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Feeding Electric catfish

Posted: 26 Feb 2016, 02:58
by mcaquatic
HI I have a 22 inch electric catfish that I am feeding daily. Should I be feeding him this frequently or would I be better with one or two meals a week?

Thank you

Re: Feeding Electric catfish

Posted: 26 Feb 2016, 08:03
by amiidae
I say twice a week sould be fine but depending on the current condition / character of your specimen. Got photos to show ? :)

Re: Feeding Electric catfish

Posted: 27 Feb 2016, 00:59
by mcaquatic
amiidae wrote:I say twice a week sould be fine but depending on the current condition / character of your specimen. Got photos to show ? :)

Thanks will try to get some photos later. He is a great fish. Overall fairly active and begs for food. Right now he is in a 180. I am contemplating moving him to a 225 (6ft x 4 ft).

Re: Feeding Electric catfish

Posted: 27 Feb 2016, 01:15
by catfishchaos
Do you know what species of electric cat?

Can't wait to see pictures, I would love to have one but I can't convince my mom to let me have defibrillators in my room =))

Re: Feeding Electric catfish

Posted: 27 Feb 2016, 04:44
by mcaquatic
It should be Malapterurus microstoma . I guess if he doesn't grow any more the importer was right.

Re: Feeding Electric catfish

Posted: 30 Apr 2016, 14:36
by faxling
What do you feed it with ?? I

Re: Feeding Electric catfish

Posted: 20 Aug 2016, 21:37
by Lycosid
I'd like to resurrect this thread to ask about food quantities. I've got a small (palm of my hand length) Malapterurus sp. which I acquired quite recently. With surface-feeding fish that I've kept before I've always used the rate of feeding to determine how much food to throw into the tank but this guy waits until the food hits the bottom, and often longer. In fact, it was only this morning that I actually saw him feed, and then only when I turned the lights down and sat quietly for fifteen minutes.

Everything I've seen suggests that these catfish are quite happy to eat themselves into serious obesity so I want to be sure I'm providing enough food but not too much.

I'm currently feeding frozen bloodworms and the occasional live mealworm (since I happen to have a number of them on hand and I figured the twitching of the drowning worm might stimulate his predatory instincts).

Re: Feeding Electric catfish

Posted: 21 Aug 2016, 13:33
by N0body Of The Goat
I appreciate I'm talking about a different species, but I typically feed my ~23cm SL Chrysichthys ornatus every other day. I make a rough solid ball from New Era Catfish pellets, that is ~1cm radius, as his/her staple diet. My catfish is not very active, as far as I'm aware, I must get round to setting up my night vision camera to check what this fish gets up to in the middle of the night.

Re: Feeding Electric catfish

Posted: 22 Aug 2016, 01:49
by Viktor Jarikov
I'm guessing your ecat is adjusting. When comfortable, they are very unfussy and glutonous.

I'd feed until the tummy's round and let it go flat until next feeding.

Re: Feeding Electric catfish

Posted: 22 Aug 2016, 23:13
by Lycosid
Great. He's definitely responding to food faster now, and seems to care less that I'm watching him eat.