Wels catfish, albino, ~10"

[jjohnwm]

Viktor, is that typical behaviour for the Wels after a big meal, i.e. just sitting on the bottom motionless despite your presence in the tank? Or is he slightly distressed from too large a meal?

Such a cool fish! I love how his rarity grants him special privileges: "...so on paper, he can eat whoever he wants..."!

 

[MultipleTankSyndrome]

Such a cool fish! I love how his rarity grants him special privileges: "...so on paper, he can eat whoever he wants..."!

Never looked at it like that but you're right, haha!
I imagine there aren't an awful lot of fishkeepers with fish like that.

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

This is a paper privilege, I'd like to stress again. We aim to not let him eat anyone. But of course we aim our best to preserve him too.

The wels lays around all day, may move 20 feet here and there and back but his spot is under the waterfall, in the corner. He used to sit behind the pumps in the opposite corner, for the first 0.5 year to a year that used to be his lair. He starts swimming, mostly in one spot in the current at dusk and probably does so till dawn. Again may swim back and forth half the tank or full 50 feet length but always comes back soon to the waterfall current and stays in it, right by the front window.

This all, including the lazy laying around in the day, occurs regardless of how full he is, although we bend backwards to make sure he is never hungry. He is pretty calm with me in the tank, never shows any concern or stress. About a year or two ago he was still showing stress from my visits by refusing to feed for a day or two, so yes, it used to affect him for sure. Nowadays, less so. I can come up and touch him; he won't bolt but may move slowly, or not move at all. I don't do it though without a need.

When I was rehoming him out of 240 gal at 3+ feet into the 25K gal using a pillow case, he bit me pretty good but that was overall a violent situation.

God willing, in 5 years he will think I look potentially tasty and worth a test bite or two...

 

[jjohnwm]

And in other news, today an aquarium fish which was legally kept only because of a loophole in current legislation, proved how dangerous such loopholes can be when it swallowed its keeper whole as he cleaned his aquarium. Witnesses report that the massive catfish, measuring over 12 feet in length, slowly approached the aquarist from behind and then simply engulfed him, later regurgitating a pair of swim trunks, a long-handled mop and approximately 30 feet of garden hose. Police and EMT's were summoned to the scene, and the sergeant in charge was heard to say "Well, just what exactly do they expect us to do?"

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

 

[celebrist]

Doesn't want to play footsie with you apparently

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

Short appearances:

 

[thebiggerthebetter]