Help With My Baby Bullhead.

To make things clear, I know his tank his not big enough for him as an adult, I will set up a pond when I move houses soon. I know I should have figured it out before obtaining him, but its a bit late for that. I really would like to avoid people telling me that i'm horrible because i'm giving this a shot. thank you.

I recently obtained a baby bullhead catfish from a drying up stream. I caught him in a small about 3.5 gallon tank. (I know it is small.) but at the time he is only an inch long if not smaller, so he is fine until I can get something bigger. my main concern is, what will he eat? Ive had him for 3 days and haven't seen him eat yet. his mouth is pretty small. I put a bottom feeder pellet in for him and I have no clue if hes been eating that, cause I heard they only eat at night. ive killed small bugs and put them at the bottom of the tank and he didnt touch them (I think because they are too big.) my next plan is to just try tropical fish flakes and after that chop up a small worm and see if he likes that. what do I do?

 

Maybe you could try feeding him some worms, just to keep him form getting too hungry until you get him some real food. They have barbs to help find food and won't usually eat any bugs or worms unless they are alive and wriggling. I'm glad you saved him from drying up, but please give him enough space when you move. Can you post a picture?

 

Maybe you could try feeding him some worms, just to keep him form getting too hungry until you get him some real food. They have barbs to help find food and won't usually eat any bugs or worms unless they are alive and wriggling. I'm glad you saved him from drying up, but please give him enough space when you move. Can you post a picture?

I could get a picture in a bit. but as I said, I think his mouth may be a bit small for any worm I could find easily, so I'm at a loss

 

I've had bull heads and they ate everything I tried feeding. So cut up earth worms, flake food, pellet food, everything. Bullheads are considered "trash fish" by most anglers but I've caught a plenty on night crawlers and cut up fish pieces.

Make sure you are removing all the uneaten food and changing at least 50% of the water daily or every other day. If the water quality goes down the little fish may very well die. I assume the tank does not have a filter and isn't cycled, so be sure to keep things clean.

Also, you should make sure it is legal to keep wild caught and/or native fish in your area.

 

Well first off most fish, in my experience won’t eat while stressed out. He’s just been removed from his home, where he probably ate smaller fish, and mainly live pray. I would recommend feeding him some sort of shrimp or blood worm, and see where that leads.

 

I've had bull heads and they ate everything I tried feeding. So cut up earth worms, flake food, pellet food, everything. Bullheads are considered "trash fish" by most anglers but I've caught a plenty on night crawlers and cut up fish pieces.

Make sure you are removing all the uneaten food and changing at least 50% of the water daily or every other day. If the water quality goes down the little fish may very well die. I assume the tank does not have a filter and isn't cycled, so be sure to keep things clean.

Also, you should make sure it is legal to keep wild caught and/or native fish in your area.

he does have a filter. one pretty large to his tank size too, and I used a bit of BB supplements so he should be good on that

 

Maybe you could try feeding him some worms, just to keep him form getting too hungry until you get him some real food. They have barbs to help find food and won't usually eat any bugs or worms unless they are alive and wriggling. I'm glad you saved him from drying up, but please give him enough space when you move. Can you post a picture?

I put him in this container just for a better picture. As you can see he is just a little baby. And that's the issue. How small do I need to chop up worms and such?

 

Try live earthworms, small ones or larger ones chopped up. Remove uneaten food after a few hours if he's not interested.

 

I put him in this container just for a better picture. As you can see he is just a little baby. And that's the issue. How small do I need to chop up worms and such?

A little smaller then bite-size, for the worms. For bugs get small bite-sized ones. By the way, what's your catfish's name?

 

A little smaller then bite-size, for the worms. For bugs get small bite-sized ones. By the way, what's your catfish's name?

thank you. I hope he survives, should I force the bugs to sink? or will he come to the top for them?. and for his name, I don't have one yet. ive come up with a joke name because of my friends but y'know, id rather not name a catfish Ron.

 

thank you. I hope he survives, should I force the bugs to sink? or will he come to the top for them?. and for his name, I don't have one yet. ive come up with a joke name because of my friends but y'know, id rather not name a catfish Ron.

I would have the bugs sink. Catfish, in the wild, forage mostly on the bottom and can feel the food with the barbs near their mouth.

 

Give him a week or so to adjust, if's anything like the ones I kept as a kid it should do fine on just about anything you put in there, bloodworms, chopped up worms and flake food. Just remember its a predator/scavenger as it grows anything that fits in its mouth is food.

 

I agree with Demeter. It shouldn’t take long for it to accept commercial fish foods, like sinking pellets and/or flakes.

Can you post a full body pic? It might be a species of madtom, which actually stay quite small. That is unless you’re certain of your ID.

 

I agree with Demeter. It shouldn’t take long for it to accept commercial fish foods, like sinking pellets and/or flakes.

Can you post a full body pic? It might be a species of madtom, which actually stay quite small. That is unless you’re certain of your ID.

I will send a full body pic but it will need to be out of water for a few. And the quality isn't great.

 

I agree with Demeter. It shouldn’t take long for it to accept commercial fish foods, like sinking pellets and/or flakes.

Can you post a full body pic? It might be a species of madtom, which actually stay quite small. That is unless you’re certain of your ID.

Ok. This is him. I tried to get the best detail I could.

I would appreciate if I knew Exactly what he was

 

Ok. This is him. I tried to get the best detail I could. View attachment 462173
I would appreciate if I knew Exactly what he was

Yep, it definitely looks to be a bullhead. The exact species I don’t know. The two I’m aware of are the yellow and brown bullheads.

 

Yep, it definitely looks to be a bullhead. The exact species I don’t know. The two I’m aware of are the yellow and brown bullheads.

thank you!