Catfish for the pacu vat

[soggydrysuit]

I've just bought maybe the ugliset catfish on the planet. An albino Clarias cat. It's at pacu bite size at the moment, but it won't take it long.

When it's a couple of feet long, maybe I'll put a ginuea pig harness on and take it for a walk:-) Joke, btw.

At least I'll know when to do a water change, it'll get out and walk off in disgust...

[blondenblue]

I had a clarias it was ugly too! ate like it had never eat and grew like it was on steroids! oh and it got out and was wandering round my kitchen, i didn't keep it long! (it scared me)

[xrayjeeper83]

PICS!!!!!!!!!

[Troender]

oh and it got out and was wandering round my kitchen, i didn't keep it long! (it scared me)

Yes they are ugly things. Not a fish I want in my tanks. Unfortunately there are a lot of people that buys them, and they don't know how large they grow. I've seen it over and over again.

[RTR]

We cannot cannot keep Clarias in US anymore, but I had an albino for many, many years before they were banned and it was a family favorite. It is one of the most gracefully swimming fish I have ever kept. My wife does not generally like albinos at all, but made an exception for the Clarias, which was her favorite of all the fish I have kept until I kept a T. mbu. The normal color form is not an appealing color, but still a beautiful graceful, graceful swimmer.

If we could keep these fish legally, I would not be without one even now. It is well worth a largish tank of its own. Care and feeding is simple and the fish are long-lived (but not as long as a Pacu or Clown loach). Mine never escaped. What size tanks were being used? Due to the mass of the fish, plus its need for open swimming space, they are somewhat demanding of large tanks.

[blondenblue]

Mine is happily living in an 8' tank with a friend of mine! but is still incredibly ugly!

[xrayjeeper83]

thats why I have never heard of them

[soggydrysuit]

I quite like these, but have never had a tank big enough for one until recently. Eight foot tank sounds about right, they can easily get to two foot maybe quite a bit more.

It's not quite three inches long at the moment so it's not in the pond yet because the pacu would probably eat it - It's in a 30g on it's own until slightly bigger. The stock vat is six by four by two feet and pretty well filtered.

[soggydrysuit]

I tried to get a pic of the beast last night but my camera is not quick enough and it won't keep still. Wiggly blur!

I also tested the water and found 0.25ppm nitrite. So then did an 80% wc and added a mature fluval 4 internal from the pacu pond. This is in addition to the home made box filter I had in there.

Ok, this fish generates ammonia on an industrial scale

It's also a sneaky eater - I don't see it eat but food vanishes when I'm not looking.

[RTR]

High mass fish, especially active hunters, are ammonia generators. Think of the hunter-predator puffers. Clarius are not scavengers, they are hunter-predators who will take non-living food.

[J-P]

Why are ppl saying it is an ugly fish?? I thought it was kind of nice (had to look it up though). I have seen much worse.

[RTR]

Many folk are turned off by longish eel- or snake-like fish. I used to have a Clarias in my lab, and quite a number of co-workers and techs were "turned off" big time at first. Interestingly, many to most of those became big fans after they became accustomed to seeing the fish. They are outstanding fish IME.

[lilacamy931]

I had to look up to and the piebalds are especially pretty looking (to me) though the thought of coming home and finding it taking a stroll would be too much!

[soggydrysuit]

I really like it - I'll try to sex it because I think you can if only by comparison to other clarias. It's my version of a red tailed cat. Big but not stuplidly large. It's on the limit of what I can house.

Sounds from what I've read that it might attack the pacu when it gets larger - maybe bite the fins.

If so, it can have it's own tank and I'll feed it the occasional cow

I will try to take some pics but it's either under a rock or charging about like a maniac!

I'm feeding sterlet pellets, flake and squid and live earthworms for now. Likes the worms

I've another pond filter I can use if needed - it might need an over tank trickle filter full of alphagrog...

Here's a pic from Planet catfish - this ones a girl. Apparently, the girls are more 'robust' in stature than the boys. They can even be bred in the aquarium but they need a tank to themselves. They seem to get quite stroppy at breeding time

I'd have to look in the dealers tank and see who's who. If I'm feeling really insane, I might get another one. And a rubbermaid container to keep them in. Also a sheet of perspex for a lid with holes in for air but bolted down

clarias r.jpg

Here's another from Planet catfish:-

pair r.jpg

[xrayjeeper83]

I think they are kinda cool looking