Spotted Raphael Catfish

17 years ago

I purchased a 55 gallon Freshwater tank, water living friends and all. There is a Spotted Raphael Catfish that came with the tank five years + ago. Also 0ne Clown Loach came with the tank. The two of them shared a very small castle until I noticed that the castle was getting tooo small for the 2 of them to share. I had also purchased a couple more Clown Loaches as I was told at the time that Clown Loaches are groupies.

I have only seen the Catfish a couple of times in the 5+ years but the Clown Loaches have gotten so big (I know I have to move them to my 155 gallon) that I have put a couple of ceramic logs in there in hopes that all 4 Clown Loaches and my Catfish will make room for each other in the larger castle that they all seem to want to live in.

The last few days, my catfish has been out in the open. I see him/her all the time now. I am assuming that the Clown Loaches have chased him/her out so I put in another smaller castle in hopes that he/she will find it and make it his/her new home. But so far he/she is trying to hide in the plants instead.

Since I have never seen my beauty before this, should I be worried that he/she has come to the end of it's life span as I have no idea of how old he/she was when I got him/her? Or is it just that the Clown Loaches have chased him/her out? Or is it that he/she just doesn't want to be in there any more?

I have always done a W/C (water change) with a gravel vac once a week and thought I was a really good water living friends keeper until I purchased an Ancient Mariner machine (which is fantatic) and I have never seen so much gunk come from that tank. So could it be that now the tank has been and continues to be very clean that he/she is out more?

He/She is at least 4" long and very fat, LoL!

Is there anything to worry about?

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Comments (4)

woodnative
17 years ago
Enjoy your spotted Raphael. I bought one when I was a junior in High School......and I am now in my early 40s. Yes, I have had this fish for more than 24 years!! Mine looks old....its eyes are kind of cloudy white but it keeps on going. A lot of other fish have come and gone since then. It has been in various tanks through the years, currently residing in a 75 gallon an Oscar, convicts, large angels, and a silver dollar that is in its teens! Mine hides most of the time too, but if you check the tank after the lights go out you will probalby see it cruising around!
snowflake-rosa
17 years ago
Sounds like you're one of the lucky catfish keepers who actually gets to see theirs! Woodnative is right. Catfish can live for a VERY long time compared to other fish and are usually nocturnal. I don't think the fish hiding in plants is a problem. It could be that he's been cashed out but if it's found a new hangout then it ought to be fine. Or he might have just decided to see the world for once LOL! PlanetCatfish.com is a great site to go to if you want to know more about your beauty. The gunk at the bottom of the tank may not be a problem either. Stable tanks may have gunk but in mature tanks 'good' bacteria grows and helps break it down. If your fish have been living in the tank 5+ years it doesn't sound like they are getting bad care. :)
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cat696_gmail_com
15 years ago
I had one for years.. I loved that little guy!! With nocternal species you really want night time moon lighting!!! You get to wantch everyone all night long without interupting or disrupting their night/day cycle, but you still can see thing s clearly enough to really observe them all.. Gotta love the catfishes!!!!!!
RbsLady
14 years ago
I have a Spotted and a Striped raphael catfish, I also have an upside down catfish. now my spotted raphael cat is being slightly mean to my upside down, this morning he smacked the upside down cat in the face for like ten minutes because the upside down wanted his hiding spot and the spotted wouldnt let him have it. Are the spotted's at all aggressive? or do I just have a fish that likes to be rotten?