Goonch ID?

[Winterose]

Hey guys, I have this picture of a goonch catfish, but I have a hard time differentiating amongst the types. What do you think we got here?
Thanks in advance!

 

[kno4te]

Chicxulub

 

[Chicxulub]

Bagarius rutilus. Big'un, too.

 

[Winterose]

ahh thanks guys!

 

[Winterose]

If i'm not mistaken, they typically live in cooler water right? low 20s? or are they fine in the high 20s as well?

 

[Chicxulub]

That's the highland species. B. rutilus is a lowland species from the tropics of southeast Asia in and around Thailand.

 

[Winterose]

Chicxulub Ahh okay, gotcha. So around the 80s is perfect then
What do you think of the specimen itself? Is it easy to take care of?

 

[Chicxulub]

Chicxulub Ahh okay, gotcha. So around the 80s is perfect then
What do you think of the specimen itself? Is it easy to take care of?

I keep mine in the same conditions as every other tropical fish I keep. They seem to be more tolerant of hard water than are South American species fwiw.

As to your specimen, it's an absolute beast. As to Bagarius in general, I find them to be excellent tank decor. Getting them off of love can be a challenge, but once they are, they'll learn to associate your presence with food and some can even become downright gregarious.

This is a fish that requires patience. Once you've broken it, they make good captives.

 

[Winterose]

Chicxulub Thanks for the kind compliments! Its still on feeders, but would love to convert it into pellets. Are yours on pellets or have any tips?
Thanks so much!

I've also read about how goonch, notably the rutilus, have the random deaths from the site. Kinda scary to think about, but is that something that is now in the past? or are there still unknowns as to why the deaths occured?

 

[moe214]

Cant say I’ve seen a long thread on any goonch really.... maybe I didn’t type the right words in the search function once upon a time