Help with Flathead catfish

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Flathead

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Dec 12, 2009
7
0
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Augusta
I've had a flathead catfish for two years and have just now really started to get into caring for it. I'm 18 now and just moved out and my aquarium is the only hobby I have =]. I caught him in a pond I found way out in the country, I saw a catfish come to the surface and wanted an infant for my aquarium. It pains me now to no end that I had to hook him, lol. Due to lack of funds, I've had to keep him in a 20 gallon this entire time. When I got him he was about 4 inches long. Now he's 7 or 8 inches in length. I've kept a blue gill and a large mouth bass in the tank also. They're each about 4 inches long.


I recently had to place my pleco in with them (that I've had for 5 years). The catfish won't leave him and I believe has caused fin loss, i'd like some tips on how to stop this. But my main reason for posting, is any and all suggestions on how to best care for the catfish. Appropriate tank size, feeding instructions, good tank mates, what I should decorate with and anything else I should do. I am extremely interested in him and would like a perfect setup.









Thank you,
Patrick
 
I have a filter that goes to like a 40 gallon tank, haha. So it stays pretty clean. I still do a water change about every two weeks
 
Flathead Catfish can grw to 5' long. I would suggest finding something like a Basspro Shops to take him or built a 700g pond...and fast.
 
In 2 years he only grew 4 in? He is pretty badly stunted, same goes for your bass and probably blue gill too.
 
I'm not getting rid of him. And yes, it only grew 4 inches. It's doing perfectly fine. I 've had him for two years and will not release him untill he gets too large for the tank I have him in. And by christmas I'll have a 100 gallon tank, at least.. So untill the event of him out growing my aquarium, I would very much like to have instructions on how to best take care of him [Appropriate tank size, feeding instructions, good tank mates, what I should decorate with and anything else I should do. I am extremely interested in him and would like a perfect setup.] And "stunted" implies that he is deformed, which is not the case. I would very much like detailed instruction on the correct care for him. And will adhere to it

I've had a flathead catfish for two years and have just now really started to get into caring for it. I'm 18 now and just moved out and my aquarium is the only hobby I have =]. I caught him in a pond I found way out in the country, I saw a catfish come to the surface and wanted an infant for my aquarium. It pains me now to no end that I had to hook him, lol. Due to lack of funds, I've had to keep him in a 20 gallon this entire time. When I got him he was about 4 inches long. Now he's 7 or 8 inches in length. I've kept a blue gill and a large mouth bass in the tank also. They're each about 4 inches long.


I recently had to place my pleco in with them (that I've had for 5 years). The catfish won't leave him and I believe has caused fin loss, i'd like some tips on how to stop this. But my main reason for posting, is any and all suggestions on how to best care for the catfish. Appropriate tank size, feeding instructions, good tank mates, what I should decorate with and anything else I should do. I am extremely interested in him and would like a perfect setup.









Thank you,
Patrick
 
Care is straight forward. Cooler temps, overfiltration. About a 700gal tank and lots of various prepared and live foods. They are not difficult to keep from what I understand. Yours is so badly stunted, though, I'd be expecting some pretty serious health problems in the next year or so. Best of luck getting him along to adulthood!
 
When I said stunted, it doesn't mean that they have to be deformed or misshapen. To be honest, your flathead should have outgrown that 20g in a few months after you caught him. Glad to hear your getting a 100g for him. Should work for a while, unless his normal growth rate returns when you upgrade him. I also recommend upgrading your water changes to once a week and also doing 25-50% each time. I'm assuming your flathead is picking on your pleco because he is defending his territory, once you upgrade them to the 100g this problem should stop. Which brings up another point, assuming you got a common pleco, they can grow over 12" and produce a lot of waste. So just keep up with the water changes. Glad to see you want the best interest for your fish. Good luck. :D
 
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