Can You Identify This Catfish??
- Thread starter sawyer1206
- Start date
You're holding on to this one for a "told you so" some years down the road aren't you?
Maybe.
Speaking of feeding....My friend told me he fed his fish a dozen feeder fish a week. I have 2 Largemouth Bass and a spotted climbing perch that reside in the tank that are used to being fed live meals. I have had the Catfish for about a month now and have not seen the catfish eat anything.
I typically buy a couple dozen minnows a couple times a week. The Bass usually go on a feeding frenzy and take half right away. The other half will be in the tank when I go to bed but are gone when I wake up. I know the perch feeds at night and the Bass will also but how do I know if the catfish is getting his fair share.
I tried putting a piece of sliced hotdog in the tank for the catfish but he never touched it. The Rosie reds ate on it for a couple of days before I took it out.
A pic of the other Aquarium inhabitants....
I typically buy a couple dozen minnows a couple times a week. The Bass usually go on a feeding frenzy and take half right away. The other half will be in the tank when I go to bed but are gone when I wake up. I know the perch feeds at night and the Bass will also but how do I know if the catfish is getting his fair share.
I tried putting a piece of sliced hotdog in the tank for the catfish but he never touched it. The Rosie reds ate on it for a couple of days before I took it out.
A pic of the other Aquarium inhabitants....
If they are a typical catfish, you needn't worry about them getting their fair share. If they are hungry, they won't stop moving and will pursue anything in the tank that moves. Some cats will actually eat rocks or other objects they can fit in their mouthes. If your bass still have fins and tails, then I'm pretty sure it's eating. I know it gets harder to tell as they get bigger, but does he look bloated at all in the morning? Perhaps you can overfeed the tank one time and check for bloating? Your other option is to segregate him and then check.
yeah....but.....
saying that this fish will reach 24" or more is the same as saying those bass will get to 25 pounds. Just because one fish in the wild got to a certain size doesn't mean that all fish of the same species have the same potential. Especially when there has been stunting. A stunted fish will not regain 100% of it's potential maximum size, hence the term stunted. It may still get to a reasonable size, but won't get huge.
There are also size differences between males and females (females get larger), so this fish might not come close to 24", or 7 pounds if it's male.
I think we're getting a bit optimistic here. I know we all hate the "fish only grow to the size of the tank" mantra, but equally silly is the notion that all fish will grow to the maximum potential for the species, given enough food and time. Some fish are just genetically smaller (i.e. shorter humans and taller humans). Who knows what this fish will grow into? My money is on much less than two feet.
As the picture below illustrates a study done by the Department of Agriculture. The availability of their food source is proportional to their growth rate. And I do agree that not all fish have the "Andre the Giant" potential, it all boils down to having the right genes, an abundant food source, and the right enviorment.
