|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Tue Oct 02, 2012 10:15 pm
Tank Size:
Striped raphael catfish get a good, chunky 6-10 inches long, and are not the most graceful creatures ever. They are also social with one another, so it's good to get them some raphael companions. Due to their large size, clumsiness, and group preference, at least a 75 gallon tank should be provided.
Feeding:
These fish are living vacuums, and will eat anything you throw in the tank (this includes rubber bands and pieces of plastic, speaking by experience, be careful to keep the rubber bands out of the tank when unpacking new fish) they are prone to bloat due to their insatiable hunger, so avoid feeding them too much. They'll scavenge the tank for anything they want in their mouth, and should only really be "fed" 3 times a week, let them search for the rest of the time.
Tank Mates:
They'll fit in just about everywhere, they're rugged enough to not get picked on by cichlids, and peaceful enough to be kept in community tanks with decent sized fish. Smaller fish such as neon tetras may get eaten.
Sexing:
Hard. Females are said to be a little larger, but this is not a good way to tell.
Decor:
Very nocturnal, and need very large caves to hide during the day time. They have very soft underbellies, so sharp substrate is not advised. Sand is a best option for these fish.
Water Perimeters:
Tough as they look, they don't care where they are as long as you've got something to feed them.
Other:
These fish may bore you for the first few years of ownership, due to their shy nature. They tend to magically grow larger over time with you not seeing them. Provided a good diet and a proper tank they grow very quickly. For a good while of owning these fish you may only see them once every month or so. After they sink in to their surroundings they'll readily come out during feeding time, and even come up to the top of the tank to be the first to get the food. Sometimes they'll revert back to their shy ways and hide for another month or two, this is normal. They are known to lodge themselves into places they can't fit out of curiosity, so plastic or hollow decorations are strongly advised against, I had to get a hacksaw and cut a decoration apart to set mine free before I started using real decor. These fish are well known for living 20-30 years, so make sure you want them before going out to get them.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Oct 03, 2012 3:41 pm
I love these guys! So interesting, and creepy, too smile Would you say that White Spots and the like are similar in care, like tank size and such?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Oct 03, 2012 3:46 pm
Akari_32 I love these guys! So interesting, and creepy, too smile Would you say that White Spots and the like are similar in care, like tank size and such? spotted Raphael catfish are a lot more reclusive and stay a bit smaller, but aside from that, very similar, yes.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Oct 03, 2012 3:47 pm
Akari_32 I love these guys! So interesting, and creepy, too smile Would you say that White Spots and the like are similar in care, like tank size and such? spotted Raphael catfish are a lot more reclusive and stay a bit smaller, but aside from that, very similar, yes.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Oct 03, 2012 3:54 pm
Gotcha smile I really enjoyed fish sitting the one I had, besides the fact that I never saw him, and that he occasionally beat the crap out of the other fish with his spines <.<
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Oct 03, 2012 9:45 pm
Akari_32 Gotcha smile I really enjoyed fish sitting the one I had, besides the fact that I never saw him, and that he occasionally beat the crap out of the other fish with his spines <.< They don't tend to be aggressive unless they feel crowded in. They do like their hiding spots. They'll let others into their hiding spots, but only if they aren't bumping heads. They tend to just try to nudge other fish out of the way if they're too close, but their spines and armor can cause some damage unintentionally.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Oct 04, 2012 6:32 am
Noble Onidrase Akari_32 Gotcha smile I really enjoyed fish sitting the one I had, besides the fact that I never saw him, and that he occasionally beat the crap out of the other fish with his spines <.< They don't tend to be aggressive unless they feel crowded in. They do like their hiding spots. They'll let others into their hiding spots, but only if they aren't bumping heads. They tend to just try to nudge other fish out of the way if they're too close, but their spines and armor can cause some damage unintentionally. Yeah, he didn't like to share LOL The Rainbow Shark I was fish sitting at the time as well really liked him, but he didn't feel the same way about the shark, and despite multiple other hiding places, he wanted to be in cat's log with him. That Shark had no since of personal space. Stupid fish... lol
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
