I have been researching the vulture catfish and asking people an friends about their experiences with one and I keep getting different responses one guy tells me they are very calm catfish and get along with almost anything and a friend of mine said that he would not recommend vulture catfish for community aquariums at all because he said he had a full grown vulture catfish with his full grown fly river turtle or pig nose turtle and the vulture catfish ripped its throat out and another guy told me they are fine until they reach sexual maturity then they become a problem. Which is true about vulture catfish most of the time are they aggresive, good community fish, or are they ok at first until they hit sexual maturity?
Vulture catfish temperment
- Thread starter CaptainS
- Start date
I have one 10" vulture catfish juvenile in my "raising" tank, and this little beast is very aggresive. Especially when feeding time, this little beast don't give any chance to the other tankmates. My piraiba tail and barbel get ripped by vulture catfish, but the funny fact is, that my vulture catfish never touch triginus, like she doesn't have enough big nuts to bully tigrinus, when in fact is my tigrinus has very calm behaviour anyway. Here they are my little beasts 
Vulture catfish aren't aggressive IME. Extremely predatory and possibly dangerous to other tankmates yes. In nature they're very opportunistic and have been known according to Plantecatfish to attack bigger fish who are caught on rod and reel.
Many predatory fish if attacking large prey try to bite or outright amputate the tail fin in order to immobilize their prey not rip out throats. So I wouldn't put too much faith in whom ever told you a FRT's got it's throat ripped out by a Vulture cat. After immobilizing their prey the Vulture then in a piranha like fashion starts ripping pieces off their prey.
Since they're not aggressive sexual maturity should have very little to do with their personality even after it's onset. They are how ever aggressive eaters, which just means they move quickly to intercept food and will snatch food from other fish. So slow moving or easily intimidated fish wouldn't be good tankmates since the Vulture will out compete them for food.
As long as they're well fed and kept with appropriate tankmates(ie: not too small or slow, easily intimidated fish) Vultures can be a nice addition to a community. Active during the day they make a nice catfish addition since they are readily seen and are interesting to watch. The only other thing to be aware of is they grow fast. The fastest growing cats I ever had was redtail and redtail hybrids then my vulture and finally my granulosus all of which noticeably increased in size in a short period of time.
Many predatory fish if attacking large prey try to bite or outright amputate the tail fin in order to immobilize their prey not rip out throats. So I wouldn't put too much faith in whom ever told you a FRT's got it's throat ripped out by a Vulture cat. After immobilizing their prey the Vulture then in a piranha like fashion starts ripping pieces off their prey.
Since they're not aggressive sexual maturity should have very little to do with their personality even after it's onset. They are how ever aggressive eaters, which just means they move quickly to intercept food and will snatch food from other fish. So slow moving or easily intimidated fish wouldn't be good tankmates since the Vulture will out compete them for food.
As long as they're well fed and kept with appropriate tankmates(ie: not too small or slow, easily intimidated fish) Vultures can be a nice addition to a community. Active during the day they make a nice catfish addition since they are readily seen and are interesting to watch. The only other thing to be aware of is they grow fast. The fastest growing cats I ever had was redtail and redtail hybrids then my vulture and finally my granulosus all of which noticeably increased in size in a short period of time.
X2 They aren't aggressive in my experience either. I grew one out to 16-17" and the only other fish it didn't get along with was my curupira. They were together for a few years without any damage.
I agree with everything Kolt said.
Sure, any fish can go nuts. Some RTCs turn bloody murderer-predators. But overall, vultures have nothing on TSN as predators. They are opportunistic scavengers, not hunters like TSN. It takes I think a good group of them (boldness in numbers), strong hunger, and a fish in great distress for them to turn piranha on their victim - wounded fish, hooked fish.
When they feed, that's true, it is always a frenzy on steroids and drugs, if they are hungry. They dart, twist and turn their body insanely inhaling ALL the food they can, swallow in the process, and repeat instantly until their tummy is huge and round. Very few can match vultures in the speed of consumption. The word inhale can be used with them without exaggeration.
Adult vultures we all know little about as a community because we tend to lose our fish before full maturity. I've had a pair for a year 5 years ago. I've bought them a second time about 2 months ago from Snookn21. Six of them. My wife comes out of the house to see them feed, which says a lot. They have gone so far from twiggy 3" to chunky 6"-7".
Sure, any fish can go nuts. Some RTCs turn bloody murderer-predators. But overall, vultures have nothing on TSN as predators. They are opportunistic scavengers, not hunters like TSN. It takes I think a good group of them (boldness in numbers), strong hunger, and a fish in great distress for them to turn piranha on their victim - wounded fish, hooked fish.
When they feed, that's true, it is always a frenzy on steroids and drugs, if they are hungry. They dart, twist and turn their body insanely inhaling ALL the food they can, swallow in the process, and repeat instantly until their tummy is huge and round. Very few can match vultures in the speed of consumption. The word inhale can be used with them without exaggeration.
Adult vultures we all know little about as a community because we tend to lose our fish before full maturity. I've had a pair for a year 5 years ago. I've bought them a second time about 2 months ago from Snookn21. Six of them. My wife comes out of the house to see them feed, which says a lot. They have gone so far from twiggy 3" to chunky 6"-7".
Have you caught your vulture do it? I have a tig, a capa, and a dorado catfish in one 240 gal and the tig's intact including two tail streamers but the tails and pelvic fins of the other two are tattered. I think it is the tig. I think you may be blaming the vulture for tig's doing.
You're absolutely right Viktor, I was very wrong until once in the morning I suddenly found my vulture's tail got ripped already.
And the only one fish that still in good shape was B. tigrinum!
Yeah, what I have observed since my last post only reinforced my opinion. My tig is very aggressive to any other fish in its corner (and he keeps changing corners) - other Brachies, cyprinids, peacock bass, other large Pims, lung fish, wolf fish, etc.
Everyone's fins in his tank are tattered or even missing significant pieces and everyone keeps away from him a good distance but he alone is in perfect shape with two tail streamers longer than his body length.
I've never caught him red handed but it looks like most of this occurs at nights but not all of it.
Everyone's fins in his tank are tattered or even missing significant pieces and everyone keeps away from him a good distance but he alone is in perfect shape with two tail streamers longer than his body length.
I've never caught him red handed but it looks like most of this occurs at nights but not all of it.