Gravel Change and a powerhead Made a Big Difference

[necrocanis]

Here are some diagrams of what I believe is wrong with your catfish. I remembered comming across some pictures of a shortbodied paroon shark skeleton where the breeders had bred fish with crooked spinal columns in order to achieve a shorter body with the head and other features being normal. Basically your catfish has a curvature of it's spine. I can actually see the curvature through the side of your fish. One is of a normal rtc, and the other is of yours. Black is bone.

 

[Wolf3101]

oops you caught by that hosted picture thing....lol but I'm sure your right.

 

[necrocanis]

sorry didn't realize I saved that one as a bitmap here you go. Basically you have probably the makings of a short bodied rtc. This is probably what the breeders of the short bodied paroon started with. Note; the curvature of the spine is probably more severe than what I show, I am just trying to give a basic understanding of what is going on underneath the skin. The curvature in shortbodied paroons is astounding. Seems inhumane to breed fish like that. Your's is just a genetic anomally.

 

[cichlid savage]

Wow this site is always so full of information.

 

[Bigairmxman]

good observation about the overlapping fins

 

[Bogwoodbruce]

Man this is an interesting thread, still an awesome tank and thread.

 

[tonymofo]

Wow you guys really know your stuff. Well when I got him the owner said he was ten inches and that was about a month and a half ago. He hasn't thrown up since I got him. I have also noticed he hasn't really gotten any longer but he as gotten wider(fatter). He eats feeders, mostly raw shrimp and recently pellets(hikari carivore). Now I know what his name is...... His name will be stumpy!!!!!!

Oh yeah, the guy I got him from took care of him pretty good. He had alot of tanks with alot of different fish. The RTC was in a 180 with two other smaller fish. It's probaly genetics