Needing Advice on Rescue of Catfish

I am involved in a new personal first and would like some advice. I was contacted last night by a friend who has an Albino Catfish which is like 14 inches long. Their filter quit working and wanted to know if I have some place I can keep their catfish for awhile.

Well the only thing I had that I could quickly set up was a custom built 18 gallon tank. It is 32 inches long and 12 inches tall, I know this is totally inadequate for a fish this size but it is better than the environment he was in because I tested the water he was brought to me in and it tested over 1ppm ammonia, which I treated immediately with Prime. It took me over an hour and a half to acclimate him to cleaner water.

If I do daily water changes (over 50%) would it be possible to keep him in that tank for a few weeks or should I need to figure out something larger immediately.

 

Wow, what a doozy. Honestly I think he would be better in his tank if you or his owner did daily large water changes. In that small of a tank he could break it very easily. Have him check Craigslist or local places for a good used filter. I've seen quite a few FX5's for sale on other forums.

 

What about the media in the old filter? Has it died? Will it have to be re-cycled.


Is there any way to rig a cheap pond/fountain pump to the old filter? I use these in my mixing vessels and I would totally rig it to a canister if I didn't have any other back up. Just plumb it with some hose to the filters intake tube.

I bought several from Harbor Freight but it looks like the ones they carry now are different. Mine is between these two sizes.

 

Any idea what species of albino cat your friend has? It's easier to suggest if I know what I'm suggesting for! If this is a channel cat, I'd definitely be worried about it breaking the smaller tank, just because they're such powerful swimmers, but there's a million other things it could be, some of which could probably be ok in the smaller tank. I guess most importantly, how old is this fish? i.e. is it fully grown, or is it still putting on an inch every month (growing fish = higher metabolism = more waste production)? If your friend/you don't know, just post a pic, we'll get it narrowed down pretty quickly. Short of that, if you can lower the temperature of the tank to the bottom of the cat's preferred temperature range, it'll slow the metabolism enough to cut down (just a little bit) on waste production. Also, cut down feeding, whichever tank he's in.

 

What about buying a large storage tub? They come in upwards of 40 gallons, and are pretty strong.

The fountain pump is a good idea, as well

 

What about buying a large storage tub? They come in upwards of 40 gallons, and are pretty strong.

The fountain pump is a good idea, as well

If you choose to go this route (not a bad plan), I'd suggest doubling up the tubs, as the weight of the water can cause some bowing in the sides, and a good spaz attack from a catfish that size can cause enough flexing to create some mess-problems. Doubling up the tubs (or storing one in your bathtub) can help support the sides and prevent this.

Why do I know this? Because I lived, once upon a time, with a surprise koi in one of these tubs in my living room, and this is what we learned.

 

If you choose to go this route (not a bad plan), I'd suggest doubling up the tubs, as the weight of the water can cause some bowing in the sides, and a good spaz attack from a catfish that size can cause enough flexing to create some mess-problems. Doubling up the tubs (or storing one in your bathtub) can help support the sides and prevent this.

Why do I know this? Because I lived, once upon a time, with a surprise koi in one of these tubs in my living room, and this is what we learned.

Or what about just using the bathtub, in general? Rinse it out real good with hot water, and fill it up, add water conditioner, and put the fish in there?

Fish water on the carpet... I do that weekly LOL

 

I am betting it is an albino channel cat.
They get HUGE!!!

I, too, have used plastic tubs for fish.
I have a colony of gambusia that have been in the same tub for over a decade.

 

lol, I wouldn't do a channel cat in the bathtub, because 1) I've never had a bath tub that would stay full, and 2) they're pretty shallow; I'be afraid he'd get out. And it wasn't so much the water on the floor that was the issue, as it was the fish knocking his filter off, or just splashing the power strip in general (thank GOD he lives in a pond, now; he was not happy in his tub).

 

From what I can tell it is an albino channel cat. I have found someone with a large pond who would take it if I could guarantee them that it wouldn’t hurt their Koi that are in the pond. I told them there is only one thing that I am willing to guarantee and that is we will all die someday somehow. I have looked at their koi and they are bigger than that cat fish so I think it would be OK as far as he wouldn’t be able to just eat them like he could my Mollies.

What do you all think?

 

I know several locals that house channel cats with their koi with no issues.

 

From what I can tell it is an albino channel cat. I have found someone with a large pond who would take it if I could guarantee them that it wouldn’t hurt their Koi that are in the pond. I told them there is only one thing that I am willing to guarantee and that is we will all die someday somehow. I have looked at their koi and they are bigger than that cat fish so I think it would be OK as far as he wouldn’t be able to just eat them like he could my Mollies.

What do you all think?

As long as they are considerably larger than his mouth, I think it'd be ok. If he even thinks that a fish will fit into his mouth, I'm 98% sure he will try to eat it.

I think a pond is the best bet

 

OR you could skip all this bigger housing business and have some dinner and then maul things over with some tartar sauce.

 

OR you could skip all this bigger housing business and have some dinner and then maul things over with some tartar sauce.

o.o'

 

My wife would be attending my funeral if I ate the bugger because the other lady would kill me. Of course my wife would have my life insurance to live on so she might not complain too much. He seems to be taking to the small tank OK for now but I will visit with her to see if it would be OK for me to give it to the pond owner, I am sure that would be much safer for me than eating him.

I have looked him over pretty good and it don’t seem like the ammonia level in his old tank has affected him much. She said she thought her filter had quit about three days ago so maybe he will be OK until I can find him another more suitable home.

 

OR you could skip all this bigger housing business and have some dinner and then maul things over with some tartar sauce.

.....

 

Some catfish are very very hardy to water quality, does it mean they are uneffected, no but it does mean that they can withstand it. This seems to be exspecialy true in food production species like tilapia and channle cats(both I have raised) I have had tilapia fry at roughly 6ppm amonia(technicaly it wasn't my fault, mishaps happen) with no negitive behaviour to the fry, I keep the ph LOW though so.... and I wasn't joking about the dinner bit, they taste awsome.

 

OR you could skip all this bigger housing business and have some dinner and then maul things over with some tartar sauce.

That was pretty good

 

every time I eat catfish, I feel guilty, and go home and feed mine some extra treats. channels with koi... now, how about that for a thousand gallon indoor pond idea...