All posts regarding the care and breeding of catfishes from other parts of the world (North America, Europe and Australia). If you don't know where your catfish is from, post a query in the identification category.
Hi,
I have a 7 inch channel catfish in a 29 gallon tank with 1 elephant nose,and 1 redfinned shark.I will get a very large tank very soon so dont worry about that .Anyway heres my question,I want a catfish that gets big and will live a very long time,that will eat feeder fish,and that is easy to keep.IS this the right catfish for me?Does anyone have any suggestions for a tank setup for a channel cat?
If you have the space to house a tank large enough for a fish that might eventually reach about 50", sure. At that size, the other fishes currently in there will probably be snacks.
Otherwise, channel; cats are relatively easy to care for. Just provide plenty of vegetation in the tank, and a cave for it to hide in.
I dont think Channelcat13 is refering to the blue cat, That would be insaine for the average joe to attempt to keep. He must be speaking of the standard channel cat, not sure of the latin name as i cant find it in the e log under common names. However the channel cat is widely distribuited in north america in the aquaria trade especially in albino coloration or lack there of, which is a very lovely looking fish and a joy to keep and watch. They have lots of personality and frienldy to people. Still a very large fish I cant imagine one growing larger than 30" at the max in captivity, although im not totally sure of its official max length its somewhere in that ballpark. Also a good option as a yard pond fish being a coldwater aclimated fish could survive the winter. Albino would be a nice choice for an outdoor pond.
I was referring to the channel catfish (<i>Ictalurus punctatus</i>), which does reach 50" maximum. The blue catfish (<i>I. furcatus</i>) is even larger, maxing out at 65". Regardless of what size they reach in captivity, they are still not suitable for your average aquarium.
Blue channels should be kept in ponds to keep them happy. They get way to big for your average aquarium, especially a 29 gallon tank. He's already to big for your tank.
I LOVE my Blue's!! they are totally awesome, but i also have a pond, lol "Tank Requirements" yah, you dig a hole in the ground about 18-26 inches deep and about 12 feet accross and 8 feet wide, then you get some ruber liner and.... you know where this is going
Large cats are best kept in decent size ponds, if you are willing to put forth the effort to dig a hole that you're going to be throwing alot of money into **mine is over $500 so far and i'm just getting started***although it can be done for cheaper** Then you deffinately are the right person for a channel cat, otherwise, stick to pl*cos and zamora's and all those other beautiful fishies, if you want something that grows big and eats stuff JUST GET AN OSCAR!
Only one difference between genius and stupidity, genius has its limits
my channel cat is 5" and he is in a 20 gallon, the only thing good about this is i live in north west minnesota "the best channel cat fishing in the world" i have personaly pulled in 25 pounders. my fish will go back to the the red lake river when it gets to big. the only way to keep this fish is to have it for a year or two let it go and get a new one. minnow traps in the river with some meat for bait do very well for small speimens.
.Anyway heres my question,I want a catfish that gets big and will live a very long time,that will eat feeder fish,and that is easy to keep.IS this the right catfish for me?Does anyone have any suggestions for a tank setup for a channel cat? 
Angel