Catfish for Pets

Fish make great pets. They are relatively easy to care for, look great in a well-decorated aquarium, and are fascinating to watch. When considering what type of fish to choose as your pet, it's tempting to go straight for the colorful, exotic, even bizarre looking specimens, but let's not overlook the catfish. Catfish make wonderful pets and are a harmonious addition to any fish community.

  1. General Information

    • Catfish are a generally peaceful type of fish. The most distinguishing feature of a catfish is the prominent ̶0;barbells,̶1; which resemble cat whiskers, and helped name them. Catfish have no scales, but have a strong, hollow ray on their fins that they use to sting when threatened. Catfish have the reputation of being relatively goofy and comical for a fish. At the very least, they're considered an entertaining addition to the aquarium.

    Habitat

    • Catfish can grow to be very large so they need a large tank. Catfish are nocturnal and only like low intensity lights. They need dark caves and hiding places to sleep during the day. They are scavengers so they like to scavenge for food. Put in some tunnels for them to swim through and add soft gravel to the bottom of the tank for them to dig and root around in. Catfish prefer colder water than most fish; around 70 degrees will please them. Keep the water quality neutral, not too acidic. Use aquarium chemicals to control the water quality and PH levels as necessary.

    Feeding

    • Since catfish are nocturnal, you will need to feed them at night. Rotate your catfish's diet between flakes, bloodworms, and sinking pellets as catfish are naturally bottom feeders. There have even been reports of certain catfish being smart enough to perform tricks to get rewarded with food treats. So experiment with yours if you so desire.

    Living with other fish

    • Catfish are harmonious additions to an aquarium community because they like to mind their own business at the bottom of the tank. Catfish can be placed with almost any other fish in an aquarium, except some notable exceptions. They may get into fights with territorial cichlids, predators that will eat smaller fish if given the chance.