PlanetCatfish.com

Hi, Im new to this forum, and Im new to catfish caring.
The thing is, 2 days ago, I went to Lake Ontario (Freshwater lake), and caught a baby catfish (less than 1 inch long, all black, no spots or strips or anything like that. I think it has 6 whiskers around its mouth. 2 under, 2 across, 2 above. Hard to count. white round eyes.)

I have done some research regarding the care of the catfish, but I still wish to ask some experts here to make sure.

1. Is it even a catfish? Im certain its a catfish, but might be wrong.
2. I found out that people feed it raw bits of meat, shrimps, and even bread. Is this correct?
3. I put it in my goldfish tank with my goldfishes. Is this safe?
4. It was always swimming at the top of the tank, never going down. I turned on my air pump/filter for a few hours, and then it went down to the bottom. Was is just up there for air, or is there something more to it? like food?
5. Right now it spends ALL of its time hiding inside a castle I put into the tank. Its always there, just staying idle, or moving up and down once in a while. Is this normal?
6. Is there any special type of water,water temperature, and pH level I have to be aware of? Other than my pump/filter, I have no other equipment to monitor or take care of my tank. Im not sure how I can monitor the water condition if I must. I use normal tap water that I set side for a few days for the tank. I dont filter it either.
7. Any other tips are appreciated.

Thank you for taking your time to read/answer my questions.

Sounds like you might have a black bullhead (). Check the link for care instructions.

Im still worried, because I put some tiny pieces of hotdogs, an earthworm, and some bread crumbs into the tank, but it does not seem to be eating any. It have not eaten anything for 2 days and Im worried that it may die of starvation. I don't know how i can make it eat the food.

Welcome, friend.

It is normal for fish to abstain from food for 1 or even 2 weeks while adjusting to a new tank and new water. Please, remove the foods it does not eat, otherwise it will spoil your water and threaten your pet's health and life. Please, do not feed it hot dogs and bread. Earthworm is an excellent choice.

I'd be happy to answer all your OP questions but I think a photo is not too much to ask for. We need to be sure we are advising you on the right fish.

Ok, will get a photo as soon as i get my camera back from my dad. Also, why not hotdogs or bread? The link provided says dry and frozen foods are ok.

Yes. Dry and frozen fish foods, not human foods. Examples of dry foods: pellets, flakes, freeze-dried bloodworms, krill, plankton, etc. Examples of frozen (and thawed) foods: fish, shrimp, crab, mussel, sea foods, frozen bloodworms, brine shrimp, mysis shrimp, etc.