Electric Catfish Tankmates

[Charney]

Likely on tankmates are driftwood and plants.

Honestly don't think the plants would make it

I have never had tankmates with my big guy. Pretty sure he would either kill them or make their existence miserable. He is in a 6x4 tank which I honestly think is tight for him. Not a great situation for possible tankmates

My true dwarf was with Congo tetras and they slowly disappeared

 

[amazonfishman]

Kept my E-Cat "Jimmy" the sausage with fins from 8-12" with 3 Syno Multipunctatus and 2 Syno Flavitaeniatus without any issues for 2 years. I tried the Syno's after reading they were immune to the shock and noticed after keeping them together they would cuddle up with the E-cat frequently and hangout without any issue.

Tried introducing a couple native fish as tester tankmates and the results went about as expected...the longear sunfish got zapped to death after it decided it wanted to hangout where the E-Cat spent most of it's time.

When I bought it originally it was living in a 180 with a 18" silver arowana and some other large african cichlid like a frontosa or something I don't remember specifically it was in the early 2000's and it never came out from under the slate hiding spots the fish store had created for it.

 

[LimaShovelnoseSaltwater92]

Guys, I REALLY need help. My E-cat has been doing fine ever since I got him. He has not been messed with by either gar or shovelnose, and he has not attacked them either. He was very active for the first two days, eating well, great water quality, no observable ick or parasites. Until today, where my friend observed him “stuck” to my intake for my canister filter for about 45 seconds. When I walked in after he called, he swam away like normal, no problems. Now, he is laying at the bottom of the aquarium, on his side, and looking very helpless and on the verge of death. No ammonia swings or anything to trigger this. I immediately treated the water with an anti parasite/ick medicine that has no copper or harmful for catfish ingredients. Could it be the swim bladder? What should I do? He was great the other day and perfect with the needles and shovelnose and I was planning to move the needles over time once he got a little bigger. I would hate to lose him. Please help?!?!?

 

[LimaShovelnoseSaltwater92]

Update: he has passed. I believe there must have been a problem with him at the store, or maybe I did something wrong but I have realized it yet. I am very sad that this happened as he was becoming my favorite fish already. As for the medicine, I will be doing a good sized water change and burying him tomorrow. He has been removed from the aquarium, as I sat for five minutes watching him, before the medicine was even fully dissolved (they were dissolving capsules) he did not move an inch, no gill movement whatsoever. When I was positive he had passed, I took my net to scoop him out but realized he was stiff and it seemed he had been dead for a long time. Thank you for your help.

 

[J. H.]

Update: he has passed. I believe there must have been a problem with him at the store, or maybe I did something wrong but I have realized it yet. I am very sad that this happened as he was becoming my favorite fish already. As for the medicine, I will be doing a good sized water change and burying him tomorrow. He has been removed from the aquarium, as I sat for five minutes watching him, before the medicine was even fully dissolved (they were dissolving capsules) he did not move an inch, no gill movement whatsoever. When I was positive he had passed, I took my net to scoop him out but realized he was stiff and it seemed he had been dead for a long time. Thank you for your help.

I don't know, but many people on here have lost ecats for seemingly no reason thebiggerthebetter thinks that it is something to do with their bio-battery. Sorry for your loss.

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

Update: he has passed. I believe there must have been a problem with him at the store, or maybe I did something wrong but I have realized it yet. I am very sad that this happened as he was becoming my favorite fish already. As for the medicine, I will be doing a good sized water change and burying him tomorrow. He has been removed from the aquarium, as I sat for five minutes watching him, before the medicine was even fully dissolved (they were dissolving capsules) he did not move an inch, no gill movement whatsoever. When I was positive he had passed, I took my net to scoop him out but realized he was stiff and it seemed he had been dead for a long time. Thank you for your help.

My sympathies. If the fish was well at the store and for two days in your tank even feeding well, then it'd be logical to assume that whatever caused its death has to do with your tank or the feed you gave it, the water, etc. IDK, a pH crash, low dissolved oxygen, a nitrite spike, very high nitrates, etc.

They are so greedy, they may overeat, get clogged and die.

We'd need a LOT more info to start analyzing and discarding possible causes. I can fetch a list. One must realize there are also unexplainable deaths.

My guess about the biobatteries is but a guess, a shot in the dark, and it appears to occur with bigger ecats raised for some time in captivity, not juvies or babies.

 

[ARKproject]

Update.
Been a few months now.
My E Cat has been living with a group of 7 Ctenopoma kingsleyae, one senegal Bichir and one Jewel Cichlid and everything has been great.
All fish are active, eating. None of the fish seem to be bothered by my E Cat. They interact constantly, the Bichir and E Cat even share the same PVC hide.