoothBass]

Thanks Sharptooth Bass for posting the pictures of my c. fowleri (top pic) and my former c. apurensis (bottom pic). I still have the fowleri cat, going on 13 years now. I did the same with keeping the tank stocked with goldfish when going away on two week fishing trips. While at home I hand feed 4 or 5 large nightcrawlers which the fish seems to prefer over goldfish even when they are available to her. I've read all the cautionary stuff about thiaminase or something in goldfish that's supposed to be bad for them but apparently doesn't seem to be a problem with the several cephalosilurus I've kept. The biggest worry with goldfish is they often are infested with ick but these fish seem to be immune to it. I once got some goldfish infected with anchor worms which in turn infected a mystus gullio catfiish in the same tank with the fowleri. The fowleri never was attacked by the anchor worms and I was able to cure the m. gullio. I noticed recently that Viktor has gotten his apurensis to eat Hikari Massivore which is surely a very safe bet to feed them. I've never tried to feed fish fillets or shrimp to these fish, tried pellets but they were ignored. With former red tail cats I used to feed gold fish with no problems, they also liked chunks of beef heart but the problem with that was that uneaten chunks hidden in the driftwood would end up rotten and covered with cotton like fungus, definitely not good. Of course not recommended by many on here, one of my red tail cat's favorite treat was chicken breast from Pollo Loco!

I've had my big goby going on 13 years also

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

Thank you Sharptooth and Yellowcat!

I too don't see a reason to leave feeders for the catfish, unless there are tank mates that might be endangered by such a short 5-day fast.

yellowcat who knows more about this family of fish than anyone I know also likes to keep feeders in with his cats. Anything can happen when it comes to fish but I haven't had any issues yet. Actually another member lost three or four of these big cats and he doesn't use feeders at all.

That would be me.

I still believe in staying away from feeders. Needless to say, it is not an infallible way either, lots of things can go wrong with the feeders and without the feeders so we have to live and learn.

 

[SharptoothBass]

Thank you Sharptooth and Yellowcat!

I too don't see a reason to leave feeders for the catfish, unless there are tank mates that might be endangered by such a short 5-day fast.


That would be me.

I still believe in staying away from feeders. Needless to say, it is not an infallible way either, lots of things can go wrong with the feeders and without the feeders so we have to live and learn.

Yea I have 12 and 10 year old fish that eat feeders so I don't have fear of them. Alot of the problems I have seen could have been avoided. Alot of the horror stories came from tanks where people would put 100 plus feeders in a tank with red devils, oscars and jack dempseys fish that aren't even true predators they would eat a few kill a bunch and the water would be nasty. Some store feeders anyone with half a brain should be able to look at and know not to use them. I have friends who also won't use feeders at all yet none of them have a 10 or 12 year old fish. I can't tell you how many fish I've seen come and go in the time I've kept my gobys. My big cat will be 5 in a couple months and I've had no issues, and I've watched plenty of fish die in that 5 years who aren't feed feeders either including yours (no offense intended) I just think the whole feeder killed my fish became a easy excuse as to why people were losing fish. Now that most aren't using the feeders anymore the fish are still dying. Funny thing is in researching Marble Gobys I have ran across so many asian fish keepers who use feeders regularly and they have better success on average with growth,longevity and breeding than we do with pellets. That being said I don't promote my way of fish keeping or push it on anyone. I just do what works for me, I also know that there are cases where fish may catch things from feeders I just believe a healthy predatory can withstand these things in most cases.