Hi from Seattle

[123456]

Hi everyone!!!

I currently have no monster fish yet but I am planning to start by getting my Tigrinis catfish in the coming week. Obviously, I am excited as heck but at the same time very scared of screwing up on such an prized fish.

I have been doing A LOT of reading on here and seem to have found more useful information here than the rest of the internet.

I am purchasing them through a reputable seller who also post on here. He has been keeping the the fish as pH 8.0! A little higher than what I have read that they should be kept. But it is how his water comes out of the tap. Where I am, water is soft and around pH 7.0.

Any suggestions as to the best way to acclimating them? I have read Mile's sticky about using the denitrators/declorinators/deammonizers in the bag upon opening it and then to net the fish out into the tank as soon as possible. I can see how Mile's explanations about how the pH can be affected with the temp/Co2/O2 relationship.

However, I've always done the method of how the sellers of the tigs' been doing it. This method would consist of emptying half the water out of the bag upon opening and float the bag in in the tank water while slowly adding a cup or so of water in the span of an hour.

So would a good compromise of the 2 to be adding a little denitrators/declorinators/deammonizers in the bag upon opening and then to flow the bag for slowing adding the tank water?

Another problem I foresee is that the seller has told me that the tigs have only eaten live guppies/mollies. It is currently 8" and he attempt to starve it for MP/frozen/pellets resulted in no food intake for 3 weeks. (which resulted in the seller putting it back on feeders). Is there any chance I can still ween them off live food? And since I don't have a stock of guppies/feeders, how would I if any quarantining or removing potential diseases could I do to fish store bought feeders?

Any other experiences about the temperature/pH/water current/oxygen level, or anything at all about keeping Tigs or shovel noses would be really appreciated!!

Sorry for the long post. Just have a lot to learn!!!

 

[knifegill]

Welcome aboard!

Be sure your tank is cycled (tell us you know about the nitrogen cycle!) before add sensitive fish like tigrinus to it. Sounds like you're pretty well informed judging by the kinds of questions you're asking.


Be prepared to feed this fish gut-loaded live food its whole life if it refuses to take pellet. Either that, or pass on it and get the one at QT in chinatown. They have had one for a very long time priced around $800, unless it sold already. I think they have it on pellet, but I could be wrong.

I would acclimate with an airstone in a bucket. He's an okay size to spend twenty minutes in a bucket. Add just enough of the water he was shipped in into the bucket to cover the fish, then add the catfish and the airstone. Now do a drip siphon through a length of airline from the tank he's headed for until the bucket is full, and move the cat into the quarantine tank for observation. It you think it through and question it, this is among the least stressful yet ways ways to do it. Especially with a pH difference like that!

 

[Kaosu]

yay another Washingtonian!!

Welcome to MFK

 

[Tanks of Steel]

Hi everyone!!!


Another problem I foresee is that the seller has told me that the tigs have only eaten live guppies/mollies. It is currently 8" and he attempt to starve it for MP/frozen/pellets resulted in no food intake for 3 weeks. (which resulted in the seller putting it back on feeders). Is there any chance I can still ween them off live food? And since I don't have a stock of guppies/feeders, how would I if any quarantining or removing potential diseases could I do to fish store bought feeders?


I am a live food feeder. I have made mistakes in the past and killed my fish. Hedre is what you do. Buy a 20 gallon long tank. Put cheep filtration from walmart or wherever on it. Buy a uv-sterilizer for it. $45 one from ebay it what I using now has built in pump $10 for shipping (I think?). This sterilizer will change over the water in 20 gal like 20 times an hour. Go to your fishing bait store and buy minnows of appropriate size. Your catfish have huge mouths. Place minnows in 20 gallon overnight before adding any to your tank as feeders. Eventually, Make sure you are running uv-sterilizer on your main tank as well for complete protection. This the ONLY way to successfully feed live fishes to large predators and keep them healthy without paying LFS feeder fish prices. I buy 40 minnows for $3 cuz the old guy doesn't count. 2 1/2 iinch minnows. Fish grow well. There is now better diet. You cannot mimic the enzymes and trace elements that are in a live food. Anyone who says they can just hasn't thought about it enough.

 

[knifegill]

There are no live bait shops here. Illegal to use live (vertebrate) bait. Sucks a big one. We are relegated to breeding livebearers and using a lot of worms, etc.

 

[123456]

Thanks for the welcome guys. Glad to see more WA people here. Thank goodness I do understand the nitrogen cycle and I already have a tank cycled and awaiting their arrival.

I had to try to google a bait fish places in Seattle but to no avail.

QT's one has been there for so long... can't believe it's still not sold yet. But $800 is way too much imo, but no harm done if Andy (QT) doesn't sell it I guess, it's definitely a show stopper for the shop.

The fish should be arriving on Tuesday. So I am excited as heck. I would prefer to wean it off live so and just keep feeders as treats. The seller did say that he had no luck with that. But he has only had the fish for 3 to 4 months. I hope it's not too late and I'll have better luck.

 

[Red Devil]

welcome to mfk.. take your time and take in all the advice you can.. ask questions and then decide what is the best way to go about it.. you have so much to offer us too just from your experiences during this project ..alot of people will be learning along with you.. enjoy mfk.. and if you need any help putting your questions in the right forums just ask..always here to help with anything on the forum.. nice to meet you..

 

[Lupin]

to MFK!

 

[goestonemoa]

WELCOME

 

[123456]

Thanks for the welcome guys. Been pretty much glued to this site for most of any chance I've been on the computer in the last week or so. The Tigs have settled in but are not eating yet. Of course I am worried, but not freaking out yet. I have feeders in the 20g with a UV filter going in it for a couple of days now. So hope they will take some food soon.