Asian USD catfish, Mystus leucophasus

[thebiggerthebetter]

I could just retype the post above. The little barbs are still in the tank doing well, so the catfish is not going after them. It has probably reached roughly 1 foot tip to tip. Hangs upside down like a bat on its PVC pipe almost all the time... and that's for 4-5 years now, mind you, you'd think it came with the pipe, rarely coming down to stay vertically in a corner.

 

[Fishman Dave]

My two appear to be model citizens in the pond, despite there being other smaller fish, mainly featherfins or other synodontis, but they do have quite a number of pipes, bog wood and rock overhangs to go at. The only fish they tend to disagree with is each other.
similar size (12-14" ) and age (think they are 6 years old).
looks like yours owns the pipe and will only fall out of another fish forgets or doesn't know!

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

6:05 to 6:25 min

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

After 6 years in the jerk tank of 240 gal, the AUSD was upgraded to 1800 gal in the hope that he would behave there. It's been about 3 months in the 1800 gal now and it seems to work. I don't have much time to observe but in whatever little I've seen I have not seen it bother anyone, which is not too surprising as it is extremely selective in who it dislikes.

On the opposite, it lost a few smaller parts, bite size, out of its tail and caudal fins, which means some tank mate dislikes it or the AUSD is "asking for it". Don't know who or how. Also, it couldn't occupy the coveted spot under the pipes as this belongs to the alpha Synodontis eupterus, the "African USD catfish" which the leucophasis couldn't dethrone. IDK how hard it tried, perhaps not hard or not at all.

I've noticed it really likes frozen fish in its diet. It still goes for the pellets but relishes the fish. The video includes 5 feedings in the end portion.

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

This thread has some interesting stories and info on AUSD: https://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/...leucophasis-asian-upside-down-catfish.527156/

And here is a hard-to-explain community of 4 AUSDs??!!

 

[Fishman Dave]

There are a few strange things about that community of 4.
Firstly how docile they appear with each other.
Secondly how they all remain out in the open so much and not looking to be under something.
Thirdly they do appear overly silvery to me
Finally, they also appear to be breathing a bit heavily for my liking.
Not sure what this all means, could be the lights are on constantly. Could be water temperature too low. Could be they have just fed. Could be the lights have just come on and oxygen is low. Or many other things, but as you said, hard to explain as I don’t see this as normal type behaviour.

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

The stay in the 1800 gal is over. The Asian USD cat appeared to bother the newly introduced dorado catfish or maybe even bite its fin tips, so it had to move back to the jerk 240 gal.

4:20-4:40 min

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

Apr 2016, 6:54-7:22 min:

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

Sneaky guy partakes of cichlids:

 

[thebiggerthebetter]