Featherfin catfish "large adult" not eating enough & see ribs.

Iv had a adult featherfin catfish for aprox 1month in my 4x2x2. Has lots of wood/hides.
(He NEVER) eats dureing day besides a odd swim.
At night is when hes most active & when lights are out. I ALWAYS put food in for him at lights out so the other fish (silver dollars-oscar + angelfish)
Whom rely on vision. Dont eat his food.
I drop flakes/catfish sinking foods) and now iv noticed he looks skinny in the belly. U can see his ribs he was girthy when i got him originally.

 

Heres a picture of him

 

Well that's concerning.

How did you source this fish? Any history on it? Did you qt? Can you qt now?

Internal parasites comes to mind but hopefully someone else has more informed thoughts.

Maybe you could fill this out while you are waiting...

Fish Emergency Template | 376562 | Freshwater Fish Disease and Fish Health

 

What is the water volume of the tank? 150us gal
How long has the tank been running? 12months
Does it have a filter? Fluval fx6
Does it have a heater? Yes
What is the water temperature? 26
What is the entire stocking of this tank? (Please list all fish and inverts.) 1 oscar. 1 small bala shark. 4 silverdollars. 3 angelfish. 1 featherfin catfish

Maintenance
How often do you change the water? Weekly
How much of the water do you change? 35-45%
What do you use to treat your water? Seachem prime
Do you vacuum the substrate or just the water? Vacuum.

*Parameters - Very Important
Did you cycle your tank before adding fish? Yes
What do you use to test the water? Api master test kit
What are your parameters? We need to know the exact numbers, not just “fine” or “safe”.

Ammonia: 0ppm
Nitrite: 0ppm
Nitrate: 1ppm
pH: ran out of ph tests.

Feeding
How often do you feed your fish? Daily
How much do you feed your fish? Hand feed oscar cichlid pellets 1 at a time so he just eats. Flakes for other fish. And at lights out catfish sinking foods. "Never see him eat at this stage as lights out & in bed.
What brand of food do you feed your fish? JBL.
Do you feed frozen or freeze-dried foods? Frozen bloodworms. (Defrost b4 go into tank "treat food"

Illness & Symptoms
How long have you had this fish? 6-7 weeks
How long ago did you first notice these symptoms? Recently, he does eat from time to time. But never enough.
In a few words, can you explain the symptoms? Can see his ribs. Skinny belly.
Have you started any treatment for the illness? No
Was your fish physically ill or injured upon purchase? No
How has its behavior and appearance changed, if at all? None. Hes fine within himself.

Explain your emergency situation in detail. (Please give a clear explanation of what is going on, include details from the beginning of the illness leading up to now) not eating enough. Bony ribs/belly. No signs of illness that i can tell besides seeing his ribs

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well, i think diet is part of your problem

granted, I grew my featherfin out from 1 inch and he's still not as big as yours.

Can you ask the seller their feeding specifics?

I rotate food , mine gets a serving of 1 of the following: sinking pellets (3-4) or shrimp wafer (1) , black larvae crumbles(really nice sprinkling, he loves this and dances in water when he scents it) , fish food made with salmon & kelp, and 1/2 algae tablet for breakfast

*btw, I think bloodworms are good as a treat but IMO sinking pellets are better rounded for the omnivore catfish diet. Featherfins love veggies!

dinner is real veggies - kale, cucumber, broccoli ( i freeze & defrost in tap water) oh and snail jello, he loves it.

I could tell I needed to up his diet intake because I saw wear marks on plants, as he was mouthing them for nutrients.

JMO - I would definitely remove him to another tank so he has food whenever he wants it. Because he is starving, his food intake needs to be regulated and dedicated

you need to confirm how much he eats daily. if it's sufficient, then move onto parasites/disease

featherfins are timid with humans
SD are also timid

but in a tank alone, he may be getting bullied even if you think he eats at night.

Oh also at that size, he can be taught to eat whole shrimp. Dan Hiteshew had a video up where he hand fed his a shrimp. I watched it a year ago. I don't have it saved, but here's a featherfin pigging out on cucumber!

 

Here's the name of the salmon type food: Tropical bites .6 - 2.0 mm sinking cichlid bites


a company I found on ebay, in business 25 years.

One morning, I fed Hushpuppy and his mouth was open.. he was upright by his plants. 5 of the 20 sprinkles ended up going into his mouth! Dang, I wish I had it on film. It was like 1 of those games at a carnival!

Good luck with your boy! I'm cheering you both on.

 

Here's the name of the salmon type food: Tropical bites .6 - 2.0 mm sinking cichlid bites


a company I found on ebay, in business 25 years.

One morning, I fed Hushpuppy and his mouth was open.. he was upright by his plants. 5 of the 20 sprinkles ended up going into his mouth! Dang, I wish I had it on film. It was like 1 of those games at a carnival!

Good luck with your boy! I'm cheering you both on.

I have a spaire tank 145litres. Bit small for mine. But all i can do temp hospital tank and put him in there alone. So i can monitor his belly/eating. Atleast then he can come out of his cave on his on terms and eat. Instead of missing out? Good idea? Get him back to weight if pos. If nothing maybe internal parasite investigate. But for now a tank alone? My 145ltr is only 3ft. But houses a cave. And is empty atm. Cycled though with matrix. If he eats gains weight & gets comfortable ill try get him back in main tank the 4x2x2. If back to the bad ways i may look at rehomeing him if he isnt happy in that after monitoring in a solo tank?

I have a spaire tank 145litres. Bit small for mine. But think ill get it to temp, and put him in there alone. So i can monitor his belly/eating. Atleast then he can come out of his cave on his on terms and eat. Instead of missing out? Good idea? Get him back to weight if pos. If nothing maybe internal parasite investigate. But for now a tank alone? My 145ltr is only 3ft. But houses a cave. And is empty atm. Cycled though with matrix. If he eats gains weight & gets comfortable ill try get him back in main tank the 4x2x2. If back to the bad ways i may look at rehomeing him if he isnt happy in that after monitoring in a solo tank?

 

I think your approach is most wise.

Did I miss the bit where you said how this fish came to you?

 

I think your approach is most wise.

Did I miss the bit where you said how this fish came to you?

It came from a store im going to ask what they feed there catfish. Hes so bony for a fully grown featherfin. He doesnt compete for food in my main tank

 

I really hope all goes well and will keep my eyes peeled for updates.

 

I have a spaire tank 145litres. Bit small for mine. But all i can do temp hospital tank and put him in there alone. So i can monitor his belly/eating. Atleast then he can come out of his cave on his on terms and eat. Instead of missing out? Good idea? Get him back to weight if pos. If nothing maybe internal parasite investigate. But for now a tank alone? My 145ltr is only 3ft. But houses a cave. And is empty atm. Cycled though with matrix. If he eats gains weight & gets comfortable ill try get him back in main tank the 4x2x2. If back to the bad ways i may look at rehomeing him if he isnt happy in that after monitoring in a solo tank?

it should be fine as temporary housing. who knows, once stable, he maybe fine in your bigger tank!

I have a 120 pound rottweiler so I am constantly aware of bloat ( trapped gas) and staged feeding ( to prevent bloat). I say this because you will want to do feedings more than 1x a day. I do 5 am and 5 pm. Staggered it so water won't spoil & remove any debris of uneaten items ( 12 hours is my time limit). More food=more poo, therefore more tax on digestive track. Slow & steady wins the race. No offense to anyone, but this is like treating an eating disorder - gradually increase food meal size over time so the animal can adapt, i.e. avoid bloat/trapped gas.

My featherfin did not put on weight until I started doing veggie meals. algae tabs+ shrimp tables were not enough for my guy. The second meal is key. do 1/4 a slice cucumber once he starts to eat it, move up to 1/2 etc. peel the skin, slice it & freeze. defrost as needed.

However, you can either microwave it 20-30 sencond in water and then rinse too cool or freezer/defrost with tap water as I do. It helps start the breakdown of the fibers, so it's easier to eat. same with kale or any veggie, cook & cool under tap water or freeze, defrost under tap water, same result.



I did dice a shrimp a few months ago & he ate it fine.

Someone here also has a featherfin & SFD together, not sure about angels.


oh and snail jello:

1 part crushed calcium supplement
pinch or 2 fish food
no flavor freezer jello
1 jar baby food - I use spinach or peas
dice veggie tossed in=

snail jello ice cubes

is super easy, cheap & great meal for a featherfin. But the baby food in it creates a slime in tank. some ppl may be bothered by that.

Again, good luck! You go this. Just be patient.

Another tip: I leaned a piece of driftwood against the inside of my tank, so it crates the cave design catfish desire, but I can see my catfish anytime I walk up to the tank. He no longer swims away in fear and gradually built up trust. My boy just turned 1 year old I just keep my bedroom where his is dim during the day when home. the light in his tank is only on approx. 4 hours a day.

 

It came from a store im going to ask what they feed there catfish. Hes so bony for a fully grown featherfin. He doesnt compete for food in my main tank

It's okay. You noticed there was an issue & are addressing it. In a few weeks, hopefully he'll be fine