Columbian Shark Catfish

[sandfire]

I have wanted to keep Columbian Shark Catfish for years.

How much salt can they tolerate, I have heard they are Brakish/Marine but very small ones prefer Freshwater, is this true?

Can they be kept in full marine conditions long term?

Is it ok to keep small juviniles in Marine conditions straight away?

If I buy a group from my LFS which are living in totally freshwater, if I take a day converting them to salt water environment would this be ok or too stressful?

Does anyone know if they would eat hermit crabs or live corals?

Thanks guys.

 

[kanzaris]

I have wanted to keep Columbian Shark Catfish for years.

How much salt can they tolerate, I have heard they are Brakish/Marine but very small ones prefer Freshwater, is this true?

Can they be kept in full marine conditions long term?

Is it ok to keep small juviniles in Marine conditions straight away?

If I buy a group from my LFS which are living in totally freshwater, if I take a day converting them to salt water environment would this be ok or too stressful?

Does anyone know if they would eat hermit crabs or live corals?

Thanks guys.

Hi Sandfire

When I first bought my Columbian Cat Sharks just over 2 ½ years ago they were about 2-3 inch. At the LFS they were kept in Fresh Water but I started mine of at low end brackish (1.005). I don’t know if they can go straight to marine conditions when they are juveniles. (Best person to ask about that would be CFC or N. Monks) I know that they should not be kept in Freshwater for long even as juveniles. Mine are about 12-15 inch now and I have taken them up to a salinity of 1.018.
I am about to rescue a Cat Shark that is about 9 inch and he is in Freshwater at the moment. I will acclimatise him slowly over a few hours by drip method.
You are doing the right thing in buying a group as they are not happy by themselves.
Just consider how big they will grow and the size tank you will need. But they are worth investing in a big tank as in my opinion they are the most beautiful fish I have kept.

Sabby

 

[BecciMac1987]

Hi, I keep a young cat in my brackish tank with two GSP's and he is doing really well. I also hav two scats in there and a red clawed crab, and he dosnt bother anyone at all.

 

[nmonks]

How much salt can they tolerate, I have heard they are Brakish/Marine but very small ones prefer Freshwater, is this true?

There's an element of truth to it. Juveniles seem to do perfectly well in freshwater for long periods, but adults never seem at ease kept thus.

Can they be kept in full marine conditions long term?

Yes; this species does very well in marine aquaria.

Is it ok to keep small juviniles in Marine conditions straight away?

Depends on the size of the juveniles. Fish about about 10 cm or so should be fine in marine conditions, but smaller specimens might be better kept in brackish water around SG 1.005-1.010.

If I buy a group from my LFS which are living in totally freshwater, if I take a day converting them to salt water environment would this be ok or too stressful?

Not a problem. Indeed, as with all brackish water fish, you can acclimate them to changes in salinity very quickly. An hour is ample.

Does anyone know if they would eat hermit crabs or live corals?

Corals will be fine, but their wild diet is crustaceans, so crabs and shrimps are potentially dinner! Ariid catfish produce chemicals in their saliva they use to increase bleeding, and when they bite prey they can thereby cause quite a bit of damage. Large hermit crabs might be okay, but it's certainly a gamble.

Cheers, Neale

 

[sandfire]

Thanks everyone, I have a smaller tank that I wanted to convert to brackish (for GSP or F8's not got them yet) so this might be a good place to grow them on. I just think they are stunning fish always wanted them.

I have a reef tank, but since my electric bills have gone up £60 a month I am going to remove the corals and go fish only. reduce lighting etc, I can't make my mind up between a porcupine puffer, dog faced puffer or the Columbian Shark Cats. So going to find out as much as possible before I deside.

I like all three species...oh decisions!

 

[sandfire]

I bought them yesterday!

I got three Columbians in the end all about 3 inches in size, I took 5 hours to get them up to the marine strengh water (1.021) dripping the salt water from the tank in slowly to the freshwater they were in, their colours look better than in the shop they are now very irridesent I can see greens and yellows on silver on the body. They have black fins with white tips, but their dorsal fin is whiteish yellow with black outline. They looked plain silver before, I hope the colour change is an indication they are happy in the marine conditions?

They were swimming around exploring for the first few hours, in and out the rock work. For some reason they were obsessed with the pink bubble tip anemone, kept darting in and out of it, you would think it would sting them but neither fish or anemone minded and they did it repeatedly for about 2 hours. Think they were investigating it.

The three spent today swimming horizontal up the tank class quite high up the tank, swimming with the strongest current in the tank provided by a powerhead, I think they think they are migrating or somthing? I hope they are ok only time will tell. I am used to seeing these fish sat still on the bottom of the tank in the shops, but they are just holding position swiming quite hard together in tight formation.

Does this seem Ok with everyone?

The anemone behaviour is weird, the clown fish I had never used it or even went near it, I though that was because it has quite a powerful sting (sticks to my hand if I brush it) But the Sharks darted in and out over and over again and not got a mark on them and the anemone never once retracted? Really weird as the anemone normally grabs anything it touches?

But then they might just be ickle thick?