Feeding Question

[JimW]

Over the many years of my life I have kept Cichlids. Well until recently I've never been able to keep a catfish in the same aquarium because regardless of what the person working at the store said they would always end up killed by the cichlids. Well recently I was given a beautiful little spotted very long whiskered fish they are staying away from. My issue is this, How can I best keep this fish feed? If I feed enough to allow food to drop to the tank bottom I end up fowling the water. The fish seems to only come out at night so I'm thinking of an after dark feeding? Is there a good all around food that will hold its form and not break down too quickly so the fish has time to find it? Thanks for the help and for this really informative website also.

[MatsP]

It would help quite a bit to know WHAT the catfish is - that would tell us what it's main diet is, and thus give us an idea of how best to feed it.

Feeding the fish after lights off is often something that works to prevent the cichlids from getting to the food (cichlids are generally active during the day and "sleeps" at night).

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Mats

[boubou]

good tips from matsP to give pellet at night

they also seem to like fresh vegetable that also easy to find and give time for synodontis to eat with cichlid...
but you need to identify your catfish first...

[MatsP]

they also seem to like fresh vegetable that also easy to find and give time for synodontis to eat with cichlid...

Assuming the catfish shows interest in vegetables/fruit, then that is indeed a good suggestion - but the "spotted and long whiskered" sounds like it could be a Pimelodid rather than a Mochokid fish - without a photo or correct ID we can't really say what it is - and thus not what it will eat. Most smaller pimelodid's do not eat fruit/vegetables.

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Mats

[JimW]

I'm going to the shop where the fish was purchased to pick up a few more animals today and I'll try to verify the species but looking through your data base this one is close if not the same

Aguarunichthys cf_tocantinsensis

[Mod edit: add CLOG tags (and appropriate name modification) --Mats]

[MatsP]

A very unusual fish, and I suspect it's a larger

Pimelodus pictus

, which is much more common in the trade.

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Mats

[Viktor Jarikov]

Jim, it is not a zero but a tiny, tiny probability you could have Aguarunichthys cf_tocantinsensis. If the fish was like $5-10 or under $20, it could not be Aguarunichthys cf_tocantinsensis.

But I am holding my fingers crossed for you, just in case. Just snap a pic, will you? Could you?

[JimW]

I couldnt get that lucky I found the proper name though Synodontis Eupterus seems like a good choice for my tank from what I've read so far. Likes the same conditions could reach 12 inchs but probably 6 or 7 in reality. And snapping a picture! I tried for an hour today, I might as well have tried to get a photo of a unicorn. I was almost ready to buy a USB extension cable and put my webcam on motion sensor mode. Man he's good at hideing... thanks guys.

[Viktor Jarikov]

JW: ...And snapping a picture! I tried for an hour today, I might as well have tried to get a photo of a unicorn.

VJ: , good one.

JW: I was almost ready to buy a USB extension cable and put my webcam on motion sensor mode. Man he's good at hideing...

VJ: Not all but most cats are. When he/she is acclimated, late evening and/or feeding time is usually the time to snap pics, i.e., if you'd rather not put the fish in a photo tank.

BTW, where in OH are you? I went to Bowling Green State University for 5 years.

[MatsP]

If your fish is

Synodontis euptera

, then it shouldn't be difficult to feed - they eat just about anything edible.

A nice fish - not very rare, but they are "good citizens" and fairly easy to keep, and can look after themselves in a group of other fish.

--
Mats

[Ozcattie]

Yes, My Euptera beats up my Kirbensis (dwarf c******s) & has even eaten a couple of the dying ones.

http://www.planetcatfish.com/forum/view ... =2&t=29140

But he makes himself WELL KNOWN at feeding time. The fact that he hides so much reminds me of a friends pimelodus pictus