I've not come across many threads on here with any information apart from the odd copied and pasted basic internet information.
My keeping, I've found the basic online information to be compelatly wrong.
The attitude of this fish towards tank mates is compleaty wrong to online information.
As stated in almost every online source if information, Oxydoras niger and other large doradide are suggested as suitable tank mates. I've found mine dose nothing but nip at them and chase them once in a while, I'm sure that's just a "I'm boss of the tank" as always, there's an hierarchy in fish.
But what also got me was the, don't keep with any similar fish or the same spieces. I've tried both, back earlier in the year. I had my large female lay what I beilive to be eggs in the pond under the filteration system. (I will add the link to the thread) so I thought to myself, I should add a male incase it happened again, you never know right. Although, I doubt it would of worked.
Now the smaller male I managed to acquire from wharf aquatics around the 20" mark.
The first week they got along fin, no issues. As the male settled in, he did nothing but harass the big female through fin nilping and "shoving" her. The big female never really reacted apart from the odd bit of chasing when she'd had enough. I donated the male to a friends tropical pond as the female seemed to be stressed all the time after the make had settled in.
I've now introduced a large learius longigsbarbs (22") to the tank and they get along just fine. No issues at all, No aggression. Kind of goes agents everything they've said online.
They actually sit side by side a lot of the time. Then the longisbarbs goes back under the 5ft chunk of wood on the bottom of the tank.
I've also noticed these fish cannot tolorate any ammonia in the water. A while back I had some serious ammonia issues and I couldn't quite figure out why. Turned out it was the wooden lid on the pond causing the issue. During this time her anal fin and pelvic fins had become red and bloody and looked very sore. Lots of treatment and 6months on she's fine. Although, you can see where it's healed as almost a scare. Which is a shame, but we all make mistakes.
Anything slightly changes with the water and she goes right off her food. so I'd consider her quite a funny fish and Abit harder to house than the common hardy catfish.
Size, here's another one. 24" is there average size. What I would agree with for males. The females on the other hand are much bigger growing. I know of a small amount what have reached 28/30". Mines just some sort of freak of nature, she's 33.5" with 28" whiskers. And she's 9" deep in the body and weighs 16lb, She's now 4 years old. She came from wharf aquatics originally, i responded to an online add where I rehoused her this time last year at the size she is, she looks like she grown a lot depth wise in that time.
She's a very impressive fish once the sail fin is up and is extremely tame. Always to the front of the tank as soon as I walk in the fish room.
I'd hugely recommend them if you'd want a fish that's not going to eat all your tank mates, due to the small mouth and chilled out nature. I've kept mine in with 2" rainbow cichlids and small angel fish in the past non went missing. Amazingly interactive and most won't get over 30". What makes them more of a realistic catfish to house. Unlike the more common larger catfish.
Ive added some pictures of how to sex them aswell. Male - top picture of ventral areas. Female below.
(Pictures from planet catfish).
These are just MY findings with this species. Just thought I'd share them, it might help someone in the future.
My keeping, I've found the basic online information to be compelatly wrong.
The attitude of this fish towards tank mates is compleaty wrong to online information.
As stated in almost every online source if information, Oxydoras niger and other large doradide are suggested as suitable tank mates. I've found mine dose nothing but nip at them and chase them once in a while, I'm sure that's just a "I'm boss of the tank" as always, there's an hierarchy in fish.
But what also got me was the, don't keep with any similar fish or the same spieces. I've tried both, back earlier in the year. I had my large female lay what I beilive to be eggs in the pond under the filteration system. (I will add the link to the thread) so I thought to myself, I should add a male incase it happened again, you never know right. Although, I doubt it would of worked.
Now the smaller male I managed to acquire from wharf aquatics around the 20" mark.
The first week they got along fin, no issues. As the male settled in, he did nothing but harass the big female through fin nilping and "shoving" her. The big female never really reacted apart from the odd bit of chasing when she'd had enough. I donated the male to a friends tropical pond as the female seemed to be stressed all the time after the make had settled in.
I've now introduced a large learius longigsbarbs (22") to the tank and they get along just fine. No issues at all, No aggression. Kind of goes agents everything they've said online.
They actually sit side by side a lot of the time. Then the longisbarbs goes back under the 5ft chunk of wood on the bottom of the tank.
I've also noticed these fish cannot tolorate any ammonia in the water. A while back I had some serious ammonia issues and I couldn't quite figure out why. Turned out it was the wooden lid on the pond causing the issue. During this time her anal fin and pelvic fins had become red and bloody and looked very sore. Lots of treatment and 6months on she's fine. Although, you can see where it's healed as almost a scare. Which is a shame, but we all make mistakes.
Anything slightly changes with the water and she goes right off her food. so I'd consider her quite a funny fish and Abit harder to house than the common hardy catfish.
Size, here's another one. 24" is there average size. What I would agree with for males. The females on the other hand are much bigger growing. I know of a small amount what have reached 28/30". Mines just some sort of freak of nature, she's 33.5" with 28" whiskers. And she's 9" deep in the body and weighs 16lb, She's now 4 years old. She came from wharf aquatics originally, i responded to an online add where I rehoused her this time last year at the size she is, she looks like she grown a lot depth wise in that time.
She's a very impressive fish once the sail fin is up and is extremely tame. Always to the front of the tank as soon as I walk in the fish room.
I'd hugely recommend them if you'd want a fish that's not going to eat all your tank mates, due to the small mouth and chilled out nature. I've kept mine in with 2" rainbow cichlids and small angel fish in the past non went missing. Amazingly interactive and most won't get over 30". What makes them more of a realistic catfish to house. Unlike the more common larger catfish.
Ive added some pictures of how to sex them aswell. Male - top picture of ventral areas. Female below.
(Pictures from planet catfish).
These are just MY findings with this species. Just thought I'd share them, it might help someone in the future.
