PlanetCatfish.com

about two weeks ago i went to the pet store and picked out two pictus catfish out of a bare tank, they were all swimming around crazy. i got them home and put them in my 55 gallon tank for about an hour they roamed around and then they hid in a cave and since then they pretty much wont come out. i'll put food in and they wont come out. but i can leave the room and peak threw the door way and they will come out and eat but as soon as they see me they hid in the cave and wont come out. is this normal and they just didnt do it in the pet store cause there was no place for them to hide or do i need to get some more of these guys, cause i really like them and would like to see them with out sneaking up on them

pictus cats should really be kept in a group of at leat 5 or six, they are a schooling fish

Suezbele is right, they like to be in a group (sort of, at least). But I'd like to add that if there's hiding places in your tank, you should expect them to hide. If you don't have any hiding places, they will nervously swim about the tank - but they aren't going to be very happy that way.

They do come out when you feed them - eating very frenetically!

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Mats

in a very agitated manner, as if possessed by an evil spirit! what a great way to describe pictus eating.

As to the title of this thread, yes, it is normal behaviour for pictus cats to hide when you have only a few in number.

I have found that in tanks with no hiding spots some shy fish will appear to be happy out in the open. Conversely, when the tank is absolutely full of hiding spaces they feel very secure and happy to come out, as if they know they can easily disappear should the need arise. But when there is only a few hiding spaces then the fish seem to be a lot more nervous and stay hidden for much more of the time and only come out at night or for feeding.

man you guys wernt joking i was feeding them sinking pelets and they just kind of ate them, well today i threw a bunch of brim shrimp in there and they went nuts doing 360's and standing on there head

I have had mine for about three years now and they still hide most of the day, when the lights are out they are extreamly active. Maybe lower your light level or have it off when you want to watch them. I myself have two (that's all the LFS had when I bought them) and don't have room for more, one of them isen't even a pictus but a close relative I have yet to identify.