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Hello all. I just got myself a gulper catfish yesterday. I got silversides and tilapia to feed the little guy. He's currently 4" and is in a 40 gallon tank for now. I tried to feed him/her but it doesn't seem to want to eat. Any suggestions?

Oliverqueen_17 wrote: ↑03 May 2022, 07:00

Hello all. I just got myself a gulper catfish yesterday. I got silversides and tilapia to feed the little guy. He's currently 4" and is in a 40 gallon tank for now. I tried to feed him/her but it doesn't seem to want to eat. Any suggestions?

Hi
Was it eating when you bought it? If so, what was it being fed? They can sometimes take a few days to get over the move, especially with the change to surroundings/water parameters etc.
Is is a new tank, with the gulper being the first fish? if so, you must be really careful not to overfeed too quickly as the appropriate bacteria will need time to start to break down the ammonia etc. in the tank.

This isn't my first fish. The fish store barely received the morning i purchased him so they didn't feed him. I'll give it another day to settle i just don't want him to die.

If the gulper is in good health, there is no danger for its health from a short fast at all. Let it take its time and it will learn to recognize the new types of feed you are offering. It shouldn't take more than 1-2 weeks.

Overall, gulpers are a specialty fish and statistically 99.9% of them don't live over a year for an average keeper, 90% perish in weeks or few months. They are sensitive to hard water, high pH, unstable pH, low dissolved oxygen, etc.

Here is our thread on gulpers with lessons learned, etc.: https://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/posts/7630190

Wow 99.9%. Really don't want this fish to pass. Try my best to keep him alive and healthy.

Has anyone ever had luck getting their gulper onto pellets?

I believe I've heard of some peers reporting this but I don't recall the extent of success, the length of it, etc. It may not be easy or may not last or both.

I recommend thawed fish presoaked in VitaChem.

How long does it take for a gulper to get used to his new habitat and start eating comfortably?

For the habitat, it depends on how different the new habitat is from the prior one, granted both habitats are within the range it can live in or adapt to. If for example, your water hardness is outside of its preferred range, it may never quite settle.

For the feed, it varies greatly when a gulper might start recognizing new offerings as feed, from immediately to a month or longer.

Okay, when i got mine the shop barely received them that morning and haven't fed them yet. So prior to that I'm not sure what environment he was kept in. He hasn't eaten since i got him which is 3 days.

If you have made sure your water is adequate for the fish and it looks healthy and behaves normal (should hide during the day, come out and swim around or laps or circles at night), then 1-2 weeks adjustment time and not feeding during this period is normal, can even take longer. The feed can be offered daily or once in a few days and should be taken out if not eaten.

Okay appreciate the help everyone!