I know there are a few different kinds but does anyone know if they are easy to keep? What do they normally eat? How big do they get?
Info needed on electric catfish.
- Thread starter Cheesetian
- Start date
There are many different Electric Catfish out there, but the most common we all see in the hoppy is the Malapterurus Electricus. The most important thing with Ecats is water quality. In the aquarium they love nice clean water. I run a Fluval Fx5 on my 75. Homer loves it, but they also like slower moving water. So I have made a spray bar to reduce the water curent. I feed homer a diet of mainly night crawlers, shrimp, sliced beef, sliced chicken, and goldfish. I hand feed every thing. Over time they will become very tame. It is said they will grow to 3 feet. How ever I have had mine for about 4 years now and he is at about 13-14 inches. I have seen some bigger. As a matter of a fact my lfs just got a baby in last week. Its about 3 inches for $20.00. I think a more standard size in the aquarium would be around 12 to 20". I have never seen one in person over 20 inches.
Check out these other threads
http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=352896&page=2
http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=366150
Check out these other threads
http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=352896&page=2
http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=366150
They are illegal in Oklahoma...As with some of the other neat fish I'd like to keep.
Good luck with it if you get it.
Good luck with it if you get it.
I've seen quite a few LFS that have one or two, 5-6" ones for sale at around $30. Was beginning to think nobody on MFK owns one. Thanks a lot for the information!
I got mine from the LFS at about 4" for $14.99 a year and a half or so ago. He's now heading past 9" and typically eats spirulina flakes, a mixture of bloodworms/brine shrimp/glassworms/marine cuisine/mysis shrimp, sinking carnivore pellets, tilapia, shrimp, scallops, and live fish when I can raise them or when I was still silly enough to think they might live peacefully.
His personality has changed a lot since we got him and goes through obvious growth cycles now.
I've tried to introduce ghost shrimp and malaysian trumpet snails to his tank more than once and neither has lasted a week. He finds and eats anything and everything that thinks about sitting near the bottom!
I really enjoy him but I still ask myself what the hell I was thinking getting this thing, lol. Even bought cichlids just last week to breed for his FOOD. Then I thought, WTF, I am keeping a tank to raise food for another tank, no not tank, single FISH to eat!
FYI, they start getting ugly around the 7-8" mark
His personality has changed a lot since we got him and goes through obvious growth cycles now.
I've tried to introduce ghost shrimp and malaysian trumpet snails to his tank more than once and neither has lasted a week. He finds and eats anything and everything that thinks about sitting near the bottom!
I really enjoy him but I still ask myself what the hell I was thinking getting this thing, lol. Even bought cichlids just last week to breed for his FOOD. Then I thought, WTF, I am keeping a tank to raise food for another tank, no not tank, single FISH to eat!
FYI, they start getting ugly around the 7-8" mark
Saterus;4646973; said:I got mine from the LFS at about 4" for $14.99 a year and a half or so ago. He's now heading past 9" and typically eats spirulina flakes, a mixture of bloodworms/brine shrimp/glassworms/marine cuisine/mysis shrimp, sinking carnivore pellets, tilapia, shrimp, scallops, and live fish when I can raise them or when I was still silly enough to think they might live peacefully.
His personality has changed a lot since we got him and goes through obvious growth cycles now.
I've tried to introduce ghost shrimp and malaysian trumpet snails to his tank more than once and neither has lasted a week. He finds and eats anything and everything that thinks about sitting near the bottom!
I really enjoy him but I still ask myself what the hell I was thinking getting this thing, lol. Even bought cichlids just last week to breed for his FOOD. Then I thought, WTF, I am keeping a tank to raise food for another tank, no not tank, single FISH to eat!
FYI, they start getting ugly around the 7-8" mark
Hey Saterus
I would love to see some pics if you can.
I had two. Loved them. Some of my favorite fish. Had one I bought for $2 at 1" in length. He grew to a length of about 8". Gave him away. Then I bought another for $5 at a length of about 2-3" and he reached 8" as well.
Come feeding time, they have a great personality. Both of them used to recognize when I came around the tank and present themselves.
Only problem...can't keep them with anything else.
Come feeding time, they have a great personality. Both of them used to recognize when I came around the tank and present themselves.
Only problem...can't keep them with anything else.
Wish they were cheaper here. $28 is a tad bit too much i'd pay for a fish that doesn't really look good. There's something about when predators kill their live prey that makes certain fish so.. mesmerizing? Pellets just isn't the thing for me. Live foods all the way.
I did try to feed an electric catfish before, the one i saw at a LFS. Uncle gave me a small pangasius catfish and the electric one just bit it and let go. Wasn't much swimming from the pangasius after that. Probably got a jolt of electricity or something.
I did try to feed an electric catfish before, the one i saw at a LFS. Uncle gave me a small pangasius catfish and the electric one just bit it and let go. Wasn't much swimming from the pangasius after that. Probably got a jolt of electricity or something.