It just wont stop?!!?

[you made me ink]

ok so i have a columbian shark/ catfish in my 60 gallon tank and when feedin time comes round he starts to eat and he keeps eatin and his belly grows and grows and ... grows he just dosnt stop eatin im afraid hes gunna blow up lol but even after all the food is gone and his belly is obviously full he goes down to the bottom and digs around in the gravel in search of more food can anybody tell me why he wont stop eatin and how i can fix this litte problem i appreciate the help

[dorkfish]

You can fix this problem by limiting your feeding - fish don't know when to stop eating - you need to do it for them.

BTW, I'm 80% sure columbian sharks are brackish fish.

[TKOS]

They are brackish but generally are sold as freshwater. For a long life they need to move to brackish and then to high end brackish later in life. They also get huge, far too big for an aquarium (standard size).

Is your guy eating food from the top? Perhaps he is swallowing air at the same time and getting a bloated belly. Also if food is presoaked it can help prevent bloating.

[you made me ink]

they are brackish when they become adults but mines only about 1.5 yrs old

... im just afraid the other fish wont get any food if i dont feed them as much as i usually do cuz he tends to get most of the food

[SubluxT7]

Hey,

Here is what this site has to say about columbian sharks ;)

Columbian shark catfishes are among the most desirable of all aquarium fishes. They are big, powerful looking animals with sleek silver bodies and active natures. Although distinctly predatory, they are not aggressive and on the contrary, can be bullied by fishes like cichlids. Arius seemani (sometimes, incorrectly referred to as Arius jordani) lives in fresh and brackishwaters, and sometimes enters the sea. In aquaria hard, alkaline water is critical, as is a powerful filter and good oxygenation. A specific gravity of 1.005 to 1.015 is about right, with regular fluctuations within this range being beneficial to health. They need a big, roomy tank with a powerful motorised filter.

Anyway, I would suggest definitly limiting his/her food intake. If they look like they are going to blow up, then you are feeding too much. Cut back to at least half. Also, if you are worried about your other guys getting some food, I have heard of a couple people using turkey basters to introduce food directly to the fish, instead of letting it skim the top of float down. Good luck.

Sandy

[you made me ink]

from what ive read on many many site columbian sharks only get to about 10 inches long mines about 4 right now ...

...he does eat off the top but alot of times you can see the bumps in his belly from the pellets but i will try presoaking the food and hope it works thanks for all the help