Upside-down catfish = carnivorous??

[Heady]

I have a 6" long upside-down catfish in a 100 gallon tank with various other smaller fish (cardinals, cories, harlequins, emperors). There was this one time where my school of 23 cardinals completely disappeared, maybe 4-5 a day, until there was just one left. Could the upside-down cat be the culprit? I didn't notice any other problems, and I hadn't added anything new to the tank in months, so I don't think it was disease.

There haven't been any other mysterious disappearances since, but I have another 22-cardinal school in quarantine waiting to be added to that tank. Should I relocate the cat, or could there have been something else going on here? I never found any bodies.

I really like the cardinals, but I also really like the cat. Very cute, spotted, and long, luxurious fins. Also really long barbels...

 

[LuxyBlue]

If the cardinals can fit in his mouth, he will hunt them at night. I had one that I was told was an upside down catfish but really ended up being 9 " long and looked like this:

He was VERY cool, but would eat small fish easily.

 

[A. Nonymous]

Most fish will eat anything they can fit in their mouths and upside down cats are no exception. Are we talking about S. Nigrofaciatus or something else? There are several species that are sold under that name and some of them get pretty good size.

 

[Heady]

Hm. I don't know exactly what it is exactly. It still swims upside down a lot.

I'll post a pic here after work, maybe somebody can tell me.

 

[Beowulff83]

well my featherfin swam upside down for a week next to my african buterfly fish then he swam back down with my pleco and sat next to him for another week . . . he was a crazy fish. . . oh yeah especialy with most catfish species they will eat anything that fits into there mouth. FW tiger sharks.

 

[Lupin]

Isolate your catfish. I bought a Synodontis eupterus at 4 inches (now 6 inches) because apparently the LFS told me it was eating small tankmates. Pity..It has a white spot on its right eye much like cataract (possibly an injury from the African cichlids) so he is now under my care.

 

[Lupin]

Here it is. The dorsal fin ray extensions have even extended more than the one shown in the pic.:grinyes:

 

[Heady]

Dude I think I have his twin.

Pardon the algae... I'm about to clean the tank and set up my very first pressurized CO2!!

 

[Heady]

So... Synodontis eupterus it is...

So if I move him out of the 100 gallon, that means he has to go into one of my 29's... seems kind of small

 

[Lupin]

He's indeed a Synodontis eupterus.:grinyes: 8 inches is max size I believe.