sasha

hi, we recently rescued a few fish from a 2 ft fish tank which the water was green and horrible in this tank there was 2 pangasius cat fish 1 @ 8 inch 1 @ 11 we lost the biggest 1 on way home, also there was a 6 inch ghost koi and 2 full grown black widows. Since we took them home they have been well except for the cat, we just can't get him to eat at all we are getting really worried now, is it possible he has some sort of disease he isn't displaying any symptoms and goes nuts when its feeding time but he doesn't see the food is there anything we can do? please help

chickadee

A lot of catfish and scavengers eat almost totally at night after lights out. He may have been stressed by the move especially if the living conditions he had previously were horrible. But he may also be getting more food than you are aware of. They can find microscopic bits of food on the gravel and glass that we cannot see and it does not take much to keep a fish alive. Their stomachs are only the size of their eye. It is much worse for a fish to eat too much than not enough. It is truly amazing how little they can get by on. So give him some more time or else segregate him in a quarantine tank and watch him, but the shock may be horrible for him. I would just let him be as long as he is not showing other signs of disease or distress. I am betting he is eating at night and just not what you think he should be.

What are you trying to feed him? Sinking pellets or wafers work best for catfish and sometimes they will leave them until they are powder. Mine play in their food for a day or so before they eat it. I drop it in the back of the tank as they have it spread all over the place so they can smear to their heart's content in the back without me having the mess in the front. Don't follow the same rule with a catfish that you do with other fish and remove the food after a few minutes - they have to have the food left in the tank or they never will eat it.

Rose

Marc

What temperature is the tank?

sasha

Hi , Your were most likely correct chickadee that he was eating something during the night , our friend is somewhat of a catfish fan and she said the same,
We thought he hadnt eaten a thing in the two or so weeks since we had him, and she said there would be no way he could be as strong as he is without eating something as he was EXTREMELY STRONG lol ,

p.s feeding him algae wafers, sinking pellets bloodworm.

We have since gave him to our friend as we couldnt take it, thinking he wasnt eating he has now got a nice place to live beside an oscar and she had two but one died of hole in the head , so the other is happy he has a mate again lol