Sick Malapterurus electricus

[Beaters]

Hi --

I'm a newcomer here. I read with some interest another person's recent acount of a sick electric cat (M. electricus). I'm having problems with mine as well. This is a recent purchase, but not a baby. t's about 6 inches long, so I infer maybe 6 months to a year old. I had one of these many years ago without problems of any kind, so I'm not totally unfamiliar.

Presenting main problem is lethargy. Sometimes the fish lies on its side. Sometimes it's out of its hiding place during daylight hours (though the tank area is fairly dimly lit). t just doesn't lok right. No visible signs of injury or discoloration, etc. He has eaten three small goldfish in past week or so.

I'm keeping water at 78 F which looks like a bit on low side from figures in fishbase, etc. Ph is around 8 or 8.5. Water here is hard, and I've treated only with Stress Coat. This is a new 30 gallon tank I just moved him into. I had been expecting a smaller specimen, and had a smaller tank prepared when he arrived. He did OK for several days, but shortly after move to new tank he took ill.

Any suggestions?

[Silurus]

Was the new tank properly cycled?

[Beaters]

Was the new tank properly cycled?

I'm afraid I jumped the gun on this. The small tank had been prepared, but given the size of the fish I wanted him in something larger quickly. I have two other large, well established tanks, but both with other fish that I didn't want to wind up as food. Would be bettter off evacuating one of those and moving him in there?

Also, are the temperature and pH settings about right for him? Our water here is quite hard and alkaline as it comes ou of the tap.

[CFC]

This is a recent purchase, but not a baby. t's about 6 inches long, so I infer maybe 6 months to a year old.

A 6" e cat should be much less than a year old, i have a Malapterus microstoma which i have had for under a year and is now around 14 inches long, the fish was purchased as a 4" juvinile and reached a foot within the first 6 months. The only catfish i have seen with a faster growth rates are the larger Pimeloids such as Liearus species, RTC, TSN etc.

Lethargy is not a sign of a problem with these fish, in my experience unless they are hungry or feeding these fish spend the majority of their time just sitting on the bottom. Eating just three small goldfish in a week does not sound good though, e cats are reknowned for their gluttonous appetites, mine will eat till it looks like it will burst if allowed though obviously i restrict this for its own healths sake by feeding a mixed handfull of mussel, clam, prawn (shrimp) and white bait (small fish) twice a week.
If there is a problem i would suspect it is with the feeding of goldfish which are low in nutrition and often harbour diseases.

The temperature and pH you are keeping the fish at are similar to those that my e cat is kept at so i wouldnt beleive that this would be a problem. A properly cycled and well maintained 30 gallon tank should be fine to house the fish until it reaches 8-10 inches, if it is going through the cycling process then transplanting some mature filter media from one of your other set ups will speed things up for you by seeding the newer media with the benefitial bacterias.