Is this a tiger shovel nose?

[ShanerBock888]

Ah that's great news! How much has he grown in 3 months? Mine doesn't seem to want to move or eat at the moment, he had a bit of swim when i first put him in but now he doesn't wanna move. Guessing he's stressed from transit? Or are they usually like this? lol

He's lovely BTW!!

Thanks, I love him, such a great fish. Trained to eat out of my hand, greets me at the glass, and awesome looking. He's gone from about 1.5" and very slim to about 8" and beefy in less than 3 months, so about 6.5" of growth, from what I've read this rate is not normal at all, so I think you can expect closer to 1" a month.

The behavior you talk about is exactly what I experienced. He explored the tank at first, then settled down and didn't move or eat. I broke his fast with small earthworms and that seemed to open the door so he started eating anything I put in, including pellets. They are pretty sedentary during the day, being a nocturnal species. I've found that he's more active with dim lighting and when he's hungry. He seems to have a very good internal clock and starts hunting for food an hour or so before feeding time. I also turn out his tank light but leave on the room light for a while before lights out, gives me some time to watch him in action.

They're such awesome fish if you can house them properly. Watching him grow and seeing his colors change has been really exciting. You should be pumped!

 

[Chillz23]

Thanks, I love him, such a great fish. Trained to eat out of my hand, greets me at the glass, and awesome looking. He's gone from about 1.5" and very slim to about 8" and beefy in less than 3 months, so about 6.5" of growth, from what I've read this rate is not normal at all, so I think you can expect closer to 1" a month.

The behavior you talk about is exactly what I experienced. He explored the tank at first, then settled down and didn't move or eat. I broke his fast with small earthworms and that seemed to open the door so he started eating anything I put in, including pellets. They are pretty sedentary during the day, being a nocturnal species. I've found that he's more active with dim lighting and when he's hungry. He seems to have a very good internal clock and starts hunting for food an hour or so before feeding time. I also turn out his tank light but leave on the room light for a while before lights out, gives me some time to watch him in action.

They're such awesome fish if you can house them properly. Watching him grow and seeing his colors change has been really exciting. You should be pumped!

Thanks mate, yeah I'm actually really excited to watch this one develop! Should be fun to see my mum's reaction as she visits each week, she kept thinking my pacu was a new fish each week because it grew so rapidly! lol.

Can't wait to get him in the main tank! He does have cover but he just likes chilling out in the open at the moment. I'll go earthworm hunting nearer nighttime and see if he goes for that! That's how I got my fire eel eating, too! Is that last pic your latest pic of him?

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

... He's gone from about 1.5" and very slim to about 8" and beefy in less than 3 months, so about 6.5" of growth, from what I've read this rate is not normal at all, so I think you can expect closer to 1" a month.

The behavior you talk about is exactly what I experienced. He explored the tank at first, then settled down and didn't move or eat. I broke his fast with small earthworms and that seemed to open the door so he started eating anything I put in, including pellets. They are pretty sedentary during the day, being a nocturnal species. I've found that he's more active with dim lighting and when he's hungry. He seems to have a very good internal clock and starts hunting for food an hour or so before feeding time. I also turn out his tank light but leave on the room light for a while before lights out, gives me some time to watch him in action.

1" a month is time averaged over say the first 1-2 years. Fish often grow by spurts.

I used to think TSN were sedentary too. That is until i put them in very large tank w.r.t. their size. When they reach 1' they are not sedentary anymore. Cephalosilurus and other similar substrate ambush predators are sedentary. TSN cruize half the time all over tanks and ponds. But yes, half the time they will sit and rest.

Dimmer lighting is most usually helpful with evoking a more natural behavior from a catfish.

 

[Chillz23]

1" a month is time averaged over say the first 1-2 years. Fish often grow by spurts.

I used to think TSN were sedentary too. That is until i put them in very large tank w.r.t. their size. When they reach 1' they are not sedentary anymore. Cephalosilurus and other similar substrate ambush predators are sedentary. TSN cruize half the time all over tanks and ponds. But yes, half the time they will sit and rest.

Dimmer lighting is most usually helpful with evoking a more natural behavior from a catfish.

Thanks for the info bud, I have a dimmer light setup on his tank at the moment.

I didn't actually see him eat but his belly is bulging so I'm guessing he had some of the king prawn I put in! Phew!

 

[ShanerBock888]

I used to think TSN were sedentary too. That is until i put them in very large tank w.r.t. their size. When they reach 1' they are not sedentary anymore. Cephalosilurus and other similar substrate ambush predators are sedentary. TSN cruize half the time all over tanks and ponds. But yes, half the time they will sit and rest.

thanks for the clarification. This is my first TSN so I'm obviously operating on what I read on the internet and my experience so far. I've read that they get less sedentary but didn't realize they got that much more active. That's a very welcome surprise, thanks for the info. Does the same apply to RTCxTSN?

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

IME, yes. And RTC too. They all cruize half the time during the day, if not more in my 4500 gal. IDK what they do in the night. I guess they are even more active, general knowledge would say.

It is also true that they cruize more, the hungrier they get. If I had to quantize it, they go from half the time to 3/4 of the time or more.

The likely reason being that majority of keepers can't afford to keep TSN, RTC, and Co in large enough tanks; few opt for ponds, which tend to be be much larger. Hence, most people write that theirs are sedentary. But it's a unnatural consequence, not a their trait at all IME.

On the other hand, mine are not solo tanks. It is not natural for a bunch of large catfish and others to be stuffed in a small enclosure. So some of the activity is interaction, I can tell. Some almost tender and "intimate" like swimming along and tickling the object of your affection with long barbels all over, chasing it and doing it again and again Smaller guys tend to do it to the bigger guys. Some aggressive of various intensity, with usually the smaller ones on the receiving end.

Can only report what I saw in my circumstance. Bear the caveats in mind.

 

[Chillz23]

IME, yes. And RTC too. They all cruize half the time during the day, if not more in my 4500 gal. IDK what they do in the night. I guess they are even more active, general knowledge would say.

It is also true that they cruize more, the hungrier they get. If I had to quantize it, they go from half the time to 3/4 of the time or more.

The likely reason being that majority of keepers can't afford to keep TSN, RTC, and Co in large enough tanks; few opt for ponds, which tend to be be much larger. Hence, most people write that theirs are sedentary. But it's a unnatural consequence, not a their trait at all IME.

On the other hand, mine are not solo tanks. It is not natural for a bunch of large catfish and others to be stuffed in a small enclosure. So some of the activity is interaction, I can tell. Some almost tender and "intimate" like swimming along and tickling the object of your affection with long barbels all over, chasing it and doing it again and again Smaller guys tend to do it to the bigger guys. Some aggressive of various intensity, with usually the smaller ones on the receiving end.

Can only report what I saw in my circumstance. Bear the caveats in mind.

Thanks for sharing mate.

Had a look at your vids, what is the yellow looking cat you have?

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

What used to be sold as Hemibagrus nemurus but nowadays Hemibagrus spilopterus, I believe. Same genus as wyckii and ARTC.

(off topic)

 

[Chillz23]

Well my Shovelnose has come to life and is swimming up and down the bubbles. He is the cutest fish ever and he's 100% my favourite fish of all time!!

 

[halfbreed]

Looks like a tsn to me