# Raphael Catfish...why bother having one?



## lestatak

I have a beautiful Raphael catfish that I never see. The only time I do see him is when I clean the sand under the rocks that he hides under. So why own one if you never see it?


----------



## TheeMon

because they talk


----------



## dwarfpike

And make great clean up crew for nasty cichlids. After a while and if they have lots of hiding places, I saw mine when feeding the tank. Striped and long nose raphs at least, never kept spotted.


----------



## naegling23

I think they are really cool looking, I used to have one, and he was one of my favorite fish. I dont trust them in my dwarf tank though, so I dont have one anymore.

If you dont see them, then you are not staying up late enough  They come out at night, so if you want to see them, turn the lights off an hour or so earlier. In my experience, they like to come out almost immediatly after the lights come out. Most nocturnal animals prefer this time period too, at the first sign of darkness they come out, instead of waiting until the middle of the night.


----------



## cichlidaholic

I seriously forgot that I had one. I removed an ornamental piece from a tank, had it sitting on a towel, and heard the raphael chattering inside it.

I agree with you. I'd rather have something I see on occasion!

Kim


----------



## LJ

> And make great clean up crew for nasty cichlids


I just ordered one for this purpose but have not recieved it yet. Hopefully it's worth the buy.


----------



## straitjacketstar

I don't mind keeping fish I hardly ever see. Makes the few times I do ever see them all that more exciting - if only a little short-lived.
I have midnight catfish, a brown bullhead, a tadpole madtom, a sun catfish and two mustache catfish that I hardly ever see.
When I do catch a glimpse it's like an automatic stop in everything I do and watch as I realize that the fish I forgot I had who's swimming from under one piece of rock or wood to another has gotten really big since I've last seen it. :lol:


----------



## Guest

I had raphaels on two different occasions, but got rid of them because I never saw them. Plus, I think he was eating my cardinals at night. Anyhow, I have a clown pleco that I never see. For all I know, it may be dead. No more raphaels for me. Funny, how they don't seem to hide at the stores, but as soon as you drop them in your tank, they are gone.


----------



## westwood8183

I think mine is just too fat to hide. :lol: He comes out pretty often right after I turn the tank lights off scrounging for his food.


----------



## Bettacreek

Hubby has two spotteds. I totally forgot we had them, until I was cleaning the sponge filter and squeezed onto them. Luckily I didn't hurt them (or myself for that matter).


----------



## TheFishGuy

Personally I think it's great when you only see them once and a while. I've got a carfish that I don't see for weeks at a time. The last I saw him he was about 8", the time before that he was 5" :lol:


----------



## Desi&lt;3

I had one and I NeVeR saw it so I traded it in and got a $40 cichlid free!
I <3 my LFS!

But he grew inches between sightings! I have too admit I stopped everything when I saw it and just the few seconds made my day that much better!

My LFS has a 2" shovelnose and I want him SOO bad but my tank isnt big enough! IDK if i would even see him even if I did get a huge tank ( a 400gall would be nice, Wow I could see my moms face if I brought that home :lol:  )


----------



## TheFishGuy

too bad he'd outgrow that 400 soon too!


----------



## lestatak

Even when I turn out the lights, he doesn't come out. Only after some time with complete darkness have I seen him.


----------



## TheFishGuy

Not a rapheal but I got a picture of my Leiarius longibarbis last nite around midnight! I was very excited to say the least!


----------



## straitjacketstar

TheFishGuy said:


> Not a rapheal but I got a picture of my Leiarius longibarbis last nite around midnight! I was very excited to say the least!


What a sight! Very nice TFG!


----------



## TheFishGuy

Thanks, he's an awesome fish 8) I'm quite proud!


----------



## nelsonj22

I must be really lucky the cuz I just got a stripped and he has been out in the open feeding for about 15min, maybe he was just hungary. My dickfeldi do NOT like him lol will they harm him? They are about the same size 1.25"

I am new to the hobby but all ready addicted lol


----------



## ZeroSystem44

I have had a spotted raph cat for a few years now. They're built like a tank and seem to be quite able to hold their own against cichlids.


----------

