Aquarium Catfish: Proper Care and Handling

A quite familiar creature found in freshwater aquariums, catfish, is not just your ordinary type of fish. Its name is derived from its very prominent "barbells", which resemble that of a cat's whiskers. Another not so common feature of these fishes is that they do not possess any scales and they have a strong, hollow ray on their fins which emit a stinging protein whenever these creatures sensed danger. The most commonly raised catfishes are the armored catfishes. They are smaller than the other types making it a very fine addition to your collection.

For those who choose to include catfishes into their tanks, here are the necessary tips to acquaint you with the proper handling and care of these divine little creatures.

Catfishes search for food at the bed of the aquarium therefore you have to select the type of food that settles at the bottom. Also, choose the right kind of gravel to use into your aquarium, one that is not too rough so as not to injure these creatures knowing the fact that they actually do not have scales with them. It is very practical to decide initially whether you would want to include catfishes into your fish collection before actually setting up your tank. Catfishes are also of the nocturnal type so it would be best to feed them late in the afternoon or at night time.

Basically, the care of catfishes is in fact, not a big problem at all for it does not really vary from that of the other fish. It is advisable to install caves or hiding areas into your aquarium if you decide to rear these creatures since they feel more secured when hidden. One should also take into consideration the pH of the water, which should be neutral, and the temperature, which should be in the middle to upper seventies - a similar set-up used to accommodate other types of fishes. So housing catfishes with other types of fishes is not much of a trouble at all.

On the contrary, catfishes tend to predate smaller fishes hence, it is recommended to consider the sizes of the fishes that you would want to add into your tank. Nevertheless, these creatures are truly wonderful additions to almost every tank and they easily get along well with other inhabitants, and in fact great candidates for community tanks. They usually occupy the bottom-most part of the tank so they are not actually much of a disturbance to the entire populace. Only in combination with some larger cichlids can there be a problem as the cichlids tend to extend their territorial claim to the entire tank.

Being comical and goofy in nature, catfishes are sure sources of amusement to every tank they occupy.