Hemibagrus wyckii

[Mentzer]

To all the MFK's who have (or had) Hemibagrus wyckii a question?
Did you have them in solitary confinement aka species tank? Or....
Did you manage to keep them with tankmates. I think there is a lot of hype being recycled with the truth, similar to those of Channa micropeltes.
I have read some anecdotal evidence of them being successfully kept with other large fish IF they were familiarised early on at a small size. Interested in your experiences.

 

[ng80]

I have owned a 2ft wykki and this was my first monster catfish. It lived in a 8ft tank alone because it killed lots of tank mates. I wouldnt mix the snakehead with the catfish. Because one is going to get killed.
The wykki is a nasty catfish and it kills for fun beacuse it can. they will bite if you get too close to thier cave when cleaning.
The hype is well deserved with this fish.

 

[Mentzer]

I have owned a 2ft wykki and this was my first monster catfish. It lived in a 8ft tank alone because it killed lots of tank mates. I wouldnt mix the snakehead with the catfish. Because one is going to get killed.
The wykki is a nasty catfish and it kills for fun beacuse it can. they will bite if you get too close to thier cave when cleaning.
The hype is well deserved with this fish.

Yes, I had a smallish one years ago (about 12") before I had my 31.5" RTC, and it used to bite, it's a bit like a "chinese burn" due to the lack of dentition but powerful all the same. And no, I certainly would not put one in with my 3 micropeltes when they are bigger, either the wyckii would get bitten in half during the day or they would get picked off during the night...

 

[chrisdef15]

When does he ever mention putting a snakehead with it??
I had a small one 8" which i stupidly got rid of. It was abit small to be as agro as everyone else says they are but twice on 2 seperate nights i woke up in the night walked past the tank and saw the catfish holding on to convicts by the head. These werent small ones he could eat he was just killing them, and both mornings when i woke up i found dead uneaten convicts on bottom of tank.
They def seem to kill not just for food unlike most other catfishes.
It also used to lip wrestle the cichlids and not just run away like other catfishes which was pretty cool to watch to.

 

[Hartzell]

Did you mean an Asian RTC? I have a 26" one with a 24" RTC, a 24" CK and a 20" pleco. He's quite shy, and is always the last to eat during feeding.

 

[Mentzer]

Did you mean an Asian RTC? I have a 26" one with a 24" RTC, a 24" CK and a 20" pleco. He's quite shy, and is always the last to eat during feeding.

No South American RTC, never had Asian RTC, but from friends experiences who have I believe they can be almost as bad a H.wyckii

 

[Mentzer]

When does he ever mention putting a snakehead with it??
I had a small one 8" which i stupidly got rid of. It was abit small to be as agro as everyone else says they are but twice on 2 seperate nights i woke up in the night walked past the tank and saw the catfish holding on to convicts by the head. These werent small ones he could eat he was just killing them, and both mornings when i woke up i found dead uneaten convicts on bottom of tank.
They def seem to kill not just for food unlike most other catfishes.
It also used to lip wrestle the cichlids and not just run away like other catfishes which was pretty cool to watch to.

Yes, you are correct in your snakehead observation question...

Again as you state it's the crepuscular/nocturnal activity that's the problem as I see it, no matter how big / tough / aggressive the tankmate is unless they have the same bio-clock they will get badly beaten / killed / eaten during the night resting / asleep when it's in full-on hunter killer mode. I think the only exceptions may be if the fish were HUGE in mass comparison or another large catfish (rip-saw perhaps?), even then there is the floor territory issue....