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My "probable" White Catfish hasn't grown in a year. I aquired the fish because he was growing too fast for someone else's tank, which indicates he was young at the time. He has settled out around 10 inches now.

The ID was made by photo. My fish looks a bit flatter than the one on the PC Cat-eLog and maybe wider in the mouth...

Questions are: how big a tank should he be in? how active should he be in daylight hours? Any other possibles on the ID?

I share this fish and a fishroom. The fish is in a 26 gal with one part-time small airstone, an Aquaclear 200, coarse sand and one bit of slate. I think the fish needs more room, more hiding places, more air and more food, but _I_ need more info to insist. He is not active when watched,but does eat and wiggle a fin now and then.

http://users.lmi.net/~troi/MedSalvador_01.JPG
http://users.lmi.net/~troi/InhncMdSalvador_02.JPG

troi

I looked long and hard at that caudal fin, and now I'm not sure if it's a white catfish or a yellow bullhead. The fork doesn't look natural, and I'm beginning to suspect it may be a yellow bullhead (). Can you count the anal-fin rays? It should be about 22-24 if it's a white catfish, and 24-27 if it's a yellow bullhead.

Silurus wrote:Can you count the anal-fin rays? It should be about 22-24 if it's a white catfish, and 24-27 if it's a yellow bullhead.

Thanks. I don't think Salvador will hold still if I pluck him out the tank, but I can try for a better picture of the anal.
What do we conclude if I count 24 rays : )

Any thoughts on upgrading his environment?

Sure is a cute catfish.

troi

troi wrote: Any thoughts on upgrading his environment?

A 120gallon may get you by for a few years but you will still need something bigger after that.

PlecoCrazy wrote: A 120gallon may get you by for a few years but you will still need something bigger after that.

hum. Probably ought to ID the poor guy! I tried to count rays in the anal fin and twice got a count of 17, being unsure exactly what is supposed to look like what. I took the rays as the stronger, lighter looking areas and the "skin" as the darker, thinner areas between.

He's been in a 26 gal for a year. _This is not my doing nor is it my choice_. Talk now is of moving him to the greenhouse tank--unheated more or less outdoors in the SF Bay Area--which is 180 gals. Tank mates? Big tank for one fish.

troi

I'm 95% sure its a white catfish. If you look at the pictures in the cat e-log, you'll notice that the yellow bullhead's "whiskers", or barbels, on top of the head are longer and thicker than the white catfish...but that's not very reliable, however. My gut tells me it's a white catfish.

wizkidd26 wrote:I'm 95% sure its a white catfish. ... barbels, on top of the head are longer and thicker ...but that's not very reliable, however. My gut tells me it's a white catfish.

Seems to be the concensus. When we move the fish to 180 gal outdoor tank, we will try to get good pix. Could the barbel size/shape be a factor of age in these fish? I think this fish is about 2 yo and stunted a bit.

troi