Hey all- Well I had bought 4 of these cat fish and all have now died. I had all of them in my 20 gal tank and they would die once every 1 too 2 weeks apart. after the 2nd one dies I moved them into the 10 gal tank. The fish still died keeping the same pattern. I am taking a guess but I am thinking they where not getting enough food. If my ideas are right what is the best food for these catfish? I know that they are bottom feeders I made sure that flanks will reach the bottom of the tank but is there something better?

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20Gal High (Bought on Craigslist for $25.00)
Bio-Wheel 150 Filtration, Under gravel filter
Fish:2-Black skirted tetra, 2-Rainbow Sharks, 1 Black Angel Fish, 1-Algie Eater, 4-Glass Painted Fish

Cat fish tend to be nocturnal, so they need to be fed each night about half an hour after you turn the tank lights out. You can drop in some frozen (thaw them first) blood worms and brine shrimp, but the main diet should be bottom feeder pellets.

Also, from earlier posts, it sounds like your tank may still be cycling, and you had a lot of different shark types in the tank, so, it could be the cycling that's killing the fish and the fact that there are so many large fish in a 20g tank.

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Well I going to get it another try with one more and get the right food and have a better feeding care plan. This is once the tank has finished it cycle. I am getting close I did another 25% water change and the Nitrites are down to 1 too 3 on the test strip.

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20Gal High (Bought on Craigslist for $25.00)
Bio-Wheel 150 Filtration, Under gravel filter
Fish:2-Black skirted tetra, 2-Rainbow Sharks, 1 Black Angel Fish, 1-Algie Eater, 4-Glass Painted Fish

Those catfish need brackish water, and grow to almost 2 feet, they don't belong in a tank that small.

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I mentioned that those catfish were brackish fish, and very very large in another post from the OP... never got a response....

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20g Heavily Planted http://www.aquariumforum.com/gallery...00&ppuser=8981
36g Bow Front Heavily Planted http://www.aquariumforum.com/gallery...00&ppuser=8981

Sorry about that, I really enjoy these catfish, So I will make my tank habbitable to the catfish, and once they have grown to large to live in my tank I will need to return them to my local shop. Or find somebody that will be willing to take them.

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20Gal High (Bought on Craigslist for $25.00)
Bio-Wheel 150 Filtration, Under gravel filter
Fish:2-Black skirted tetra, 2-Rainbow Sharks, 1 Black Angel Fish, 1-Algie Eater, 4-Glass Painted Fish

The only problem is that keeping them in a small tank will probably stunt their growth... so they stay smaller, but it makes them really sick because it messes up their organs. They really should only be kept in a large tank.

Also, since you're planning on making the tank a brackish tank, you are going to have to get rid of all your non-brackish fish..... it's really not worth it since he's going to get too big and all your other fish are fresh water.

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20g Heavily Planted http://www.aquariumforum.com/gallery...00&ppuser=8981
36g Bow Front Heavily Planted http://www.aquariumforum.com/gallery...00&ppuser=8981

I agree with Holly. When you stunt a fish by keeping it in a tank too small for it, the body and skeleton stop growing, but the internal organs don't, so eventually the fish dies a slow, painful death by organs outgrowing the body.

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Lead me not to temptation...I can make it there myself just fine, thank you

As much I would love to have these fish in my tank, maybe I have to find another Catfish. Are there Catfish that look like them that can be keep in a 20 gal tank? I would really like to grow a channel cat.

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20Gal High (Bought on Craigslist for $25.00)
Bio-Wheel 150 Filtration, Under gravel filter
Fish:2-Black skirted tetra, 2-Rainbow Sharks, 1 Black Angel Fish, 1-Algie Eater, 4-Glass Painted Fish

For now, I'd say deal with what you have, finish cycling, get rid of the fish that will outgrow your tank, and then research your options. A channel cat can get up to 35 pounds, a definitive NO for any normal tank. A koi pond, maybe. Personally I'd rather have you doing research and feel better than you're not going to be doing things that would result in you inadvertently killing fish than telling you something is ok or not. Regardless of how many tanks you have, or how much experience you think you have, there's always room to improve.

For now, I guess you could add plants and maybe shrimp if you want something lively. I personally can't suggest anything more for you, until you learn to think before you buy, and learn to take people's advice. Just because something looks cool doesn't mean you should get it.

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Lead me not to temptation...I can make it there myself just fine, thank you

Well I did not mean to get your feathers ruffled. I was just stating what I liked. I know that I am not getting a channel cat. That is just something I think would be cool to grow. I am not planing on introducing any more fish until the tank is ready. I know that I dont meet the requirements for the Silver tip and don't want to kill any more then I have already. So I will find a better fish for what I have setup.
Thanks for the advise and I have read it and understand my options.

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20Gal High (Bought on Craigslist for $25.00)
Bio-Wheel 150 Filtration, Under gravel filter
Fish:2-Black skirted tetra, 2-Rainbow Sharks, 1 Black Angel Fish, 1-Algie Eater, 4-Glass Painted Fish

South American Bumblebee Catfish (has to the be South American, the Asian Bumblebee is much more large and aggressive) is the closest thing you can get to a channel cat for that size gallon. But the fish is so shy you will never see it in the day. They will try to hide under anything so it's very common that they'll get stuck. I don't recommend them to you though. They don't act like a channel cat at all, so you might not feel the same for them.

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Cory Catfish are great! There are many many different types that you can get - Bronze, Albino, Skunk, Panda, Emerald, Dwarf, etc... Some grow to be 3 inches or slightly more, and some grow to be only 1.5 inches - they dwarfs are very small. (They like to be in groups, so you should get no less than 5 - odd numbers are best.) You do have to make sure your substrate isn't too rough though, or they will scrape their barbels (whiskers off) and that's not a good thing. They LOVE sand as a substrate. Rounded gravel works too.

They are nocturnal, but you may see them during the day. I see mine every once in a while.... when they're not hiding in the plants.

Again though, wait until they cycle is finished before adding them, as they aren't a hardy cycling fish.

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20g Heavily Planted http://www.aquariumforum.com/gallery...00&ppuser=8981
36g Bow Front Heavily Planted http://www.aquariumforum.com/gallery...00&ppuser=8981

Thank Holly12 for the time that you spent in looking for fish that I would like. I am checking into your sugestion on Cory catfish. I am looking to see what they are.

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20Gal High (Bought on Craigslist for $25.00)
Bio-Wheel 150 Filtration, Under gravel filter
Fish:2-Black skirted tetra, 2-Rainbow Sharks, 1 Black Angel Fish, 1-Algie Eater, 4-Glass Painted Fish

They are super cute fish! If you get them I'm sure you will enjoy them. Some thought into substrate - either sand or rounded gravel - specifically feeding them bottom feeder pellets (do so after lights out at night so the other fish don't eat their food) and they are wonderful fish to have.

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