Raphael catfish! help!

Deku

umm well iwant the raphael catfish really badly and i was told u can maybe do just one in aten gallon tank and i have a nice hidding spot for it but will he come out for me to see it? is there anyway to encourage it?

1077

You stated in previous post that you do not care for fish that are reclusive. That would eliminate the raphael catfish. Perhaps rather than search for fish that will be comfortable in ten gal tank you could train your efforts at finding a way to aquire a larger tank? this would give you WAY more options. I understand you are getting a job soon? why not use this time to research fish and then after you have saved up some money from your job you can aquire a tank suitable for the fish you have researched. Or you could return the sunfish to the lake and find a home for the turtle and this would allow you to keep some of the fish you have expressed an interest in. SMALL fish are best suited for small tanks and it appears 10 gal is going to limit what you can keep at this time.

Deku

oh i was told in here that i could maybe pulloff a raphael...and my turtle heck no >< i love my turtle x3 i dont talk much about him because i know everyneeds that he has xD and as for getting a larger tank that wont be hard i still need to get a100gallon tank actually 120 including the fish because i cant release em back ived had em for 3months and if i release em i release deadly pathogens that will wreak havoc in nature id rather it didnt xD btw i just read there is one way to train em it is said that when their adults they get bolder and come out a tad more often so as a juvenile cat ill just give it what it needs in hopes when its adult ill be able to see it also i just heard of a lightbulb called moonlight or something its supposed to produce moon light rays xD which is still dark enough so the catfish can be seen but bright enough to be seen get it?

Deku

and as for the job yeah even if i have to work at mcdonalds its still worth it for fish >< (do you evenknow how much i hate mcdonalds?) also since a larger tank for the turtle will be needed the tank i currently have that has perfect filtration i have more selection of fish :3 ight? and with that maybe i can get an active fish again i like predatory fish so if you have suggestions for a 40-50 gallon tank (its the long ones) then be my guest the more suggestions the better i know for arrowanas you need atleast minimum a 100galon tank and it would be a pain....because their too big and what if one day i decide to move? how am i going to move the fish with me? (as in car travel) i can travel the smaller ones but the larger ones will be harder to travel with >< and i get attached to my pets quickly

qpc68

Could a raphael work in a 10 gallon? Maybe. But he won't be happy. Consider the size he grows up to and the movement restrictions he'll have in a 10 gallon. They get pretty close to half a foot long. Not to mention that I know of several people's raphael's, including my own, who have very big bellies. They take up a lot of space.

Unless you're poking at him he's not going to come out much during the day.

1077

It is good that you are researching the fish Like the raphael. They do not grow very fast and as mentioned you might be able to keep one ffor a while before it needs a larger tank. A raphael would be much happier I think in a 40 or 50 gal. They do make bulbs like you described though I have not tried them. Something I used to do was use the lights that beople clip on their books at night to read. This allowed me to check on the fish at night when some of them were more active. As for the job, many people don't work at jobs that they enjoy all that much but they do what they must to pay the bills ,buy groceries, pay the rent etc. You will appreciate that check at the end of the week that will allow you to pursue your hobby. Just think of all the fish there are waiting for someone such as you to provide them with a good home.

Deku

ahh i see. hmmm i also read in an article that theres a species of freshwater flounder that stays dwarf about 4inches...and can go in a ten gallon setup as well(the reason im trying to stock this tank is because my dad wants to see how well i do with intermediate/experienced species to let me have my upgrade and with that i can get a bigger tank in 2-5months depending on how long he takes to decide) but if they grow big please shed some light on this.(yes its not really meant to be in this forum but id rather not make another forum for just one question which could annoy other people due to me postin alot)

iam1ru12

The Striped Raphael (Platydoras costatus) grows to a maximum of 9 inches, so, obviously, it won't do well in a 10gal tank. It'd be better off in at least a 30gal tank.

Deku

so if i use a 50 gallon tank itll be okay? :3

qpc68

yeh you should be ok. Mine is in about a 50 gallon.