Went to my lfs today and there was a tank of what was titled "oil catfish". The thing is I stood there looking at them for a couple minutes and not one of the 10-15 of them moved....... They were very small and actually blended in so well with the substrate that you could barely see them. I actually wondered if they were even alive. Anyone know anything about these cats? Just curious.
Oil Catfish?!
- Thread starter puffer_girl
- Start date
they are tatia catfish i own a couple and they only come out when the worms hit the water and after the lights go out
Thanks. At least I know now that they are usually not very active especially during the day. Was actually worried about them!!! Hate seeing fish that are sick and not taken care of. The fact that not ONE moved the whole time I looked at them made me wonder..... I brushed my finger along the glass and not even a twitch!!!!
tatia perujiae 2.5 inches they are internally fertilized you can tell them apart the same way you do with live bearers
There are several "wood" or "oil catfish" out there but I believe the most common has to be T. perugiae, not that it makes them any less easier to find. 
They're very cute, very calm small catfish. They're dependant on live foods and can be hard to keep fed. I bought a group of 4 a few months ago, 1 male died after refusing to eat, 2 females just barely started really eating (and are incredibly skinny after holding out so long), the other male has eaten like a pig from early on and has a rather plump belly the rest of his body teeters on when he's sitting still on the substrate.
In deep tanks they will search food at the top of the water with their wiskers extended straight up feeling for live-foods (like mosquito larvae). I cannot offer mosquito larvae ATM so I offer live bloodworm from my fingers and hold them long enough for the cats to suck up as many as they can before falling. I'll repeat this till they're full.
In shallower tanks they'll search the bottom a little but the middle and upper strata become closer and they seem less shy about looking for food. They'll come out ready like little search and destroy machines examining every nook and cranny and huggng any piece of rock or wood for a bit of food as soon as they smell it.
They appear to have very poor eyesight and are considered nocturnal though they'll adjust to diurnal feeding.
They're not very active save for feeding time. They can be territorial wth eachother, when one intrudes on anothers hidey hole you might be able to see some action. Otherwise they're completely benign and peaceful toward other community type fish. Very beautiful as well.
They're very cute, very calm small catfish. They're dependant on live foods and can be hard to keep fed. I bought a group of 4 a few months ago, 1 male died after refusing to eat, 2 females just barely started really eating (and are incredibly skinny after holding out so long), the other male has eaten like a pig from early on and has a rather plump belly the rest of his body teeters on when he's sitting still on the substrate.
In deep tanks they will search food at the top of the water with their wiskers extended straight up feeling for live-foods (like mosquito larvae). I cannot offer mosquito larvae ATM so I offer live bloodworm from my fingers and hold them long enough for the cats to suck up as many as they can before falling. I'll repeat this till they're full.
In shallower tanks they'll search the bottom a little but the middle and upper strata become closer and they seem less shy about looking for food. They'll come out ready like little search and destroy machines examining every nook and cranny and huggng any piece of rock or wood for a bit of food as soon as they smell it.
They appear to have very poor eyesight and are considered nocturnal though they'll adjust to diurnal feeding.
They're not very active save for feeding time. They can be territorial wth eachother, when one intrudes on anothers hidey hole you might be able to see some action. Otherwise they're completely benign and peaceful toward other community type fish. Very beautiful as well.
Awesome fish.. We have some in-stock right now, and Import them often!! Everyone seems to love them, and breeding them is quite an experience from what I understand!
Heres a pic for referance, Enjoy!
Heres a pic for referance, Enjoy!
