My Bumblebee Catfish Is Alive?

Hello! I got a bumblebee catfish a few months back, and I've read that they're very shy. I can definitely see that, as I've caught 5 glimpses of him (her? I have no idea, he's named after a guy.) since I've had him in early September. Since I saw him so little, I assumed he was dead. Then after I pestered my dad enough, he was finally convinced to do a water change. It was pretty big, around 75%, and I saw him swimming around! It was very stressful for him, so I took him out and put him in a bucket full of the old tank water and reintroduced and acclimated him after the change was done. I wasn't particularly prepared to find him alive, so now I don't know what I'm supposed to do with him. I read that they're carnivorous, and I have freeze dried bloodworm, dapnia, and mysis. I also have cichlid pellets. Apparently most peoples' bumblebee catfish come out for feeding, but he doesn't know me and doesn't end up getting any food. I'm getting very worried, because I feel like he's starving. What should I do to keep him alive and feed him? He's the only fish that basically gets no food as all my other ones come up and eat.

 

Bumblebee Catfish are mostly Nocturnal and will eat at night. To make sure he gets food drop some sinking pellets in the tank about 5 minutes after lights are out.

 

Fish can go a long time without eating, but not months, at least not at tropical fish temps, so he is getting food. As Lance0414 said, he's likely eating at night when it's dark, and his idea about making sure there's food in there after lights out so he gets enough is also good. Glad the little guy's alive. That must have been a nice surprise.

 

You really need to be doing regular water changes on any tank with scaleless fish like bumble bee cats.

Feed him meaty foods after dark and give him plenty of hiding places, so he'll be out more.

 

Do you all not do weekly water changes?

 

Ok, I'll add a bit of food, but I'm also pretty sure my other fish will get most of it. They're very greedy and since I need a chair to reach the top and feed them they know when I lift the lid food is going I , and all the fish except the catfish go to the top. Even if it's dark, if they see me sometimes they come out. How should I still get the catfish food? Will some naturally drop to the bottom for him? Thanks for the help!

Well, I certainly wasn't more water changes. I feel like he doesn't really care too much about them anymore, so most of the responsibility has fallen to me, except water changes. My dad only just taught me how to change the water, but he adds aquarium salt and I don't know how much to put in. I'm fine with just using a bucket to change, but I'm worried about acting the salts to the tank which have been there for the 7-8 years the tank has been set up. I don't want to not add it and hurt the other fish. I love the catfish, but I would pick 5 others over 1. I'll ask my dad about how much salt I should add per gallon. Is 25% a week okay?

 

Do not add aquarium salt, especially with scaleless fish. It can stress and kill them. It's also not helping the other fish unless they happen to be fish that like a little salt (mollies are the only common ones I know of that genuinely need salt in their water).

If you haven't been doing regular water changes, you'll want to do a series of small changes, and test the water for ammonia and nitrates. Once you have nitrates nice and low, 25% a week will be fine.

 

Should it just be 10%? I'm super busy for half the week, so I have the most time on weekends or Thursday/Friday. Should I change 10% (or however much) every week, or every three days? I can basically never do Monday or Tuesday because I have school, then class at 4:30, and I get home past 9:00. After that I have to do homework, and I can't really change the water at 11:00. Also, so far my dad has used aquarium salt, cichlid salt (we used to have African cichlids, but now there's only one left. I want to change the tank to south American so the majority of the fish will have more ideal water conditions, but I don't want to kill the one African cichlid either) and buffer, which I always thought could be harmful. What should I continue to add? I also saw him again today, so I do think the dirty water was part his hiding. The tank is completely cycled, and my main concern is keeping nitrates under wraps. They were super high before the water change, but now they are lower. I feel like an awful fish carer.

 

Catfish hide. They are bottom feeders and love to be at the bottom of the tank. Typically they won't come up for feeding. Flakes aren't the best way to feed them either. Try getting actual sinking pellets for him. He will do a lot better on those.

Salt can kill a catfish. It's almost comparable to spraying us with pepper spray (or so I've read). It burns them.

 

Should it just be 10%? I'm super busy for half the week, so I have the most time on weekends or Thursday/Friday. Should I change 10% (or however much) every week, or every three days? I can basically never do Monday or Tuesday because I have school, then class at 4:30, and I get home past 9:00. After that I have to do homework, and I can't really change the water at 11:00. Also, so far my dad has used aquarium salt, cichlid salt (we used to have African cichlids, but now there's only one left. I want to change the tank to south American so the majority of the fish will have more ideal water conditions, but I don't want to kill the one African cichlid either) and buffer, which I always thought could be harmful. What should I continue to add? I also saw him again today, so I do think the dirty water was part his hiding. The tank is completely cycled, and my main concern is keeping nitrates under wraps. They were super high before the water change, but now they are lower. I feel like an awful fish carer.

In that case I'd do a few 25% water changes this week, then start weekly 25% water changes. No more aquarium salt. The cichlid salt is probably not necessary either so I would stop that. In all likelihood, simple dechlorinated tap water is all you need.

 

Ok, so I should stop adding the aquarium salt? What about the cichlid salt? It's from one of the lakes in Africa, so one of my cichlids may need it. I'll sink some pellets if I can find him.

Oh, ok! Is every three days okay? I have activities the rest of the week but they aren't too time consuming.

 

That should be fine. It sounds like your fish are pretty hardy at this point. From your profile it looks like your water is somewhat alkaline so the african cichlid will be okay for now.

What are all of the fish in the tank? Perhaps that will help us decide what water additives to use.

 

I have a pleco, a peacock cichlid (she is starting to adjust to having other fish, but unless her aggression subsides more I'm either dividing the tank or trying to rehome her), the catfish, one ram cichlid and two blood parrot cichlids. All of them get along except the peacock cichlid who is from the batch several years ago. Since no one sees the catfish, no one bothers him, and no one shows aggression towards the ram. Should lack of salt benefit him too? My stocking is really weird right now, and if I get a 10 gal I'm moving the ram into there because all the other fish are going to get really big, and otherwise I can divide a small portion of the tank for him.

 

Yeah, Rams, plecos, the bumblebee cat - all soft water fish and the salt is probably driving them insane. Blood parrots should be fine no matter what as they are good in a wide range of pH and hardness. MalawI cichlids (your peacock girl is likely one of these) do well in pH 7.8-8.0, they don't need it really super hard. So they should all be just fine in your tap water without the buffers.

 

Ok! When the pH went up to 9.0 it was pretty worrying. I'll just use plain treated tap water now? Should I still add any buffer or cichlid lake salt? I bothered the catfish by accident and how he's hiding. I have no idea where he is, as I can't see him, but should I keep dropping food in? If he doesn't end up eating it I don't want it to contribute to nitrate buildup. Also, does anyone have tips for changing a 50 gallon cichlid tank with a divider for the first time? I've only ever changed the betta tank water before, and I don't know if I should continue adding the buffers and cichlid salt what have been added for the last two years. Although it'll relive the catfish a little, I don't want the sudden pH change to startle the other fish because they might get sick.

 

Also, the peacock cichlid ate her eggs and is getting more aggressive now. I am going to put her alone on one side of the tank so the other fish will be less stressed. I think she was just too hungry before to chase the other fish. She does not notice the catfish, but since she likes eating so much I am a little afraid she'll eat the catfish food when I drop it in, and the catfish won't go back to the old spot. I try to account for all my fish every day, but he went all the way into the back and now I don't know how he's doing again.

 

HI there as has been pointed and you seem to have known out your rift Valley lake African cichlid is incompatible with some of the other fish.

The majority of your fish do not do well with salt so not adding salt to water that you change will benefit more fish.

As you are going to be making quite a large change in water chemistry it is best to do it in small steps. It is much better to do 3 10% water changes on three days than a single 30% change.

Once your tank is close to tap water chemistry you can then do the single larger change each week.

I am really surprised that you have managed to keep all of these contrasting species alive together with such conflicting demands. However the longer a fish endures unsuitable conditions the more likely that the stress will cause it health problems.

It is really good that you are starting to look after the tank now. I am sure that you will get things where they need to be.

 

Ok! I will do a 10% water change today. My SA cichlids are very stressed out right now, and as they are small I will divide the tank. I am afraid if the cichlids will get ich or finrot, as one of their tails is slightly torn. As they get bigger, I'm going to have to think of another solutions, unfortunately. My dad is currently figuring out how to cut the acrylic divider so the SA cichlids won't be chased my the African one. Should I uproot the decorations and find the bumblebee catfish so I can feed him? I don't want to stress him out a lot again because there was a huge water change last week, and I don't want anymore 75% changes once a month, as I think that is way too stressful and that it's not enough water changes for a fully stocked tank. (Technically, it's not fully stocked right now, but when the SA cichlids grow up I won't be able to add any other fish.)

 

Assuming that the catfish has cover can you somehow drop food to drop down below to where it is living? It is rooting around down there and just about finding enough to stay alive. I doubt with an obvious perceived predator that it will venture into the open without a smell of food and near total darkness. Fear of the predator is more overcoming than the hunger.

I soak my food and then use a turkey baster (giant pipette) to shoot the food in a jet where I want it. They are less than two dollars on EBay (cheaper in the cookery section). I can shoot the food down below structures and fish go crazy chasing after their food. It is more like chasing their natural prey.

I am not surprised that your South American cichlids are struggling with hard salted water they will slowly start to go dark and then stop eating.

In terms of cutting a divider, just order some clips from EBay. The acrylic just needs to fit in the clips as a rectangle. It doesn't need to be a tight fit just as long as the big fish cannot get around the sides. A sharp handsaw or better still an electric jigsaw will cut it easily. It is even possible to order it precut from some places. An old fashioned trick used to be to go to a food market and get some of the giant plastic egg trays. The plastic meshed bread trays from supermarkets are also good, just have to cut through the plastic struts with a hacksaw.

 

Ok. Should I do 10% water changes twice a week instead? I have grown very fond of all of them so I don't want any to die. I have been using a pipette to put food down to the bottom after soaking it. If the salt is reduced will they recover? I think one of them has ich, so would a treatment be safe in a community tank?

 

I would do a 10% change every day or every other day. While you don’t want to do a huge change all at once, it’s still important to get the salt out as quickly and safely as possible.

 

Thanks guys! I have put food in his old spot, hoping he'll come back. The first 10% water change was successful, and I shocked my parents because I was also changing the cichlid water. This is totally off topic, but unfortunately I took two hours changing the betta tank water in comparison to the cichlid tank, because I had to strip it of hair algae and he got stressed out, so I put him in a bowl while I finished the change. It took another half hour, because when I tried to change 2.5 gallons, I ended up spilling at least 1.5. My poor betta was so stressed. I'm not trying a 50% water change for at least another two months. I fed the catfish, and for around two seconds the other cichlids got along as they raced around for food. Sorry for getting so off topic, but I genuinely appreciate the help!

 

You’re not going to change the betta’s water for 2 months? What size tank and how are you doing the water change?

 

Oh, sorry I phrased that wrong. I'm not trying another 50% water change, I'm doing 25% instead. He's in a 5 gallon tank so I think 25% is enough if it's once a week. Once I'm more proficient at changing water I can do bigger water changes in the cichlid tank and 50% water changes once a month in the betta tank.

 

Ohh gotcha. I wouldn’t do 50% once a month though. Probably every two weeks at the longest. I have mine in a 10 gallon and I still do water changes every week.

 

Yeah, I agree. From now on I basically plan to change 1/4 of the water in all (two) tanks once a week because I'm terrified of nitrates building up, even if they're not toxic. Also, since I plan to add the divider into the cichlid tank today, should I move all the South American cichlids onto one side and the African cichlid onto the other? I plan to giver her a little more room since she is the biggest and most active, so I'm probably also putting the pleco onto her side.

 

HI again; the pleco will be happier with the smaller less aggressive fish.

 

Ok! A added the divider, and I think the bumblebee catfish is with them since I cleared the African cichlid's area out to rearrange it. I still do not know where he is, but should I keep adding food?

Update: I found him again! He is very squished although I provided plenty of less squished hiding spots.