About Raphael Catfish , Banjo Catfish and Featherfin Synodontis

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I have kept & bred all three of these species. I have a trivial story from many years ago, not very useful. The banjo catfish is especially rare in Australia. I managed to track three down at $850 each which took several years of searching the whole country but they were all males... was fantastic to just watch them though. Such wierd looking creatures. Then I moved to Tokyo where I stayed several years on a working holiday. Naturally I bought some fish tanks and visited several aquarium stores. One of them was selling banjo cats!!! There was a whole tank filled with them ... I couldn't believe it. How much are they? - I asked with my limited Japanese language skills. They were only $5 each after a currency conversion. I had to ask several times, even wrote it out clearly so there wasn't a mistake. Yep... $5 each so I bought them all. 146 beautiful amazing fish. They tried to give me a discount but I thanked them politely and laughed. So cheap... and so much easier to breed when you have plenty of broodstock to choose from.

They do best in species only tanks with a little sand to sift and bury in. If you can't see them, just add fifty or one hundred more.
 
I have kept & bred all three of these species. I have a trivial story from many years ago, not very useful. The banjo catfish is especially rare in Australia. I managed to track three down at $850 each which took several years of searching the whole country but they were all males... was fantastic to just watch them though. Such wierd looking creatures. Then I moved to Tokyo where I stayed several years on a working holiday. Naturally I bought some fish tanks and visited several aquarium stores. One of them was selling banjo cats!!! There was a whole tank filled with them ... I couldn't believe it. How much are they? - I asked with my limited Japanese language skills. They were only $5 each after a currency conversion. I had to ask several times, even wrote it out clearly so there wasn't a mistake. Yep... $5 each so I bought them all. 146 beautiful amazing fish. They tried to give me a discount but I thanked them politely and laughed. So cheap... and so much easier to breed when you have plenty of broodstock to choose from.

They do best in species only tanks with a little sand to sift and bury in. If you can't see them, just add fifty or one hundred more.
Those are some big numbers . Thanks for sharing ! I really took a liking to the baby "Spotted Raphael Catfish" at my LFS. Dont know If my tank is good for them tho maybe in the future.
 
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My synodontis featherfin grew as fast as my oscars and as previously stated they can get big!! Mine is quite feisty too but I think living with the oscars growing up did that to him.
 
Synodontis Catfish are extremely tough because some come from the same waters that aggressive African Cichlid species live in.
Had a Synodontis Angelicus that would not take no bs from Mbuna.
Hey Tlindsley, do you have any experience with "Spotted Raphael Catfish" ? How big do they get internet gave me sizes from 4" to 10" . Would you reccomend them for my tank ? My LFS has really small ones for 3$ ?
 
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Hey Tlindsley, do you have any experience with "Spotted Raphael Catfish" ? How big do they get internet gave me sizes from 4" to 10" . Would you reccomend them for my tank ? My LFS has really small ones for 3$ ?

Yes my Spotted is around 4 inches and round like a ping pong ball lol. My Spotted Raphael hides in a pvc pipe all day will suck in pellets at the entrance ?
How small?
 
Raphaels are harmless, spotted or striped.
Spotted doesn’t usually get bigger than 4-6 inches to my knowledge.
They are a good catfish if you don’t mind never seeing it.
 
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Yes my Spotted is around 4 inches and round like a ping pong ball lol. My Spotted Raphael hides in a pvc pipe all day will suck in pellets at the entrance ?
How small?
Like what... size of a Nickel ? For perspective. Largest ones are around 2"
 
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