How to Make a Striped Raphael Catfish Come From Hiding

Striped Raphael catfish are armored catfish from South America. They can be quite reclusive in captivity. You may have to take a number of steps to get them to hang out in the open in the home aquarium. This includes changes in aquarium decor and adding additional Raphael catfish to make them feel safe.

  1. Schools

    • Striped Raphael catfish -- also called striped talking catfish and humbug catfish -- school for protection in the wild. This behavior is hard-wired into them, so they will not feel safe in captivity unless you keep them in a group of three to four individuals. Stressed fish are more likely to suffer from disease and more likely to hide in the recesses of an aquarium where they feel safer.

    More Hiding Places

    • Paradoxically, most fish hide less if you give them more hiding places. Fish that know they can go hide will usually spend more time in the open, since they feel less stressed out and know they can get back to a hiding place if they need to. This strategy may help get your Raphael catfish get out into the aquarium more often.

    Noctural

    • On of the big reasons you might not see much of your Raphael catfish is that they are ultimately nocturnal fish. You will see them come most active at lights out, However, as enthusiastic chowhounds, they will come out during feeding time. You can try feeding them multiple times during the day to get your Raphael catfish out in the open. Additionally, dim lighting may make them more likely to come out -- as long as you don't have any live aquarium plants depending on that light.

    Ghost Tubes

    • One odd way to see more of your striped Raphael catfish is with ghost tubes. Many fish, including catfish, use their sense of touch and a special sense that detects changes in water movement to understand their environment. You can trick them into thinking they're hidden with clear plastic tubes. In a clear tube, Raphael catfish feel safe since they can sense that the tube is solid, while you can still see them. These tubes are named for the ghost knifefish, a fish that will spend all day in these tubes.