Hey folks, as promised, here's the first installment of my favorite fish! Just remember everyone's opinion differs and I would like to see other peoples faves,  too, so please leave a comment if you have an opinion.  Here goes, (in no particular order)!

Copadichromis azureus - This haplochromine is a zooplankton feeder. Males attain a length up to 8 inches with females around half that. A colorful fish, males sport a metallic blue with a white dorsal edge and black fins. Also sold as C. chrysonotus.  They are as attractive as they are interesting to watch.

Protomelas insignis - Also known as P. spilonotus (Tanzania) this particular hap attains a length of about 10 inches, with females at 7.  Males develop a bluish green head with 3/4 of the upper body dark blue while the bottom 1/4 is yellow. Beautiful!

Pseudotropheus polit - This feisty little cave brooder, which tops out at 4 inches, has a nasty napoleon complex. Males become a very light blue with a black face. This fish will keep you on your toes!

Aulonocara ethelwynae - This peacock attains a length of 5 inches, and has an understated beauty.  It is not a very colorful fish, as compared to other peacocks. The body is mostly brown with some yellow accents, and it has a blue lower jaw. The fins are their most attractive feature as both the anal and dorsal are blue to a light purple in color.  A fish that lives around the sandy areas of the lake,  it also needs rock for protection and breeding.

Dimidiochromis compressiceps - This piscivore (fish eater), which is also known as the Malawi Eye Biter, attains a length of 11 inches and is rarely encountered in the rocky habitat. It mostly frequents reed stands and vallisneria beds where its laterally compressed  body can allow it to hide as it stalks prey. Males develop a metallic blue face and body, a white dorsal edge with red tips, and a red anal fin with blue white egg spots.  What is not to love about this fish!

Nimbochromis livingstoni - This 11 inch piscivore has an intresting hunting behavior, and is a blast to watch in action. It partially buries itself in sand and feigns death. It has a mottled pattern of brown blotches on a pale body.  The pale color attracts smaller fish, which are then caught with a sideways thrust, like lightning! Dominant males develop gorgeous dark  blue coloration.

Tyrannochromis macrostoma -  Another predator, this species attains a length of 14 inches and has a peculiar hunting technique, also spectacular to observe. It hovers in a head-down vertical position and tilts its body to one side.  The position allows this hunter to observe its prey in the rock and snatch it out of its hideout.  Males are a blue with yellow-orange in the anal and pelvic fins.

Protomelas steveni (Taiwan Reef) - This awesome species hails from three different areas with differences in colors. Higga Reef variants are all blue with a red anal fin and a white blaze, Ngkuyo Reef variants have a blue head some blue in body, while the back and belly are both yellow, and the anal fin is yellow. Taiwan Reef is my favorite, featuring a blue face and back, yellow body, red anal fin and a white blaze. Simply gorgeous fish. There is also an albino version which is stunning.

Rhampochromis sp. - Open water predators, these “Malawi Barracudas” range in size from 10 inches to 18 inches. They are mostly silver, though a couple species also have yellow anal and pelvic fins. They're made to chase down prey, natural hunters you can't help but to admire.

 
Any Lethrinops sp. or Tramitichromis sp.- These sandy living species come in all "flavors" and I will always have a soft spot for them for the variety of color they exhibit and their unique and interesting behaviors. My favorite variants are the Tramitichromis 'Red Flush' and the Lethrinops 'Auritus Lion'.

In closing, lets not forget that these are my faves I would love to hear from anyone who reads this blog about their favorite Malawi species and variants, please take a moment to give your take in our comments section and as always if you have any questions, let me know! Next up are my favorite Victorians!

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Please welcome Sam Yost as a blogger on That Fish Blog.  Sam has recently been promoted to Fish Room Supervisor and will be graduating from Millersville University in December with a degree in Marine Biology. 

Hello, My name is Sam Yost.  Being a hobbyist and working with other hobbyists in the trade, I have grown to understand that  keeping good water quality is one of the most important parts of aquarium keeping. If your aquarium water quality is bad, and a regular maintenance schedule is not kept, your fish will not be healthy, or will not live to their full potential.

There are many things that can happen in a tank to degrade the water quality. One of the major problems in maintaining water quality is overfeeding.  By overfeeding, a lot of unused food ends up breaking down in the tank.  It can be difficult to tell when fish have had enough, especially if there are a lot of fish in the tank, but it may be best to underfeed instead of dumping copious amounts of food. When uneaten food breaks down in the tank, it can cause a spike in ammonia, nitrites or nitrates. This spike, even if it is small, can be deadly to fish.  It may also settle into the substrate, where it can break down and cause chemistry problems, fish illness and other problems down the line.

There are several things you can do to help alleviate these overfeeding/water quality issues.

Consider what your fish need. Different fish can require different types and sizes of food, and some may require more frequent feedings than others. Generally, fish should be fed food that is about the size of their eye or smaller, or foods that can be broken easily, like flakes, that they can easily take in.

The amount of food administered should be what they can consume with in a minute or so. It is better to feed your fish several small meals than one large meal. Generally in a community, small feedings in the morning, evening and night will work great!  By doing three small feedings, there is a smaller amount of food being wasted.

Small, frequent feedings are also more healthy for the fish.  They are not eating so much that they look bloated, and the food can be used more efficiently.

You can also minimize the amount of waste that is put in to the tank by rinsing frozen food. This action gets rid of excess preservatives that are used to keep the food fresh so they go down the drain instead of breaking down in the tank.

Finally, small frequent water changes to reduce nitrates and gravel siphoning after several days can remove any waste and decaying food from the substrate.  A good, regular maintenance schedule will allow you to keep the water pristine and give your fish the best possible water quality for long, happy, healthy lives!

Thanks,

Sam

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Hi everyone, Jason here!  Reefs can be described in so many ways.  They have every color imaginable, and creatures different in such drastic ways all living in closely intertwined communities.  Some are the hunters and some are the prey.  You could explore the same section of the reef everyday and there is a decent chance of discovering something new, whether a new creature or a specific behavior that allows so many creatures to coexist in a specific area.  Reproducing these niches cause a rather difficult situation when trying to put these rare and exotic creatures into the confined area of a home aquarium. 

One of our more frequently sought after fish are the Dragonets.  We usually carry three or four different species of them.  The most common two are the Green Mandarin Dragonet (Synchiropus picturatus) and the Blue Mandarin Dragonet (Synchiropus splendidus).  These fish are extremely colorful and very entertaining to watch when placed in an adequate aquarium.

The Dragonets are a challenging fish to keep in the home aquarium.  It is not as much an issue of how hardy they are but rather their diet which can make them difficult to keep.  Unlike most fish available to the aquarium trade, they are not easily enticed to eat prepared foods, mostly because they do not recognize these processed items as food.  In the wild, they hunt small crustaceans called the copepods.  They usually require a tank that has been established for about a year, with at least 90 pounds of live rock to provide a population of copepods.  The naturally occurring copepods provide prey for the active hunting lifestyle of the dragonet.  Some aquarists try feeding live black worms in an attempt to wean them off of copepods with occasional success, but this will require regular purchase and maintenance of live black worms. This practice works for a short time, but ultimately, black worms do not contain enough nutrition to act as a substantial food source.  If it were not for their constant hunt for food and limited food source these fish might be easier to keep. 

If you are able to provide a sufficient copepod/amphipod population, Dragonets can do well in the aquarium with most other fish.  However, when it comes to being kept with other Dragonets there can be an issue (besides exausted food sources).  A pair consisting of a male and female will usually get along without aggression, but if you put two males in an aquarium (unless it is very large) they may fight, as they are very territorial.  You can differentiate between a male and a female by their size and the elongated dorsal fin.  The male will be more robust than the female, and he'll have a long extension from the dorsal fin that the female lacks.  Dragonets have been known to breed in captivity, but there is usually an extremely low success rate.  The male and female will rise up into the water column side by side to release the eggs and sperm.  Typically, they are more likely to show this behavior under actinic lights which simulate dusk or dawn lighting. 

If you have the well established reef to sustain them, and you want a show-stopping little fish, a Dragonet may be the way to go! 

Until next time,

Jason

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Hello, Cory here with a short blog on an interesting new wave in the world of reefing, the new obsession with Chalice corals.  A couple years ago, Chalice Corals were not very popular or in demand type of coral, despite the ease of care and collection. They were offered around the country, at very reasonable prices. This is no longer the case. With the influx of ridiculously colorful specimens in the market, the Chalice Coral craze has begun!

The Chalice Coral's appearance can be difficult to describe. Chalice corals are part of the Pectiniidae Family, more specifically the Genus Echinophyllia, but Mycedium and Oxypora species can also be considered in the group. Chalice Corals can be very easy to keep. They require low to moderate light, with a few species needing a bit more to help bring out some of the intense coloration. Due to the ability of Chalices to adapt to most lighting conditions, you must try to replicate the lighting conditions of the store or person before you, or the coral may change it's colors completely. After a few weeks to a couple of months, you may have a coral that looks nothing like the one you purchased. Too much and too little water movement can have negative effects, but don't worry too much. They can be tolerant of most currents as long as they are more turbulent rather than laminar. These corals can be very aggressive, but most lack very long sweeper tentacles, so the space around them can be manipulated. Since thier growth is relatively slow, you don't have to worry about them encroaching upon your other prize corals. However, always remember over time they may eventually converge with a neighboring coral and the battle will begin. They primarily feed at night, preying upon small, meaty foods such as cyclops and oyster eggs.

For the past year or so, Chalice Corals have become the popular corals to keep, like Acans and Zoanthid polyps before them. Prices per frag range from 15 to 20 dollars for the standard variety. The more uncommon varieties are ranging from 50 to as much as 300 dollars or more per frag, depending on the size!  One example, the Tyree LE Bumble Gum Monster Chalice can be as much as 250 dollars per ¾ inch frag! Recently, an extremely rare species, coined the My Miami Chalice frag was auctioned for 2000 dollars on eBay. The frag was close to an inch in size. My collection includes two variants at the moment, the Sour Apple and the Christmas Chalice. That Fish Place carries a few varieties such as the Miami Hurricane and the Rainbow Delight (Jason Fox frags)with many others hopefully to come in the future.  Check them out!

Until next time,

Cory

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Hi everyone, Dave here. It has been a few years since we last offered any products from JBJ USA, we are proud to once again offer products from this innovative manufacturer.  As one of the pioneers of the all in one Nano-Reef aquarium, JBJ’s Nano Cube allowed aquarist with limited space and/or budgets to enjoy the beauty of the natural reef aquarium.  Over the years, the JBJ Nano Cube has undergone quite a few changes, and we have brought the product line back to TFP with two of their most advanced models  ever, the 28 gallon HQI, and the 28 gallon power compact powered Nano Cubes.

The 28 gallon HQI Nano Cube features a single 150watt 14K metal halide bulb, as well as 4 LED Nite-Vu bulbs, which give a high power 24 hr lighting system for whatever your reef keeping desires may be.  Along with its powerful light source, the New Nano Cube has a wealth of other high tech features, like a built in Air powered protein skimmer, and a dual return pump system that incorporates a pair of JBJ’s Accela powerheads controlled by an adjustable JBJ Ocean Pulse wavemaker.  These features add up to give this new Nano Cube a lot of bang for the buck, and allow you to keep even the most light demanding species of coral happy and healthy.

The 28 gallon power compact version of the tank features much of the same technology as its HQI powered counterpart, including the integrated filtration system, dual pump wavemaker, and LED Nite-Vu systems.  The biggest difference between the two is obviously the light supply.   The power compact Nano Cube uses a high power (105 watt) quad tube power compact, that has a dual spectrum output of 10,000K on one side, and 7100K on the other.  With this set up you can use the system for freshwater or saltwater, and there is plenty of lighting power for keeping  live plants or many corals thriving in this cool little tank. The compact flourescent model does not have a protein skimmer like the HQI version, but does have another interesting option.  The filtration tray has a clear lid on it, so that the filtration compartment can easily be transformed into a built in refugium.  Simply remove the media and replace it with macroalgae, pretty cool.

If you are in the market for an all in one aquarium system, you should check out the latest offerings from JBJ here at TFP, they are very nicely designed little tanks.

Until next time,

Dave

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Hello everyone! This is Craig, just writing a short blog on a group of fish that seems to be seeing a swell in popularity within the aquarium hobby lately. The danios. Yes… the lowly, boring, indestructible danios. You might just be surprised at how diverse and beautiful this group of fish has now become within the hobby. Gone are the days when Zebra danios (Danio rerio) and Leopard danios (Danio rerio ‘frankei’)were the only choices for hardy danio species. With the influx of newly discovered freshwater fish from South East Asia, there are many new and colorful species of danio. Almost all of these new danios still hold that indestructible danio trait. Here are some of the newest species in the hobby:

Danio choprae – the Glowlight Danio
These fish are one of the smallest of danio species. Barely attaining a size of 2 inches, these little fish are very active and have been known to spawn in home aquaria! Their body is a beautiful gold with glowing orange stripe going down its side. You can also see some blue barring on the fish when they are very happy! Kept in groups of 10 or more, these little fish are really spectacular!

Danio sp. “Burma” – the Burma Danio
This is a relatively new discovery in the world of danios. A subtle, yet beautiful fish. The Burma Danio is another smaller species that has a wash of gold and green down its sides. These washes form very distinct green spots that are ringed in metallic gold! When these little fellows are kept in large schools of 10 or more, they swim in tight formations and swing from one side of the tank to the other. If you want to see what schooling fish are all about, this is your fish!

Danio kyathit – the Orange Fin Danio
The Orange Fin Danio may look like its cousin the Zebra Danio, but when placed in a planted aquarium with plenty of other Orange Fin Danios, this species will develop broad, reddish-orange stripes on its fins. To make things even more interesting, this fish comes in a striped or spotted color morph! Regardless of the morph you see, this fish makes a robust and hardy addition to any home aquaria.

Devario sp. “Giraffe” – the Giraffe Danio
A slightly larger species of danio, these 3 inch schooling fish boast an iridescent green and orange pattern to their sides that will remind you of a giraffe’s mottling. Very hardy and very rare! This species of danio is one of the most uncommon seen today and is already proving to be a beautiful and hardy fish. As with all danio species, these fish are lively and appreciate a well planted aquarium.

Laubuca dadiburjori – the Dadio
Hailing from India, this tiny danio reaches barely over an inch and is another rarity in the hobby. It has shown to be very hardy and even able to tolerate cooler water temperatures. The Dadio shows a more muted coloration and has a thin body with pale orange on the side and a thin blue stripe going through the orange. There is also a second color morph in which the blue stripe has three tiny little balls of blue spaced along the stripe. This is yet another species that will benefit from being kept with several of its own kind.

As you can see, there are some beautiful and interesting new species of danio that are just now making their way into the hobby. I, like most hobbyists, have overlooked the danios for years, but seeing the newer introductions, I have to say that they are indeed charming little fish that add life and even a little splash of color your aquarium. Even the old standards, the Zebra and Leopard danios, tend to take on new beauty now! Just remember, these spunky little fish will always do better in larger schools of 6 or more. Also, these guys love to eat, so a couple of small feedings per day will help to keep them in good shape. If you decide to get a handful of these little guys, enjoy!

Thanks,

Craig

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Hey Fish Blog Followers! There are lots of different types of freshwater communities created by hobbyists. Some people choose a peaceful community of tetras and other small docile fish, while others opt for a tank populated with predators or other territorial species, often a fine balance between tolerance and aggression. Many aquariums are somewhere in between, referred to as semi-aggressive communities, which often include fish such as barbs, gouramis, large tetras and others that fit into the category.  Today I wanted to give a small introduction to several popular species of fish often purchased for these aquariums that may interest you.
 

Not Exactly Maneaters

Some of the most popular fish for the freshwater semi-aggressive community are the cyprinids known as sharks. These are not the cartilaginous carnivores as featured in movies or the Discovery Channel. These fish are found primarily in the waters of Southeast Asia and Thailand. There are several species that are often imported for use in the aquarium trade, and several species also referred to as sharks that are less common in the trade. Though from several different genera, these fish all have in common the pointed heads and large, curved dorsal fins that give them their misleading common names.

Though these fish lack teeth, as a general rule they are considered semi-aggressive, if not for the sizes they attain, then for the territoriality they often express as they mature. They are generally not suitable for tanks under 55 gallons (some not less than a 75 to 100 gallon tank) and should only be mixed with fish that can stand up to the potential for chasing and harassment that sharks can dish out (especially to their own kind). Smaller fish may eventually be seen as a snack as the fish grow. Sharks make bold and interesting additions to freshwater semi-aggressive communities, as long as the tank is of adequate size and the conditions in the tank suit their needs. Suitable tank mates for most include fish like barbs, catfish, large tetras, and other fish of similar temperament.

If you are considering the addition of a shark to your community, there are several things to keep in mind. As far as the set-up goes (besides having an adequately sized aquarium) be sure that you provide plenty of cover like wood, plants or rock formations so these fish can hide and fell secure when they feel the need. A tightly fitting lid is also highly recommended as they tend to be terrific jumpers, especially if startled. Most common sharks prefer well-aerated, clean water with temps between 74 and 81 degrees (F) and a pH maintained between 6.5 and 7.5. Sharks do not tend to be finicky eaters, readily accepting flakes, pellets and frozen, freeze-dried or live treats like bloodworms, tubiflex, glass worms, plankton, brine shrimp or other meaty tidbits.

Popular Species

There are several species of freshwater shark, and variants of these species, regularly available on the market that may be candidates for your semi-aggressive community.

Bala Sharks (Balantiocheilus melanopterus), also called Tricolor Sharks, are a popular variety with silvery scales and bold black edges on the fins and tail. Though attractive, this species tends to be rather skittish unless kept in small groups. These fish tend to be more shy and docile than many of the other sharks. Reaching a length of between 13 and 15 inches potentially, this species is best left to aquarists with tanks of at least 75 gallons or more for a single specimen, much larger if they are to be kept in the security of a small group.

Rainbow Sharks (Epalzeorhynchos frenatus) may be the best choice for most hobbyists, despite their tendency to become territorial and increasingly aggressive as they mature. Also known as the Ruby Shark or the Red-Finned Shark, this species grows to only about 6 inches and bears bright red fins that are quite attractive. Several variants have also been selectively bred to make things even more interesting, such as albinos and white-finned. These sharks should be kept as a single specimen in the community as they do not tend to tolerate others of their kind in the confines of an aquarium. Red-tail Sharks (Labeo bicolor) are similar in size and behavior to Rainbow Sharks, but lack the red fins and display a velvety black body and a red tail.

Other types of freshwater sharks include Black Sharks, Iridescent Sharks, Colombian Sharks, and others that are even more uncommonly seen in the trade. For various reasons, these species are typically not suitable for the average semi-aggressive community, and careful consideration should be taken before purchasing these species.

Black Sharks are attractive, but they grow rather quickly to about 30 inches in length, too large for most home aquariums. Iridescent Sharks are actually a type of catfish that also quickly grows from a 2 inch juvenile to lengths nearing 4 feet, another that should not be considered for the average home aquarium. Colombian Sharks are sleek and active catfish too, rounding out at about 10 inches, with huge appetites and a preference for brackish to marine conditions as they mature.

Thanks, hope this information is helpful!

Patty

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Hello, Frank Indiviglio here.  As a child, I constantly combed the pet stores of the Bronx and Manhattan in search of the odd catfishes, lungfishes and eels I so favored.  I distinctly recall first coming upon some creatures labeled as “rubber eels”, and realizing that I was looking at something special – I just didn’t know exactly what!  The blue-gray “fish” were indeed quite rubbery in texture and did look like eels, yet something was “off”.  In time, I learned that these odd beasts were amphibians, specifically aquatic or River Cauca Caecilians, Tylphlonectes natans.

Natural History

Today, so many years later, you can still find these caecilians being sold as rubber eels.  The River Cauca caecilian is one of the few aquatic members of this little studied amphibian order (the Gymnophiona), and, even now, is the only one to regularly appear in the trade, or even in zoos.  They are found only within the drainages of 2 rivers systems in northern Columbia and northwestern Venezuela, and little is known of their lives in the wild.

Aquatic Caecilians in the Aquarium

River Cauca Caecilians are quite hardy when given proper care, and may even surprise you with young, which are born alive and have external gills.  I’ve bred them in a well-filtered (undergravel) 20 gallon aquarium at a pH of 7 and temperature of 76 F, but one experienced keeper advises that they fare better in acidic water, and recommends sphagnum moss as a substrate.  They may reach 24 inches in length, but most top out at 12-16 inches.

Caecilians are quite shy at first, and must be provided with subdued lighting and artificial caves, PVC pipes, live plants and the like as shelter.  Those I’ve kept have become quite bold after a time, leaving their hideouts by day when scenting the earthworms, blackworms and prawn that are their favorite foods.  A few individuals learned to take frozen foods and shrimp pellets, but live food is definitely preferable.

Fish keeping experience will serve you well in caring for these fascinating amphibians…with so much still unknown about them, I hope that more aquarists take up the challenge!

Further Reading

You can read more about this and other caecilians here.

Please write in with your questions and comments. 

Thanks, until next time,

Frank Indiviglio

Tylphlonectes natans image referenced from wikipedia and originally posted by Christophe cagé

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Hello, Frank Indiviglio here.  Please see Part I of this article for information on the natural history of the clownfishes and their close relatives, the damselfishes.  Today we’ll take a look at the most popularly kept of the clownfishes, the beautifully-colored Percula clownfish, Amphiprion ocellaris.

Even before being skyrocketed to fame by the movie Finding Nemo, the Percula was an aquarium favorite, and one of the most widely-recognized marine fishes in the world.  Its brilliant orange and white coloration and seemingly “comic" mode of swimming endears it to all. 

Natural History

Hailing from the Indo-Pacific region (western Pacific and eastern Indian Oceans, including the Great Barrier Reef), this clownfish reaches a length of 3.2 inches in captivity; wild specimens are reported to exceed 4 inches in length, but captive bred animals are generally smaller.

Observations of free living Percula clowns indicate that they usually colonize magnificent sea anemones, Heteractis magnifica.  I have not read any research indicating that the various clownfishes seek out host anemones based upon their ability to survive within a particular species (please see Part I), but such would certainly be interesting to investigate.  Please note: Maldive Clownfishes are pictured here with a Magnificent Sea Anemone.

Clownfishes in the Aquarium

Like all clownfishes, the Percula is territorial and quite protective of the anemone in which it lives.  Generally only one mated pair can be maintained in an aquarium, unless it is very large and well stocked with coral and other sight barriers. 

Percula Clowns are omnivorous, and accept a wide variety of dry, frozen and live foods.   A mix of vegetable-based and meaty items should be provided.

Fortunately, captive bred specimens are readily available.  If considering a Percula Clownfish, please be sure to select a captive bred animal. 

The Anemone-Clownfish Relationship

Percula clowns do fine in captivity without an anemone in which to live, but not so
in the wild….there, clownfishes deprived of an anemone’s protection are quickly consumed by predators.  However, they are at their best when displayed with a living anemone, and when kept so will reveal a great many of their interesting interactions with these invertebrates (please see Part I of this article for further information).

The keeping of live sea anemones differs somewhat from fish-keeping.  For further information, please see the following articles on our blog: Unusual Invertebrates for marine Aquariums and Anemone Movement: Common Aquarium Questions .

Further Reading

Please check out the book I’ve written on marine and fresh water aquariums: The Everything Aquarium Book.

You can learn about clownfish natural history here.

Please write in with your questions and comments. 

Thanks, until next time,

Frank Indiviglio

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Hello, Frank Indiviglio here.  It takes some doing to stand out among the catfishes, a group that contains some of the most bizarre creatures on earth.  Yet the Electric Catfish (Malapterurus electricus) does this quite admirably.  Indeed, this species is so unique that it and the small mouth electric catfish (M. macrostoma) are alone classified in the family Malapteruridae.

Characteristics and Cautions

The Electric Catfish has a number of qualities that would seem to mitigate against its popularity, but catfish enthusiasts, myself included, seem drawn to “unlovable” beasts.  It is no beauty, and is impossible to house with any species other than its own – tank mates that are not shocked to death are eaten!  Fortunately, it is immune to its own unique defense system.

In all seriousness, however, this fish is not for beginners.  It may reach 3 feet in length, and when disturbed emits electrical charges that are, at 400 volts, strong enough to stun adults (the strength of its charges increases with size, but even a 3 inch specimen can make itself felt).  Obviously, it is imperative that children and mentally challenged persons be kept away from electric catfishes.

Natural History

The Electric Catfish inhabits slower-moving portions of the Nile, Niger and other river systems in Central and West Africa.  The small mouth Electric Catfish is confined to the Congo River Basin and rarely appears in the pet trade. 

This species captures its prey, mainly other fishes, by releasing short bursts of electricity.  Electrical impulses are also used for defense, but do not assist in navigation (as is the case for the knife fishes). A unique pectoral muscle that surrounds most of the body generates the electrical discharges.

Pairs form during the breeding season, and the eggs are laid in a self dug or confiscated hole below a sunken log or rock. Little else is known of its reproductive behavior.

Captive Care

Despite, or perhaps because of, their formidable defenses, electric catfishes make most responsive pets. Owners invariably describe them as alert and quick to respond to one’s presence (in such cases, feed but don’t “pet” them!).  They soon abandon their nocturnal ways where food is involved.

Plan for a large, well-covered tank, as these stout fishes may reach 35 inches in length.  They seem to be fish specialists, but will also take all manner of other meaty foods, carnivore pellets, prawn, earthworms, insects, crayfishes and just about any other small animal.  Long term captives rarely discharge electricity during routine tank maintenance, but they should none-the-less be treated with respect and caution.

Captives do best under low light and in moderately soft water at 76-78 F and 6.5-7.5 in pH.  A suitably powerful filtration system is essential, as are regular water changes.  Electric catfishes prefer sluggish waters in the wild, and do not abide strong currents in captivity.  Albinos are sometimes available.

Research Potential

The Electric Catfish is yet another relatively common, hardy fish about which we know very little.  Documenting their breeding behavior would be a most interesting and useful endeavor…please consider it if your resources allow.

A New Exhibit

I recently obtained a nice group of Electric Catfishes and helped set up an exhibit for them in the new African Underwater Adventure display at the Maritime Aquariumin Norwalk, Ct.  Please visit if you have a chance.

Further Reading

You can read more about the Electric Catfish at Fishbase.

Please write in with your questions and comments. 

Thanks, until next time,

 Frank Indiviglio

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