Gulper catfish trio, ~7"

[Shlurpy]

If this is a long term behavior, I'd say from our experience that this is not normal. Perhaps there may be simple causes, e.g. too bright lighting. Also, our gulpers have periods of feeding a lot less than during other times, during which one may think their gulper has trouble finding feed until after lights out. It is usually is quite easy to hand feed your gulper and then one knows instantly whether they are hungry or not.

We haven't noticed our gulpers to get spooked. They appear to be pretty indifferent, oblivious to what's happening around them.

If yours spooks, one thought might be that the fish is stressed, uncomfortable and the reason should be sought and corrected. Gulpers are a specialty fish, harder than usual to keep successfully because they come from particular waters and need appropriate pH and hardness.

As noted in the last video, our gulpers all have a bit cloudy eyes and a small white speck in the middle, which may be the norm or maybe their reaction to our water, I don't know yet.

The only time he ever spooks is if someone bumps into the tank or one time when I reached my hand in for maintenance and accidentally woke him up ?

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

Minus one more gulper, which had fought the illness for a month. So down to 6. But another is sick with the same symptom of imbalance. That bug that entered our tanks in 2018 most usually causes one of the two symptoms or both: body swelling all over and/or loss of balance.

Only had the gulper for less than a year. 9"-10".

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

Third loss out of 8 gulpers (1 original and 7 new from Predatory Fins). Female, 11", age unknown, only had her 10 months. Has been sick couple of weeks, excessive slime, heavy breathing, no appetite, later swelling, erratic swimming, and finally reddening (probably septicemia or sepsis). I wonder why now? She and others thrived for 8-9 months. Maybe the 86F/30C temperature stresses them out and the immune system breaks down enough for the bacteria (columnaris?) to take hold?

The sick gulper that ate herring is still alive.

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

Turns out Sexi does abuse gulpers sometimes. I' had never seen it before I watched my video and caught it in the background!

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

Apr 2016, 7:55-8:23 min:

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

Giving vitamin B1 shots to 4 sick catfish. Dramatic recovery. Summary. Thiaminase is likely killer.