catfish in hiding for 7 years

[ShadowBass]

Lol. I thought my driftwood catfish was dead for about a year. We moved the fish to different tanks several times and never saw him. They have spines in their pectoral fins that allow them to wedge themselves into driftwood, so apparently he travelled in some driftwood each time.
NO IDEA when he was eating, but apparently he was stealthily coming out and getting food because he's always been fat and healthy.

Now he does come out and swim around as long as the tank lights are off, but for a long time he only stayed in his driftwood.

 

[chloe]

lol thats so cool.
my spotted raphaels were like that.
never saw them till i had to give them to my friend and they were like tennis balls with eyes and fins lol i got them at about 1"
x

 

[Wet Whiskers]

I've written off fish before. My spotted Raphael disapeared for almost a year until we moved tanks. I though I had gotten everyone out of the driftwood, but a couple minutes later I hear this clicky grinding noise from the wood in a plastic tube. It was the pissed off spotted rapheal! Also, little loach dissapeared for several months. But the most shocking was a granulosa catfish that was at least 6 inches long, and fat as could be disappeared into a pipe and never came out. I moved the pipe one day and out came this ugly dude. I had totally forgotten I bought him!! For the lack of decor and his size, I couldn't believe I had missed him.

7 years though... That's got to be a record! Lol

 

[vitaly]

I tried taking picture this morning at 5am, but the cat is nowhere to be seen. i guess that i wont see it again for a while

 

[Planetnicolas]

thats a long time my cats hide but I always see them at 3 AM or 1AM at night really.


put a worm in the tank the vibrations at night should make him come out also the smell.

when I want my cats to come out I use a turkey baster and squirt water in small jets to creat the affect of somthing small they can eat.


but worm works better

 

[Kalen]

That is crazy, I would freak out if I woke up and some fat catfish that was not supposed to be there was swimming around in one of my tanks haha

 

[Oscarum monstruoso]

Not that I doubt any of these stories, but maybe someone is playing a prank?

 

[SkySouza]

My spotted raf dissapeared for almost a year as well. Same as above. I pulled out a plastic piece of "driftwood" and heard this clicking and their he was fat as can be. I made the mistake of throwing him back in the tank (I didn't really want him he was a rescue) it took me another year to find him again and then I had to cut down the plastic tube with a saw to get him out. He'd been living in it for years.

 

[peewee]

you haven't cleaned your tank thoroughly in 7 years.

 

[Wet Whiskers]

you haven't cleaned your tank thoroughly in 7 years.

Hey, I'll be the first to say that I've completely dismantled tanks, and had hitch hikers stay in the wood. In fact, my stupid spotted Raphael stays in the wood so tightly, that I have given up. He has ridden with all the driftwood when we have moved both times. I don't let anyone else do this in fear they will get crushed, but that stupid thing is so wedged in there that you can't get him out. So, we throw the wood in a tub, pour some water in there and he wins. I've actually had a loach do this as well. It has nothing to do with a thorough cleaning.