Catfish For Aquarium

Catfish are a popular fish to keep in your fish tank because they are generally placid and can live comfortably with other species of fish in a community tank. They also have a distinctive appearance of having barbels around the mouth that look like whiskers and hence give them their colloquial name Catfish. This article will briefly describe the common types of catfish that can be kept in an aquarium, some of their habits and how to care for them.

The two species of catfish that are popular for aquariums are the Corydoras sp. (also known as corys, cory catfish or cory cats) and the Synodontis sp.

Catfish For Aquarium

Catfish For Aquarium

Corys are indigenous to the tributaries of the Amazon river system. These waters are typically clean and clear and have a constant and gentle current. Corys tend to stick at the bottom in the current searching for food on the river bed or small animal life. Corys are quite small and live in small groups in the wild. In aquariums they are often on their own.

They are fairly hardy in terms of water quality. They can tolerate slightly acidic or alkaline water but are ideally suited to neutral water. They like a fine gravel substrate as most of their time is spent foraging for food. It is important to keep the water and gravel clean because Corys will pick up bacterial infections, such as ich or fin rot, from dirty substrate. To this extent, Corys are good for cleaning up waste material off the bottom of the tank but they also eat a wide variety of food including pellets and flake food and also blood worms. They are also well adapted to cold water and can live in water ranging from 18-25 degrees Celsius.

Catfish For Aquarium

Catfish For Aquarium

Catfish For Aquarium

Catfish For Aquarium

Synodontis sp. are generally larger fish than the Corys with some notable exceptions being the upside down catfish or synodontis nigriventris. They hail from the river systems and lakes of Africa where water is quite hard. Again they are bottom dwellers that prefer fine gravel substrate that they can scour for food. Having said that they will eat most types of other food from live food to flake and pellets.

Synodontis are quite shy to some extent and prefer dark surroundings. The lighting should be low and the habitat should include plenty of rocks and wood that can create caves and other place to hide from time to time.

Blue Fish

Growing up in Ohio and in a family of avid anglers, we were always going somewhere new and exciting. My dad was constantly watching a fishing show or reading the latest article on the subject of fishing. He must have seen or heard about the blue fish that was being caught off the coast of New Jersey, for it was not long before we were planning and packing for yet another great fishing excursion.

When we arrived in Atlantic City and located the local marina, we decided to come back after dinner and see who was catching the most fish. Most anglers were bringing in large numbers of blue fish, so Dad booked us on a party boat for that evening to see what kind of luck we would have. A party boat is a large fishing boat that takes anywhere from ten to thirty people out for an all day or half day fishing trip. On a party boat, the best place to fish is on the stern of the boat. If you choose these spots, you will have less trouble with tangles from your neighbor's fishing line. Wisely, Dad requested four spots on the stern.

Blue Fish

Blue Fish

As we boarded the boat, we saw a large variety of coolers, some exactly like the ones we had. We had big plans to fill these with fish.

We said hello and spoke to several people while waiting to cast off and leave the marina. You could feel the excitement and anticipation in the air. A couple of older men walked on board carrying two fifty-five gallon trash cans. Being a curious kid, I asked what they were going to do with those. They replied, "Son we're gonna fill these with fish!" With a smirk at my dad and a roll of my eyes, I thought man, where did these people come from.

Blue Fish

Blue Fish

On the way to our first fishing site, each group had a marking that would differentiate your fish from your neighbor's and everyone else's. Two slashes on the tail were some of the many distinguishing marks given. Our mark was half of a tail. Each fish we caught would be marked with the appropriate mark by slicing off half of the tail, and then it went into the fish box.

Eager to be underway, we cast off the lines and headed out. To me, it seemed like a lifetime before the Captain slowed down, came over the loud speaker, and said, "Drop your lines there are fish all over the place." We dropped our lines, and within just a few minutes, there were shouts coming from all over the boat, "Fish on! Got one, I've got one too". It was pure pandemonium and one of the best times of my life. What a frenzied spectacle this was. We had fish flopping all over the deck, lines were tangled, and people were shouting.

Blue Fish

Blue Fish

Blue Fish

Not all fishing boats will allow this. It is usually first come, first served. If you are unable to reserve a spot here, just stay near the stern on your way to your fishing spot. When the Captain stops the boat, just grab your pole and take your spot. If you don't, someone else will!

Catfish For Aquarium

Catfish are a popular fish to keep in your fish tank because they are generally placid and can live comfortably with other species of fish in a community tank. They also have a distinctive appearance of having barbels around the mouth that look like whiskers and hence give them their colloquial name Catfish. This article will briefly describe the common types of catfish that can be kept in an aquarium, some of their habits and how to care for them.

The two species of catfish that are popular for aquariums are the Corydoras sp. (also known as corys, cory catfish or cory cats) and the Synodontis sp.

Catfish For Aquarium

Catfish For Aquarium

Corys are indigenous to the tributaries of the Amazon river system. These waters are typically clean and clear and have a constant and gentle current. Corys tend to stick at the bottom in the current searching for food on the river bed or small animal life. Corys are quite small and live in small groups in the wild. In aquariums they are often on their own.

They are fairly hardy in terms of water quality. They can tolerate slightly acidic or alkaline water but are ideally suited to neutral water. They like a fine gravel substrate as most of their time is spent foraging for food. It is important to keep the water and gravel clean because Corys will pick up bacterial infections, such as ich or fin rot, from dirty substrate. To this extent, Corys are good for cleaning up waste material off the bottom of the tank but they also eat a wide variety of food including pellets and flake food and also blood worms. They are also well adapted to cold water and can live in water ranging from 18-25 degrees Celsius.

Catfish For Aquarium

Catfish For Aquarium

Catfish For Aquarium

Catfish For Aquarium

Synodontis sp. are generally larger fish than the Corys with some notable exceptions being the upside down catfish or synodontis nigriventris. They hail from the river systems and lakes of Africa where water is quite hard. Again they are bottom dwellers that prefer fine gravel substrate that they can scour for food. Having said that they will eat most types of other food from live food to flake and pellets.

Synodontis are quite shy to some extent and prefer dark surroundings. The lighting should be low and the habitat should include plenty of rocks and wood that can create caves and other place to hide from time to time.