Does anyone keep these? I don't know...I see all these people keeping redtail catfish, and yeah, they're really cool, but they need a huge tank. Recently I've been trying to look at some alternatives...I'd love to have a monster catfish (i.e. something bigger than 6"), but I also want something that's manageable.
I think a few folks have, but I believe you'll find that most North American catfish are fairly unpopular with hobbyists. Well, except for channel cats that is. I'd like to see some more white cats in the hobby. I've caught them fishing before. They have a large mouth and, when compared to other ictalurids, very well developed teeth.
Somewhat off topic; I've tried blue cats before. FUN fish, but definitely not easily manageable lol
Regrettably, I think I have never seen one reported here or elsewhere. I aim to myself. Perhaps asking in the "Cold, Temperate Water, ... Native American Fish..." forum would be more fruitful.
I'd expect that MN_Rebel would remember/know if one has been reported here.
Well Viktor, I didn't realize that the cat-e-log was missing good, in-tank shots of a white cat. I'll see if I can rectify that like I did with the blues!
I think a few folks have, but I believe you'll find that most North American catfish are fairly unpopular with hobbyists. Well, except for channel cats that is. I'd like to see some more white cats in the hobby. I've caught them fishing before. They have a large mouth and, when compared to other ictalurids, very well developed teeth.
Somewhat off topic; I've tried blue cats before. FUN fish, but definitely not easily manageable lol
It looks like Black Bullheads have the ability to get fairly large too...
If anyone knows of any good South American/Asian catfish that are good to keep, speak up
I kept a pair of white cats many years ago, easy to tell the difference between males and females, the males are the one's with big heads and slender bodies, females have smaller heads but thicker bodies. They weren't the most interesting fish to keep and didn't seem to have much in the way of personalities like some cats do but were easy to keep and remained shy, not fussy about food and didn't grow much past 14" or so. Fishermen often mistake them for channel cats due to their slightly forked tails but they lack the black spots. Their looks really kind of resemble a cross between a bullhead and a channel cat...
Thanks for sharing! Yeah all the catfish I kept before were extremely shy, but watching them eat was always entertaining
Perhaps if you just kept them in very dim light they would be more active?
Generally true for most catfish, since my hobby is mainly cats I don't use lights anyway, some species will hide all day and only come out of hiding when the room is dark but most all prefer dim light. The white cats I kept were somewhat active during the day once they grew up, by comparison less active than channel cats, more active than black bullheads that I've kept..
You have no idea. They swim like an iridescent shark, eat like a red tail catfish and are very bitey when kept in tropical temps. They LOVE current, too. When kept at 68-72*, they're much more manageable.
They have an incredibly winning personality though. Very alert and aware. Not really afraid of anything. I love the cobalt blue color of them, too. I really want to try one again some day when I have to means to give it the specialized attention it needs.
