Its 2 Shark Cats Now !

[kanzaris]

Hi

Just want to say thanks for everybodys advise on getting a second columbian shark cat who is half the size of the cat fish I allready got. They are getting along brilliantly. The bigger cat fish is no longer just sitting in his cave like he has done over the past six month. He is happy for the company.

Here is a picture of the two getting along just fine.

PS I will get a bigger tank within the next 6 month.


Sabby

 

[AMS]

Great news sabby! happy everything worked out well!

 

[nmonks]

Very handsome fish. Good luck with them. Do they make the clicking sounds? I kept these cats with a triggerfish once. Not a good idea. The clicking sounds like a triggerfish being aggressive, so the trigger would get more and more wound up. The cats got scared, and clicked more. A classic "positive feedback loop". Had to separate them, before someone got hurt. Triggers can be very nasty if they're pushed too far, though this was a blue trigger, one of the more easy-going species.

When they're older, definitely consider a rough-and-ready fish-only marine tank. If you have the space, small groupers make good companions for these cats, as do the large puffers and porcupine fish. Damsels are another choice. A lot of hardy marine fish thrive at SG 1.018, and aren't any more difficult to keep than freshwater fish. Colombian sharks are so docile you can mix them with anything big enough not to be eaten, probably even seahorses! The used to have some Arius felis in the reef tank at the public aquarium in Chicago!

Cheers,

Neale

 

[kanzaris]

Very handsome fish. Good luck with them. Do they make the clicking sounds? I kept these cats with a triggerfish once. Not a good idea. The clicking sounds like a triggerfish being aggressive, so the trigger would get more and more wound up. The cats got scared, and clicked more. A classic "positive feedback loop". Had to separate them, before someone got hurt. Triggers can be very nasty if they're pushed too far, though this was a blue trigger, one of the more easy-going species.

When they're older, definitely consider a rough-and-ready fish-only marine tank. If you have the space, small groupers make good companions for these cats, as do the large puffers and porcupine fish. Damsels are another choice. A lot of hardy marine fish thrive at SG 1.018, and aren't any more difficult to keep than freshwater fish. Colombian sharks are so docile you can mix them with anything big enough not to be eaten, probably even seahorses! The used to have some Arius felis in the reef tank at the public aquarium in Chicago!

Cheers,

Neale

Hi There

I was watching the sharks for about two hours on sunday and I can't say I heard any clicking sound. At what age do you think the sharks have to go into a marine tank ? And when you say marine tank do you mean the full works like skimmer ect ?? as you mentioned seahorses. Will I have to move my GSP ??? Mono & Archer ?? It seems one problem gets solved another one comes along. Would not swap my fish for anything so !!!!!!! By the way you seem to be well traveled !!!

Sabby

 

[nmonks]

Hey Sabby --

The seahorses comment was hyperbole; I wouldn't really mix Colombian sharks with seahorses. It was merely to say that shark cats are incredibly docile towards anything not viewed as food. As you're learning, for predatory catfish, they have a very gentle disposition. I'm sure the sharks would ignore the seahorses, but the sharks would eat any food before the seahorses got a chance to feed.

For a fish-only tank with hardy marines you don't need a skimmer. Using one would be a plus, but it wouldn't be essential. You could easily keep the Colombian sharks with, say, a sargeant major or some other sturdy damselfish. Damsels do very well in basic, fish-only systems. GSPs, monos, and scats will also do fine in marine conditions. It's a shame the fish-only side of marines has been overshadowed by reef systems, because there really are a lot of very robust marine fish that require only a little more work than freshwater fish.

All the Ariidae family click. It's supposedly to help hold the school together in murky water where they cannot see one another. There is also some idea that it is used as a (very rudimentary) echolocation system, allowing them to 'feel out' the surrouding obstacles, like rocks or mangrove roots in murky water.

If you add this to fact they mouthbrood marble-sized eggs, have an anti-coagulant bite, and are equipped with venomous spines -- the simple fact is that Colombian sharks are the most interesting predatory catfish out there! Far more interesting than your run-of-the-mill tiger shovelnoses and bagrids.

Cheers,

Neale

PS. No, I'm not especially well traveled... but I always go fishing or check out the local aquaria wherever I go!