# Flavican catfish



## Jennstin (Dec 15, 2013)

Picked up two of these guys the other day they're such beautiful catfish but I'm having trouble with them eating, does anybody else happen to have one of these guys if so what do you suggest I do. Currently trying to feed them mysis shrimp and krill.


----------



## bigfishy (Jun 19, 2009)

ooooo where did you get them?  You got a really nice one, it doesn't have a bang up nose! O_O"

Give them time to settle! 

How big are they? What tank size are they in? tankmates? What did they ate before? feeders?


----------



## arapaimag (Dec 6, 2007)

Sorry I never owned one but I have owned four fish in their genus. Brachyplatystoma tigrinum, B. filamentosum, B juruense and B. platynemum. In all cases when I bought them I inquired from the seller what food he was feeding them. Then if different from my regular feeding I first fed them what they were used to and weaned them off to my foods in time.

My tigrinum, juruense and platynemum ate Martin large sinking pellets, smelts, herring, mackerel, trout, earthworms, silversides. I generally keep shoals of small fish in with them like guppies or swordtails. Some are eaten but the shoals reproduce to replace the eaten ones.

My B. filamentosum ate similar foods but was kept (12 years 1997 to 2009) in my big tank where a large reproductive group of african and central american cichlids are available to them as well as the smelt, trout, herring and mackerel.

Mine stayed very small and was only 96cm (38") when it passed on. I have a large female Wallago leerii in that tank it it did not like the jumper cat so intimidated it non stop.

Good luck with both of your moonlight cats.


----------



## Jennstin (Dec 15, 2013)

Got them from big als brampton . Yeah both of their noses are in great condition except their streamer tails  my blue acaras picked at them. They currently are in a 180 gallon tank. Tank mates are pretty much a bunch of different tetras , kribensis, two blue acaras, couple of loaches, daninos, couple ruby barbs and a few more fish can't think of them at the moment. Trying to get my hands on another tank to move all the community fish into one and let the flavicans have the 180. When I purchased them I asked what they were feedin them and they said mysis shrimp but doesn't seem to be doing it for them. Maybe it's from the other fish I'm not sure I just hope they start eating.


----------



## Jennstin (Dec 15, 2013)

Oh I forgot to mention that they are 4 inches each.


----------



## arapaimag (Dec 6, 2007)

They are very young fish.


Did you quarantine them?



The best success I've had in raising young fish in their genus is putting them in a tank of their own as I teach them to eat. My 747's (B. platynemum)were a bit bigger when I got them. 

I normally put a few guppies in the tank with them just to make sure they will eat something while they learn to eat the foods I have for them.

Your fish can grow over 1 metre.


----------



## Jennstin (Dec 15, 2013)

Haven't quarantined them yet, working on getting another tank going. Yeah i know they get pretty big not worried about that yet though they'll be okay in the 180 for now they're still small


----------



## bigfishy (Jun 19, 2009)

Streamers will grow back, but a busted head wouldn't. So take away all the aggressive fish such as Acaras, Kribensis and the Barbs, so it doesn't nip or bother the catfish to make a sudden jolt and crash itself to the side of the tank.

As for the daninos and the tetras, they are fish food, and it's possible for the catfish to feast them during the night.

Maybe that's why the catfish doesn't want your food.


----------

