# Help with my catfish



## lilyicu (Jan 27, 2007)

I have two albino catfish that I have had for about a year. Three weeks ago while I was on vacation my roommate saw one of my catfish eating one of my peacocks. I assumed that the fish was dead prior to consumption. Last night I added three new peacocks to my 75g tank. This morning 2 of the three were missing. Both of my catfish have protruding abdomens. Are catfish supposed to eat live fish? Is there a catfish that I can buy that will stay reasonably sized. Both of these have grown over 6 inches. I am going to remove these catfish and put them in my koi pond outside.


----------



## 24Tropheus (Jun 21, 2006)

Can you post a pick of them?
Its pretty hard to say anything about an albino catfish without seeing what species it is. Yes there are preditory and nasty catfish but lets not condem them without seeing what they are. They may not be happy with Koi and Koi conditions, may even be wells catfish that will eventually eat your Koi! and someone may want em a lot if we can ID them.


----------



## lilyicu (Jan 27, 2007)

Here is the picture that I have posted on cichlid-forum of my tank
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/tanks/disp ... tank=14774

One of the catfish is in the lower right corner. I am at work and this is the only picture that I have of them right now. I am frustrated with them b/c I have several fish in a fry tank that will never get big enough for me to put in the 75g and not worry about the catfish now. The catfish have over taken the tank. They are by far the most aggressive fish that I have in the tank. They use to hide a lot and now when I feed them they swim around at the top and push the other fish out of the way.


----------



## jordanroda (May 4, 2006)

I can barely see that cat...but it does look like a fish eater...


----------



## lilyicu (Jan 27, 2007)

Do you think that they will be OK in my koi pond? My koi/goldfish are very large. I hate to just kill the catfish, but I can't have them eating all my cichlids.


----------



## lilyicu (Jan 27, 2007)

I liked having the catfish in the tank. Are they any catfish I can get that will not get very big and will not eat my cichlids?


----------



## lilyicu (Jan 27, 2007)

I liked having the catfish in the tank. Are they any catfish I can get that will not get very big and will not eat my cichlids?


----------



## jordanroda (May 4, 2006)

I really cant say...but I believe that catfish gets pretty big...wait for the CF experts... :thumb:

ps
petricola's...but IC a Oscar in your tank...he might eat them...


----------



## lilyicu (Jan 27, 2007)

My oscar met an untimely demise. I need to update my list of inhabitants.


----------



## 24Tropheus (Jun 21, 2006)

I can not see very well. (I can see just the one on the photo not well enough to attempt an ID). It does not look like a cichlid killer at that size (maybe later when it grows) but I am not sure without a clearer photo. I would try catfish experts on planet catfish. I am not one. I can ID about 50 species out of the countless ones.

Your cichlid deaths maybe that is a separate problem?

How long have you had the fish?
What are your water perameters?
Most of em seem to be Malawis. I am not sure about the guy in the top right corner though.

I suspect it a case of too many new incompatable fish put in too fast.

(Aulonocara can be badly bullied by both un IDed catfish and Mbuna esp in smallish tanks.)
The protruded abdomen may be bloat due to poor water or bullying.

Maybe the answer is to check the fish for compatability here before buying.
Pretty sure the advice would be no Peacocks in this tank.


----------



## lilyicu (Jan 27, 2007)

That picture of the tank is old. The catfish has gotten much bigger. Right now I have,

2 Metriaclima estherae (Red) 
2 albino catfish 
1 Cynotilapia afra 
2 pleco small
1 Pseudotropheus crabro 
3 Aulonocara Rubescens 
3 Labidochromis caeruleus

They are all about 3 inches except one of the Metriaclima estherae and the Crabro. They are about 5 inches

My parameters are:
p.h. 8.0 
Alk 240 
hard 120 
Nitrite 0 
Nitrate 40
Ammonia 0


----------



## 24Tropheus (Jun 21, 2006)

"Crabro. They are about 5 inches." Pretty sure they are the short term problem.

Crabro are nasty and big even for Mbuna. I failed with those guys in a five foot species tank!
Thats one mean Mbuna!

A big sort out of fish maybe what is needed.

Check out carefully what will grow to be adult in the tank without problems and stock with those.

3 to 4 species of the smaller more peacefull Mbuna 1 male per two to three females.

Or an all male tank but sticking to smaller Mbuna.

One or two of your fish are OK long term in there.

The catfish are not the problem at the moment I think.


----------



## softak (Feb 20, 2008)

lilyicu said:


> My parameters are:
> p.h. 8.0
> Alk 240
> hard 120
> ...


It means your tank is not cycled completely.
Bring water from your tank to LFS to check it, may be your test kit is not working.

Nitrate 40 is too high.


----------



## triscuit (May 6, 2005)

?? Umm, according to the data provided, his tank is well cycled... :thumb: 
40 nitrate isn't terrible, I try to keep my tanks under 20, but that doesn't always happen. I would hazard a guess that the chemistry is fine, but that the stocking list contains both murderers and scavangers, and sorting out who's doing the dirty deeds at night is going to be difficult.

Give the Malawi forum a shout, as you'll have more experts on your fish over there.

Good luck!



softak said:


> lilyicu said:
> 
> 
> > My parameters are:
> ...


----------



## softak (Feb 20, 2008)

My mistake.
But 40 nitrate is still too high.



triscuit said:


> ?? Umm, according to the data provided, his tank is well cycled... :thumb:
> 40 nitrate isn't terrible, I try to keep my tanks under 20, but that doesn't always happen. I would hazard a guess that the chemistry is fine, but that the stocking list contains both murderers and scavangers, and sorting out who's doing the dirty deeds at night is going to be difficult.
> 
> Give the Malawi forum a shout, as you'll have more experts on your fish over there.
> ...


----------



## Darkside (Feb 6, 2008)

softak said:


> My mistake.
> But 40 nitrate is still too high.
> 
> 
> ...


Nah 40 nitrate isn't really that high... but if you're sitting at that height here comes the algae!


----------



## softak (Feb 20, 2008)

But still, it is good idea to chec water at LFS.
I've read a lot of stories, when people lost fish, because wrong their test kit did not work.


----------



## straitjacketstar (Mar 8, 2004)

I can't really make the catfish out properly but from what little I can make out I would guess that the catfish is Ictalurus punctatus a.k.a Channel Catfish and capable of reaching more than 2' in length.

http://planetcatfish.com/catelog/specie ... ecies_id=6


----------



## jordanroda (May 4, 2006)

straitjacketstar said:


> I can't really make the catfish out properly but from what little I can make out I would guess that the catfish is Ictalurus punctatus a.k.a Channel Catfish and capable of reaching more than 2' in length.
> 
> http://planetcatfish.com/catelog/specie ... ecies_id=6


ha ha...I think u are dead on...fish eater!... :fish:


----------

