I own a 7" African Featherfin catfish, otherwise known as a "Squeaker" catfish. He has been through a significant amount of change recently, which I understands creates an extreme amount of stress. How can I help to calm him down? I am concerned me may die in the next few days due to the stress.
Details of this significant amount of change are:
I moved cities. He was stored in a fully-filled 5-gallon bucket with eight small (2-3in) goldfish, three medium sized (3in) angel fish, and two medium sized (4in) pictus catfish. It was aerated with a portable air pump. He was in this bucket for seven hours. At my destination, the three angel fish and two pictus catfish were found dead.
He was transferred from his original 125gallon aquarium size to a 55gallon aquarium. The gravel that was in the 125 was kept wet and transferred into the 55 to maintain the same bacteria environment.
The eight goldfish are not his usual tankmates and frequently invade his territory.
Hours ago, I got rid of six goldfish, leaving two in the aquarium.
His color changes regularly, pale then his usual dark brown then pale again. He also darts from one side of the aquarium to the next, hitting the walls and scraping by ornaments.
I know why he is stressed.
I need to know how I can help calm him down. To my knowledge, simply leaving he and the aquarium alone are my best options. Is there anything else?
Details of this significant amount of change are:
I moved cities. He was stored in a fully-filled 5-gallon bucket with eight small (2-3in) goldfish, three medium sized (3in) angel fish, and two medium sized (4in) pictus catfish. It was aerated with a portable air pump. He was in this bucket for seven hours. At my destination, the three angel fish and two pictus catfish were found dead.
He was transferred from his original 125gallon aquarium size to a 55gallon aquarium. The gravel that was in the 125 was kept wet and transferred into the 55 to maintain the same bacteria environment.
The eight goldfish are not his usual tankmates and frequently invade his territory.
Hours ago, I got rid of six goldfish, leaving two in the aquarium.
His color changes regularly, pale then his usual dark brown then pale again. He also darts from one side of the aquarium to the next, hitting the walls and scraping by ornaments.
I know why he is stressed.
I need to know how I can help calm him down. To my knowledge, simply leaving he and the aquarium alone are my best options. Is there anything else?
