PlanetCatfish.com

This is the little 6 inch guy that I recently got from my neighbour...

any ideas of what he is exactly?

thanks
Iris

Janne

thanks for helping me ID this guy!

how fast (or slow) is their growth rate? Appearantly the previous owner has had him for 5 years, but he is only 6 inches long. Did the small tank he was kept in slow his growth rate (is that even possible?)? Or should I expect the other inches soon?

Iris

They can grow bigger and probably will. Its just a misnomer that tank size limits the size of the fish. Water Quality and secondly food is what limits the size of the fish. The reason why the misnomer seems to have some truth is because after you first purchase the fish and it starts to grow some it will start to pollute the tank more quickly as well as the other fish in the tank. It does not tank long for a small tank to become polluted even after a water change with large growing fish and the water quality will deteriate. The poor water quality then stunts the growth of the fish which is what gives the misnomer some truth. However if you do water changes often enough to keep up with the bio load then the fish will grow even in a too small of a tank. (Which could mean daily water changes in some cases)

A second less proven theory has something to do with hormones they produce building up in the water which then stunts the growth. Even if it is the case, uping the water changes will overcome that as well.

Well, I think he lived on algae wavers, algae and some left over goldfish foods... and he was kept in a 5 g tank with 2 goldfish... i now have him in my 33g tank, i hope that is enough for him for now

What do you think?

Iris

It is enough for now, but don't be surprised if the new tank leads to a significant growth spurt and the fish ends up outgrowing it's now 6 times larger tank...

--
Mats

I would say the fish in the photo looks like .
Just my opinion.

Jackster: I'd go along with your ID - not that it makes any difference to Iris, as it's going to grow too large for the tank either way.

--
Mats

Janne is correct about it being L. pardalis. I have one about the same size (it was also stunted) that was a "rescue" and could be this one's twin.
-Shane

thanks! that has helped a lot!
outgrowing the tank mmmh... well i was thinking about uprading again anyway in the near future with an at least 50g tank... (there is a really cheap 155g out there at the moment *drool*)
any ideas about growth rate? how soon should I expect more inches?

thankx

Iris

Iris,
Growth rates are very hard to figure. With good clean water and lots of food, the fish could double its size in a year.
-Shane

thanks! Now I know at least what to expect from that fish