albino channel cat

[parkeey, posts: 6]

firstly were can i purchase a small baby of these??

any online sites i can get one. after the white albino channel catfish..
thks

[parkeey, posts: 6]

im in uk too guys..

[MatsP]

You will struggle to find these, as they are illegal to keep in the UK.
http://archive.defra.gov.uk/foodfarm/fi ... pecies.pdf
(Catfish, in the genera Ictalurus ...)

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Mats

[parkeey, posts: 6]

Ictalurus punctatus
u sure this one is, i thought it was just the wells..
i think it might be illegal for retailers maybe? but im talking one fish here..lol

[MatsP]

If you follow the link I posted, it's quite clear that it covers England and Wales. (Unless your location of London is someplace in Scotland, as they have different rules, which MAY mean they are legal there).

They are illegal because they live in conditions that resemble those here in this country, which means they are a possible invasive species.

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Mats

[apistomaster, posts: 4570]

I can understand the reasons why Channel Catfish are not legally sold as aquarium fish in the UK. They are extremely adaptable and would thrive in UK fresh waters displacing many native species.
I would not be surprised if Channel Cats have not already been introduced into some private ponds/lakes in the past but I do not really know.
In the USA Clarias batrachus has been banned for decades because they became established in Florida and are certainly able to adapt to the fresh waters of other Southern States. Are they still legally sold in the UK?
If so then you could get an albino Clarias batrachus but do your research. They are vicious fish compared to a Channel Catfish. They get worse as they get larger. It is easy to grow one to 16 inches or more in an aquarium and they are extremely hardy. As mean as an albino Clarias may be it is still possible to keep them with other tough and large fish. They are the only other large catfish species I know of that is commonly available in the albino form.

[Viktor Jarikov, posts: 2275]

I thought scotcat says one can own a blue channel but with a license. Don't know about the channel cats but the two should be treated the same, logic would suggest.
http://www.scotcat.com/factsheets/ictal ... rcatus.htm

[MatsP]

Ok, so perhaps I was a bit quick in saying they are illegal. They are not illegal to keep in garden ponds and indoor aquaria (so not allowed to keep OUTDOORS in an aquarium!)

Who needs a licence? Everyone who plans to keep or introduce non-native fish of the species listed in the enclosed guide requires a licence under the Import of Live Fish (England and Wales) Act 1980. This includes fish farmers, retailers and dealers, as well as owners and managers of fisheries. The only exceptions are red shiner (Cyprinella / Notropis lutrensis) and fathead minnows or roseyreds (Pimephales promelas) to be kept in indoor aquaria only and grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella), sturgeon and sterlet (of the genera Acipenser, Huso, Pseudoscaphirhynchus and Scaphirhynchus) and catfish (of the genus Ictalurus Ameiurus) kept in garden ponds and indoor aquaria, for which a general licence has been issued and individual licences are not required. Red shiner, fathead minnow or roseyreds, grass carp, sturgeon and sterlet and catfish kept elsewhere, e.g. by retailers and dealers, require a specific licence. The general licence for catfish will be reviewed in 2003.

(My bold)
From:
http://www.defra.gov.uk/aahm/files/Form-ILFA1.pdf

However, they are indeed illegal to sell without a specific license, which still makes it hard to get hold of them, because most companies selling fish simply can't be bothered with the trouble of getting a license.

You may want to try Wildwoods in Enfield. They have been known to have license for other unusual pond fish.

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Mats

[This Younger Spouse, posts: 6]

Size is a consideration.

Channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) commonly reach more than 20 pounds. I have caught several myself while angling that weighed more than 30 pounds. The world record weighed 58 pounds.

Whether cats sold as "albino channel cats" are true channel cats, and/or whether "albinos," beyond merely the color distiction, are genetically dwarfed, I don't know.

Just thought I'd mention ultimate size, as that often precludes us from acquiring species we'd otherwise like to have.

[Birger]

Whether cats sold as "albino channel cats" are true channel cats, and/or whether "albinos," beyond merely the color distiction, are genetically dwarfed, I don't know.

A channel cat is a channel cat no matter the "color" ...

Just thought I'd mention ultimate size, as that often precludes us from acquiring species we'd otherwise like to have.

So true


Birger

[This Younger Spouse, posts: 6]

A channel cat is a channel cat no matter the "color" ...

That's what I figured. I hadn't heard of any daft channel cat varieties being developed, but I wasn't sure. People take plant and animal species and turn them into the damndest things sometimes.

[Birger]

That is true, so lets say for right now they have not been physically altered, hybridized, ballooned, longfinned, tattoed or glow in the dark as far as I know...yet.

Birger

[This Younger Spouse, posts: 6]

That is true, so lets say for right now they have not been physically altered, hybridized, ballooned, longfinned, tattoed or glow in the dark as far as I know...yet.

Birger

[Viktor Jarikov, posts: 2275]

the common abomination (IMO, you don't have to agree) in big cats is short-bodied/stunted...

... but we are way OTT