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Silver shark catfish

Started by Guest_catfish_hunter_* , Nov 13 2009 10:24 AM

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8 replies to this topic

#1 Guest_catfish_hunter_*

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Posted 13 November 2009 - 10:24 AM

I am thinking of getting one of these little guys for my tank. Are they native? I also heard they need salt but two of my friends own them and one of them has his in a reef tank and it does fine and the other is in pure freshwater with cichlids and a green sunfish and it does fine as well.

#2 Guest_Newt_*

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Posted 13 November 2009 - 12:04 PM

Common names are tricky and pet trade common names doubly so, but I think the fish you are referring to is Hexanematichthys seemanni. It is an ariid (sea catfish) that ranges along the Pacific coast from Peru to California, so it is a native. They are euryhaline (tolerant of a wide range of salinities) but I imagine they would prefer at least moderate salinity to straight fresh water. I haven't kept them and don't know much else about them.

#3 Guest_Kanus_*

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Posted 13 November 2009 - 01:23 PM

Yeah, these are also known as Columbian Shark catfish. From what I've heard, they are basically born in FW and prefer increasing degrees of salt as they grow. I've heard that large ones don't do well in pure FW.

#4 Guest_catfish_hunter_*

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Posted 13 November 2009 - 09:21 PM

I got one, it is itty bitty, and looks like a mutant channel catfish baby. When it gets big it might go back to Petco. It is busybody little scavenger.

#5 Guest_Kanus_*

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Posted 13 November 2009 - 10:32 PM

I got one, it is itty bitty, and looks like a mutant channel catfish baby. When it gets big it might go back to Petco. It is busybody little scavenger.

Yeah, I sell them often (I work at Petco), though I do so reluctantly, since I know most people don't know enough/aren't willing to properly take care of them once they grow up. They are good scavengers though.