Asain Redtailed Catfish
- Thread starter Mikeamat0
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- catfish help redtail catfish
I have had one for a couple of years now. It's about 2.5'. In 4500 gal. I've no time to read 5 pages currently. Read page 1 and page 4. Has the problem of not feeding been resolved? Sorry.Np. Hope this is helpful.
Ive left it alone and it now hangs out laying almost on its side/belly inside a PVC pipe i cut. Has no eaten or shown any signs of being hungry. Im worried now
Hopefully some feeders will entice the little guy... if not maybe get him a similar tank mate so he can start to compete for his food, though with another felllow cat so he feels comfy + won't starve hopefully.
The ammonia and nitrite must read firmly at zero ppm by an API liquid test tube kit. Is this so in your tank?
What is the nitrate level you keep referring to (by the same kit)?
Yes, the confrontation with the cichlid is not without its consequences. It might have delayed reaching comfort.
In general, it is not normal for a young catfish to go for 1.5 weeks without feeding in a new tank but neither it is unheard of. I'd not worry much yet. After a month, yes. They can fast for months without (big) problems.
Yes, strong light could stress out the catfish. I'd suggest dimming it or better yet just utilize natural room lights for now, just as you have started doing.
To me, this is avoidance. Dan asked you a direct and rather unambiguous question. You gave an indirect and incomplete answer. You are new here and we don't know your level of mastery of the hobby. For all we know you might be far ahead of all of us. But until we do know this, please, consider showing more respect to people (those who are sincerely) trying to help you and help us help you.
When asked about water parameters, ideally I'd expect
-- ammonia
-- nitrite
-- nitrate
-- pH
-- temp
-- hardness KH and GH
-- dissolved oxygen (just a description of the aeration)
-- stability of the temp, pH, and KH
**********
I apologize if I appear arrogant or confrontational. Not my intent. I am but a man.
This fish still hangs out in the same spot 24/7. Sometimes at night before bed i catch him swimming around a tiny bit and than going back to his spot. He has still not eaten anything from me i dont understand because it has been over 2 weeks. I would think he would have starved by now. Can anyone make sense of this ? Im really unsure how to go about it
I was assuring dan that the tank has been properly cycled and is tested very often with the API liquid test kit. In no way was i trying to seem disrespectful and do apologize for that although i do not see how i was not being respectful. Anyway, i can see where your coming from i most definetly couldve answered that in a better way. I have owned multiple tanks since i was about 15 years old (Currently 22 years old) so i will be the first to say i am no master but i will say in confidence that i am fairly experienced. I will post up my complete water paremeters tomorrow morning. I appreciate the advice. He barely leaves the spot that he sticks in 24/7. Sometimes i do catch him swim a tiny tiny tiny bit but other than that i get nothing. Getting pretty concered over here!
- Thanks for any help
Hey Mike, I appreciate your not telling me to hike somewhere else and engage in something entirely different and refreshing
I too am a bit sorry about how it came out... sighs... I could have been a lot more graceful and said it simpler. Just ain't got it. Your are not guilty that I became sensitized to the subject.We get a lot of questions from new members and it is 99.9% of the time a tooth-pulling and time-consuming exercise to even start establishing a mere baseline on what might be wrong, if anything, in their tanks and get them to tell their water parameters because (as it eventually turns out) by far and large most usually they never test their water or never use the liquid tests... and often don't want to admit it either. Or even admit their water contains ammonia or nitrite or some other parameter is wrong.
It is also the best practice to have the test kit at home and not run to LFS any time one needs a measurement.
Anyhow, I am looking forward to more info. Meanwhile, I assume you don't exactly know what transpires at nights, or do you? You must be speaking for the day time that the fish doesn't move much.
Is there any damage on it? Fins? Scuff marks?
If the fish started out the fast looking healthy and fed, I'd not worry about a 2 week fast. But something's off and we need to figure out what. The only way for us to remotely attempt make sense of it is to be armed with all the info you can give us.
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No reason to tell you to take a hike! You seem very knowledgeable and i comepletely understood where you were coming from. I am going to be back home soon and will give an update of complete paremeters with my API test kit. There seems to be no damage on the fish whatsoever. I tried this morning putting my hand in the water and getting a little closer to him and dropped a pellet right in by past his face and he paid no mind to it ( of course took the uneaten pellet back out). I dont get to see what he does at night. If this issue persists i do have a good computer settup with camera that i would be able to leave one running to watch what he does over night the next day.Hey Mike, I appreciate your not telling me to hike somewhere else and engage in something entirely different and refreshing
We get a lot of questions from new members and it is 99.9% of the time a tooth-pulling and time-consuming exercise to even start establishing a mere baseline on what might be wrong, if anything, in their tanks and get them to tell their water parameters because (as it eventually turns out) by far and large most usually they never test their water or never use the liquid tests... and often don't want to admit it either. Or even admit their water contains ammonia or nitrite or some other parameter is wrong.
It is also the best practice to have the test kit at home and not run to LFS any time one needs a measurement.
Anyhow, I am looking forward to more info. Meanwhile, I assume you don't exactly know what transpires at nights, or do you? You must be speaking for the day time that the fish doesn't move much.
Is there any damage on it? Fins? Scuff marks?
If the fish started out the fast looking healthy and fed, I'd not worry about a 2 week fast. But something's off and we need to figure out what. The only way for us to remotely attempt make sense of it is to be armed with all the info you can give us.
I will update the paremeters for you shortly.
I'll add my .2 cents.. it's an artc. They hate the light for one, I noticed you mentioned it's on 24/7. I would highly advise against this, its uncomfortable for the fish, and doesn't simulate real time. As mentioned they can go a while without eating, along with Viktor I wouldn't worry until it hits a month. A fish at that size, looks around 4", isn't going months without eating however, I disagree there. But the fish can very well be settling in still. And if somethings messing with it, as mentioned, it will prolong that period. If it's coming out but hides when you see it, its because it sees you and is scared. Id advise starting off by throwing food in with the lights off and only peeking in the room or standing on the opposite side to see if it's eating. Far as max size, in aquaria don't think we have a member who reported one larger than a foot, they're rarely kept long due to their aggressive nature. In the wild however they have been caught up to a little over 4'. 52" according to fishbase. Of course that's likely an old fish.
