SOLVED!! Can someone ID these cats?

[BullTerrierChild]

My preferred pet store has these 2 beautiful catfish in stock, but nobody can identify them. They came in from a previous owner. I'd like to stock my 75-gallon tank with more bottom dwelling fish and would like their identifications to see if it would be a good match!

Here's some (maybe) useful information (I will refer to the marbled fish as "Fish 1" and the silver fish as "Fish 2").

The manager of the fish department believes that Fish 1 may be a synodontis.
The manager of the fish department doesn't believe that Fish 2 is a channel catfish (it could still be).
The previous owner reported that Fish 2 has never grown very big.
Fish 1 is about 6 inches.
Fish 2 is about 5 inches.

Below are linked images of both catfish, Thank you!!

 

[BullTerrierChild]

I'm concerned that the gray one may be a channel catfish and that the marbled one may be a marbled achara catfish...

 

[jaylach]

While I have zero experience with this species I have some concern. In a few of the pictures the fish strikes me as to being in a stressed posture.

I also see the substrate as an issue. The VERY little I know makes me believe that this fish wants to be able to hide and the bright blue substrate makes this pretty impossible.

Please understand that I, in no way, mean any personal insult but I cannot say other than I really think that you need to change the substrate and add some cave like structures.

 

[jaylach]

While I have zero experience with this species I have some concern. In a few of the pictures the fish strikes me as to being in a stressed posture.

I also see the substrate as an issue. The VERY little I know makes me believe that this fish wants to be able to hide and the bright blue substrate makes this pretty impossible.

Please understand that I, in no way, mean any personal insult but I cannot say other than I really think that you need to change the substrate and add some cave like structures.

Sorry, my post that I quoted, is probably useless as it really had no relation to your question. My initial response was ..... I don't know... Just in a couple images the fish just seemed to have a stressed posture.

 

[BullTerrierChild]

Sorry, my post that I quoted, is probably useless as it really had no relation to your question. My initial response was ..... I don't know... Just in a couple images the fish just seemed to have a stressed posture.

Don't worry! I can't help the issue as I don't own the fish; they are still in the store. They are most likely stressed because the decor was moved around so I could see the gray one. They were also just shipped that day. Thank you for your concern!

 

[WhistlingBadger]

I think the gray one might be a juvenile bullhead. Is its tail forked or squared off? More pictures in different positions would help.

The spotted one indeed looks like some kind of synodontis.

 

[BullTerrierChild]

I think the gray one might be a juvenile bullhead. Is its tail forked or squared off? More pictures in different positions would help.

The spotted one indeed looks like some kind of synodontis.

Yes, the gray one does have a forktail, which was an area of concern for me. However, I was told that it hadn't ever grown very big... Thank you!

 

[BullTerrierChild]

SOLVED!! The marbled fish is a SYNODONTIS CAMELOPARDALIS and is coming home soon! The gray fish still remains unidentified with evidence pointing to it not being a bullhead despite the obvious resemblance. Thank you, everybody, for moving me in the right direction!

 

[WhistlingBadger]

Maybe a blue catfish (Ictalurus furcatus)