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Hello from NE Florida!


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#1 Guest_Jerica_*

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Posted 25 March 2014 - 07:38 AM

Hi everyone! I am Jerica and I am very new to keeping native species. I have a small bullhead catfish (of which variety I am unsure, I think yellow) who just landed in my lap. It is about 3 inches long so I keep it I'm my 37g with some feeder rosy reds. I know I will need to aquire another 55 or prob 75 gallon for him eventually. Does anyone have any advice? I haven't posted to the catfish forum yet but I will be posting pictures there next.

#2 Guest_Subrosa_*

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Posted 25 March 2014 - 07:57 AM

Generally speaking a low activity fish like a Bullhead should have a tank with the shortest base dimension at least as long as the fish. Since the Bullhead should easily exceed 12" a 55 will be temporary. Get the 75. Give it good dark hiding places. Get a good look at its mouth, it's the width of the fish's head, and about as high as it is wide when fully opened. Keep that in mind when considering tankmates. Length doesn't matter, a Bullhead will swim happily with half of a long thin fish hanging out of its mouth until it can manage to get the whole fish down.

#3 Guest_Jerica_*

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Posted 25 March 2014 - 08:01 AM

Thanks for the advice. I have a LFS that sells fully grown cichlids so once he gets bigger and I get a bigger tank, I may try that. Or get a couple bluegill from the pond he came out of.

#4 Guest_Subrosa_*

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Posted 25 March 2014 - 08:48 AM

Be careful with Cichlids! There are so many with such wide variations in aggression levels that you could end up with a dead Bullhead. Don't make the common mistake of confusing the predatory behavior of a Bullhead with aggression. A Bullhead will ignore anything it doesn't think it can swallow, many Cichlids are happy to tear tankmates to shreds and let them rot.

#5 Guest_Jerica_*

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Posted 25 March 2014 - 10:35 AM

Thanks :) I will stick with local fish then. Bluegills or other sunfish. So you know of any that grow at similar rates to bullheads? I don't want to get them big enough to hurt him or small enough for him to eat. His mouth is only 1/2 an inch wide right now.

#6 Guest_Subrosa_*

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Posted 25 March 2014 - 10:56 AM

Any Lepomis it can't swallow now would likely be fine long term, but it's something to keep your eye on.



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