Hi! my son came home with a little fish that came in minnows. I've been trying to do what's needed for this fish but I need some help in what to do for it and what's best tank-wise and how to get the tank to get clear water. I'd really appreciate some help. after looking at the photo's here, it confirms we have a bullhead and not a catfish! I'm so happy to know for sure what this fish is.

Hi! my son came home with a little fish that came in minnows. I've been trying to do what's needed for this fish but I need some help in what to do for it and what's best tank-wise and how to get the tank to get clear water. I'd really appreciate some help. after looking at the photo's here, it confirms we have a bullhead and not a catfish! I'm so happy to know for sure what this fish is.

Hello and welcome to the forum,
There are many here who will be happy to help you out with your fish. A little more info about the tank will help us help you. How big is the tank, how long has it been set up, and how many fish do you have in it?
If the tank was very recently setup the cloudy water may just be particles from the gravel that will settle out in a day or 2. If it has been setup for a long time, and/or has other fish, it may be an overfeeding or overcrowding issue or filtration issue.

Hello and welcome to the forum,
There are many here who will be happy to help you out with your fish. A little more info about the tank will help us help you. How big is the tank, how long has it been set up, and how many fish do you have in it?
If the tank was very recently setup the cloudy water may just be particles from the gravel that will settle out in a day or 2. If it has been setup for a long time, and/or has other fish, it may be an overfeeding or overcrowding issue or filtration issue.

it's a 10 gal. tank. we've had this little guy since Feb. and I had been changing the water often until someone gave me a clue about the water needing to cycle. so I haven't messed with the water for almost 2 weeks other than vaccuming the gravel which I'm not sure if I should do. the water at times really smells of amonia and doesn't after I clean the rocks. there is no other fish in the tank- we've tried store bought fish and none ever lived. when my son came home with this fish, he's the longest one that's ever lived I should have been going to a bait store al this time. this fish likes to eat, 3 times a day or more. he sits in the corner where I feed him alot during the day and eats every time.
I was curious as to where others got their bullheads? this one was an accident and my son happens to like catfish which his dad thought it was. but it is a neat little fish.
the fish store said to feed him shrimp pellets which he likes, and also TetraColor tropical fish grandules which this fish goes nuts for. I'm of course not sure if I should feed him as often as I do or if this is good food for him.

You can probably cut back on feeding quite a bit. Once a day should be plenty. They LIKE to eat a lot more than they NEED to eat. Kind of like me. You can keep any eye on the fish's general body shape to gauge whether or not you are feeding enough. If his belly starts to flatten out or get concave, then start feeding a little more. Overfeeding is one of the most common mistakes people make with fish. The shrimp pellets and granules you mentioned should be fine as a food source.
In a 10 gallon tank you will probably still need to do alot of water changes to keep up with the amount of waste a bullhead produces, but cutting back on the feeding will reduce the need for them a bit. Bullheads are a neat fish to keep but they can get pretty big. You may want to eventually get a bigger tank. A larger tank and a good filter will require a LOT less work on your part. The bullhead will probably be happier too.
The cycling of the tank is basically just getting types of bacteria that breakdown ammonia established in the tank. These would grow on the gravel and filter material and are probably already well established in your tank unless you are taking the gravel out and cleaning it in a sink or something. It sounds like you are just siphoning the water out and churning up the gravel a bit to vacuum out the debris though, which is what you should do, so I think your tank has already cycled. The problem is there just aren't enough of these bacteria in a 10 gallon tank to keep up with the ammonia produced by your fish so frequent water changes are going to be necessary to keep the water clean.
By the way a bullhead is a type of catfish. There are 3 types of bullhead in Minnesota; black, yellow, and brown. Your's looks to be a black bullhead. The color isn't a really a good indicator though, as black bullheads can actually be yellowish, and yellow bullheads can be black. Yellow bullheads have white chin barbels though. Brown bullheads are generally mottled in color.

Hmm, just realized maybe these last 4 posts would have been better placed under captive care, we've kind of hijacked BullHead's photo thread.

Edited by smilingfrog, 23 April 2008 - 03:32 AM.

You can probably cut back on feeding quite a bit. Once a day should be plenty. They LIKE to eat a lot more than they NEED to eat. Kind of like me. You can keep any eye on the fish's general body shape to gauge whether or not you are feeding enough. If his belly starts to flatten out or get concave, then start feeding a little more. Overfeeding is one of the most common mistakes people make with fish. The shrimp pellets and granules you mentioned should be fine as a food source.
In a 10 gallon tank you will probably still need to do alot of water changes to keep up with the amount of waste a bullhead produces, but cutting back on the feeding will reduce the need for them a bit. Bullheads are a neat fish to keep but they can get pretty big. You may want to eventually get a bigger tank. A larger tank and a good filter will require a LOT less work on your part. The bullhead will probably be happier too.
The cycling of the tank is basically just getting types of bacteria that breakdown ammonia established in the tank. These would grow on the gravel and filter material and are probably already well established in your tank unless you are taking the gravel out and cleaning it in a sink or something. It sounds like you are just siphoning the water out and churning up the gravel a bit to vacuum out the debris though, which is what you should do, so I think your tank has already cycled. The problem is there just aren't enough of these bacteria in a 10 gallon tank to keep up with the ammonia produced by your fish so frequent water changes are going to be necessary to keep the water clean.
By the way a bullhead is a type of catfish. There are 3 types of bullhead in Minnesota; black, yellow, and brown. Your's looks to be a black bullhead. The color isn't a really a good indicator though, as black bullheads can actually be yellowish, and yellow bullheads can be black. Yellow bullheads have white chin barbels though. Brown bullheads are generally mottled in color.

Hmm, just realized maybe these last 4 posts would have been better placed under captive care, we've kind of hijacked BullHead's photo thread.

thanks for all your help! not sure about where to have placed my question, I did a web search and one of these photo's looks just like ours so I posted away!

I went to the DNR site, and I did know bullheads are in the catfish family- my sons dad didn't know that however
I don't think this tank has cycled properly, I was rinsing the filter with hot water and I guess I should had left that alone or found this site sooner. I'm not sure what kind of bullhead this is but on the DNR site it looks more like a yellow bullhead. a friend said as they get older, you can tell better which type it is.
I'll feed him less, and not mess with anything but vacuuming the rocks and see how that goes.

Black bullhead.

He will need a larger tank soon enough. Water changes are always good whether or not the tank has cycled. (Unless you have city water with chlorine/cloramine in it.) With the large sized "gravel" that you have, food particles may be getting down in between where the bullhead cannot get at them. This is bad news, the vacuuming will help get rid of this rotting food. I agree with the cut back on feeding advice. You did not mention the filtration type/size. You can clean the media, just use a little tepid tap water to rinse out the gunk and put it right back in the filter. Live plants (e.g., a sprig of floating hornwort) might help clean up the excess nutrients, but only if the tank gets enough light.

Black bullhead.

He will need a larger tank soon enough. Water changes are always good whether or not the tank has cycled. (Unless you have city water with chlorine/cloramine in it.) With the large sized "gravel" that you have, food particles may be getting down in between where the bullhead cannot get at them. This is bad news, the vacuuming will help get rid of this rotting food. I agree with the cut back on feeding advice. You did not mention the filtration type/size. You can clean the media, just use a little tepid tap water to rinse out the gunk and put it right back in the filter. Live plants (e.g., a sprig of floating hornwort) might help clean up the excess nutrients, but only if the tank gets enough light.

we have well water- the filter type is charcoal that came with the 10 gal. tank, I have no idea what brand it is other than you know, we bought all this for gold fish or tetra's. they all got sucked into the filter water suction thing and died. this is the longest a fish has ever lived for us and he plays around that suction thing and has never been hurt.
so I shouldn't expect this tank to ever cycle and get clear on it's own? I was changing the water every week until 2 weeks ago. as for the rocks, the fish eats in one corner and I took lots of those rocks out. this fish moves these rock, he's a strong bugger! what's a larger tank? what's the smallest tank I can get by with and still have a happy bullhead? how long do these fish live as well?

black bullhead will probably get 12-15" the record i believe is about 18"

I would think that the smallest tank it could be housed in, without stunting the fish would be a 75 gal (you don't need it today, think more like a year from now). you would have to maintain a ridged water change schedule , and discipline in feeding to make it work for life (which i think may be up to 10 years, i am unsure) (check your local classified adds, you can usually pick up used tanks for about $1 per gal, also ask at your live fish store if they sell used tank, many do)


since you have well water (no chlorine) i would start doing bi weekly water changes of 15% - 20% increase it until you are changing 50% of the water each time, then do 50% every week (do this over about 2 months)

beneficial bacteria (the kind that helps the cycle) grows on all surfaces in your tank and filter, and can be damaged with hot water and un-chlorinated municipal water, if the filter gets clogged, put some tank water in a bucket and vigorously swish your filter pads, media trays (or whatever) around until they are cleaner than what they were, keeping a high flow rate should be the priority.

invest in a liquid test kit, they are more accurate than strips. get one that does ph, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate

when your ph stabilizes, ammonia is zero, nitrite is zero, and you start getting nitrate readings your tank is cycled. A water change is needed when your tank nitrate reading is over about 30 ppm. (check your well water, your water may have traces of nitrites and nitrates already in them, strait from the ground) (there is a wealth of information about the nitrogen cycle, google is your friend)

bullheads are very active, and make great aquarium pets however they do require a commitment in tank space and water changes

please remember releasing this fish into the wild is not an option, once a fish has been in an aquarium there is always a potential that it could contaminate a wild population with, who knows what. this has been discussed at length on this forum

keep the questions coming, in my opinion the people who frequent this forum are VERY knowledgeable about the aquarium hobby and VERY willing to help with advise. also remember that our advise is worth what you paid for it!!

Bullheads are known for "rearrageing" their tank--moving decorations, plants, driftwood, and sometimes even filter intake tubes. The fish definetly looks like a Black Bullhead, but a shot showing his head better would be needed before I was positive about it.
An adult Black Bullhead can grow to 20'' so a tank around 150gals or larger is ideal although an adult Black Bullhead could proabbly be housed in a 100-125gal if the tank had adequate filtration.
Gallonage is not the issue, but the actual dimensions of the tank. A Bullhead needs a wide, long tank that does not have to be very deep.
Expect a well cared for Bullhead to live from 7-20 years if he is taken care of properly.

do any of these pictures help?

black bullhead will probably get 12-15" the record i believe is about 18"

I would think that the smallest tank it could be housed in, without stunting the fish would be a 75 gal (you don't need it today, think more like a year from now). you would have to maintain a ridged water change schedule , and discipline in feeding to make it work for life (which i think may be up to 10 years, i am unsure) (check your local classified adds, you can usually pick up used tanks for about $1 per gal, also ask at your live fish store if they sell used tank, many do)
since you have well water (no chlorine) i would start doing bi weekly water changes of 15% - 20% increase it until you are changing 50% of the water each time, then do 50% every week (do this over about 2 months)

beneficial bacteria (the kind that helps the cycle) grows on all surfaces in your tank and filter, and can be damaged with hot water and un-chlorinated municipal water, if the filter gets clogged, put some tank water in a bucket and vigorously swish your filter pads, media trays (or whatever) around until they are cleaner than what they were, keeping a high flow rate should be the priority.

invest in a liquid test kit, they are more accurate than strips. get one that does ph, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate

when your ph stabilizes, ammonia is zero, nitrite is zero, and you start getting nitrate readings your tank is cycled. A water change is needed when your tank nitrate reading is over about 30 ppm. (check your well water, your water may have traces of nitrites and nitrates already in them, strait from the ground) (there is a wealth of information about the nitrogen cycle, google is your friend)

bullheads are very active, and make great aquarium pets however they do require a commitment in tank space and water changes

please remember releasing this fish into the wild is not an option, once a fish has been in an aquarium there is always a potential that it could contaminate a wild population with, who knows what. this has been discussed at length on this forum

keep the questions coming, in my opinion the people who frequent this forum are VERY knowledgeable about the aquarium hobby and VERY willing to help with advise. also remember that our advise is worth what you paid for it!!

thanks so much for the info! I really do appreciate it! I wanted to say there is no releasing this fish. without getting into detail my son has autism and pets are family members that we keep until... well... when ever they pass away. he's always liked fish tanks and watching fish, but when I tried to have a tank, I never did very well. I did show him today the pictures of adult bullheads and he thought they were cool.

I will stop feeding this fish so much. you were very helpful with tank care and I'll do just as you said. it's good to know I have some time to find a bigger tank, and a place to put it.

Fishtanks seem to have a calming effect on a lot of people - which is why you often see them in dentist's offices.

I was thinking - we get a fare share of new members that have never had a tank before. I know there are plenty of websites out there on how to set up a tank, but maybe someone could come up with a quick "intro on setting up the native aquarium". Nothing too complicated, just something for people who have never had a tank before. (And it wouldn't tell them to get a heater! ). Maybe as a sticky under Captive Care?

do any of these pictures help?

Yes, I would definetly say it is a Black Bullhead. Head shape, mouth shape, and the color of the barbels indicate it.
A Nice looking Black Bullhead too.

Fishtanks seem to have a calming effect on a lot of people - which is why you often see them in dentist's offices.

I was thinking - we get a fare share of new members that have never had a tank before. I know there are plenty of websites out there on how to set up a tank, but maybe someone could come up with a quick "intro on setting up the native aquarium". Nothing too complicated, just something for people who have never had a tank before. (And it wouldn't tell them to get a heater! ). Maybe as a sticky under Captive Care?

that's another question. I have a heater but never used it for this fish since he came home in ice cold bottle of water. I figured I'd be caring fo rit as my hubby does his minnows, just keep replacing the water to freasher water and that's what I was doing and this bullhead never seemed to mind at all.

As Long as your house stays reasonably warm in the winter, over 60*F, then a Bullhead will be fine with no heater. I have never used a heater with any of my Bullhead Tanks.

Yes, I would definetly say it is a Black Bullhead. Head shape, mouth shape, and the color of the barbels indicate it.
A Nice looking Black Bullhead too.

I tried to sweet talk him into posing for a face photo but it seems he's camera shy just like my kid is.

another question. do they require a hiding spot? when I get a new tank is it something he'll get used to not having? it seems he likes to hide, hears a loud noise and back to his spot he goes. my question is, if they like to hide, just what kinds of things would one provide for that???
another question. are they sensitive to light? when I turn the tank light on, he goes into hiding again. the tank does get plenty of sun from two large windows but that doesn't seem to matter, turn on the tank light he's outta there.
one more question. are they generally nocturnal?

Yes, yes, and yes. Any cave-like structure that he can hide under will be fine, whether it's a piled wood or stone structure, a prefabricated resin tank decoration, or even a large flowerpot with a hole in its side or a piece of PVC pipe weighted down to lay on the bottom . He may become more used to the tank light and to diurnal activity after a while, but bullheads are not the sort of fish who normally cruise around in broad daylight.

I bet that he will come out for food in broad daylight!

Bullheads are by nature a Nocturnal fish. Your best bet on teaching them to be more diurnal is to have a Juvenile Bullhead (like you have) and simply feed him when it is light. Start out feeding him under low light and then gradually increase the lighting as he tolerates it. I have my Bullheads trained to come out under full lighting to get fed. In A Bullhead tank the only time the lights should be run is to view the fish IMO.

hi
I have a few more questions. we upgraded to a 20 gal. tank and Mr. Bull seems very happy there. we also went to smaller gravel and he seems to have ahard time finding food and tries to eat the gravel and spits it out- is that common? I threw back in those larger rocks we had and he seems to find his food right away as he did before we moved him to this tank. he also does this off huge open mouth thing here and there, almost looks like a yawn- is that common? last night he started doing an even odder thing. he goes to the rocks as if to eat but does this funy slide thing, it lookd like he's scratching his side? is that common?

the new tank also has a better filter and the tank is not at all as cloudy as the smaller tank was. now to keep Mr. Bull a happy fish, am I suppose to vacuum the rocks? do I ever clean the whole darn tank?