The Spotted Raphael Catfish is also called the "Talking Catfish". This is because it seems to 'talk' when you take it out of the aquarium! (Actually it 'croaks' or 'clicks' faintly when it 'talks'.)
Brittany - 2013-03-06 I have had my Rapheal catfish for two years now and I am still bewildered to why he likes to swim the tank upside down and not right side up. Can anyone tell me why he prefers to swim upside down?
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Jeremy Roche - 2013-03-06 That is pretty common for them to do. Many swim sideways, upside down and of course right side up.
Simone Konieczny - 2013-02-16 My Spotted Raphael Catfish are, as of October 2012, 27 years old. The next one is 24 and the youngest one is now 19 years old. I find most web sites say 'your lucky if they live past 7 years'. Apparently that cannot be normal except if the fish aren't well looked after. I got all 3 fish from different sources at less than one inch in size so it cannot just be a fluke that mine are the ages they are. If anyone else has the same breed and older than 20 years (the fish), I'd love to hear about them. Thanks. Simone🐟
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Jasmine Brough Hinesley - 2013-02-16 Wow, those are really long-lived fish! I don't have any personal experience keeping them, but I would like to hear if anyone else has had a similar experience.
tom - 2012-08-05 i just bought my spotted catfish and for two weeks hes been hiding. ive read that is normal...i would just like to see what i paid for. thanks for all the imfo from everyone it really helps!
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David Brough - 2012-08-05 I've had a similar experience with an upside-down catfish, he always hides under a log during the day but comes out at night. Night lights, like moon lights for reef aquariums work well to see him but you have to do it after the regular lights are out.
Key Monroe - 2012-05-07 I just bought a spotted raphael catfish about 12 inches for my back yard pound. I also purchased 4 blue catfish about 4 inches 7 Plecostomus about 4 inches and 24 goldfish. The gold fish where to be eaten but not the others. My question is will the Raphael eat all of them in 2 weeks???
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Jeremy Roche - 2012-05-08 I would not think so. Normally aren't fast enough to catch other fish.
jiri - 2012-05-15 My raphael talking catfish is just sitting in its hole all day and all night and I never saw him eat anything. I have him in a 55 gallon community tank with synodontis zebra hybrid, long fin serpea, tetra, african butterfly fish, archer fish, rope fish. Is there somthing wrong with its health or lonely because he is the only raphael in the tank and I have him already a year?
Key Monroe - 2012-06-19 My raphael is doing well I thinknk he is still alive. I have been feeding him earth worms every so offten.I drop them in at dusk he and will eat just as fast as I can serve them to him Am I feeding him enought?
Fran - 2012-05-15 14 years ago, thinking my talking catfish was dead, I drained my aquarium and for one whole year this fish lived in the gravel without food or water until I heard it and retrieved it. I have had my talking catfish for about 15 years now in a tank with guppies. I have only fed this fish guppy food. Since you say it needs protein to live is he eating guppies that I am not aware of? I always have an abundance of them.
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Jeremy Roche - 2012-05-16 Could be. There is protein in fish food too.
steph - 2007-11-04 I got my raph about 9 months ago from a friend who had him for about 2 years. When my friend had him he never ever saw him, because he stayed hidden inside his hollow log the entire time he had him. when he gave him to me and I put him in my 50 gallon tank, we literally had to break the log to get him out. In my tank he lived happily in a hole he had dug behind some large rocks. Strange thing though is that NOBODY has ever seen him eat, EVER. Everytime i feed my fish he never moved, even with the food sinking and landing on his body. At night sometimes i would hear rocks hitting the glass as if he was digging his hole deeper but thats about it. Nobody has ever witnessed him eat, not even at night..... Unfortunately he died last night for some reason and I have no idea what caused it. 2 days ago I noticed him on the wall of the tank which was rare and he was still breathing. Last night however, I did a head count (as i always do to make sure my ghost fish didn't eat any of the smaller fish) and I noticed my Raph upside down floating at the top of the tank. For a little while i could still see him breathing, but eventually his breathing stopped. The other fish are doing fine so i am left mind boggled as to why my Raph suddenly died.
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Alex Burleson - 2012-02-12 These fish are nocturnal, and are best fed at night, with the lights off. It is quite plausible to suggest that the diurnal fish in the aquarium consumed all of the food before he was able to eat. If you ever find yourself obtaining another, try feeding the fish, when the lights in the aquarium are off.
yomi420 - 2011-11-12 Hi I have 2 spotted raphael catfish I just want to know what are some of the things they like to eat?
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Jasmine Brough Hinesley - 2011-11-13 The Spotted Raphael Catfish (Agamyxis pectinifrons) is a carnivore, so try to feed them protein-based foods. They especially like live foods such as bloodworms, tubifex and earthworms. But often frozen foods will work just as well. Also try foods that float to the bottom, including flakes and tablets meant for bottom feeders.
Ann-marie Fyfe - 2011-04-01 My baby spotted raphael catfish is upside down, but moving around like that. I am not sure what's wrong with it because it was fine before today?
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Charlie Roche - 2011-04-01 The Spotted Raphael Catfish (scientific name Synodontis nigriventris) is also called the Upside Down Catfish. It will swim upside down and it is frequently the normal behavior for this fun, decorative catfish. Sometimes they swim right side up and sometimes upside down. I would imagine it would be a little frightening to see. Normally when a fish is upside down there is something seriously wrong. Your case, he is probably just hanging out.
Trinity - 2010-02-28 I live in Oregon and my aunt has a male and female chocolate catfish in her tank. Among other fish, and have never had a problem with losing other fish due to the catfish. They swim like they are a pair. The female chocolate catfish is pg, she is ready to have baby's soon. If she does this will be a first. I have not found any one that has been sucessful on the internet or local fish stores, I will keep you updated if we are proud parents. If anyone else has some input, please let me know. thank you.
The Spotted Raphael Catfish is also called the "Talking Catfish". This is because it seems to 'talk' when you take it out of the aquarium! (Actually it 'croaks' or 'clicks' faintly when it 'talks'.)
I have had my Rapheal catfish for two years now and I am still bewildered to why he likes to swim the tank upside down and not right side up. Can anyone tell me why he prefers to swim upside down?
That is pretty common for them to do. Many swim sideways, upside down and of course right side up.
My Spotted Raphael Catfish are, as of October 2012, 27 years old. The next one is 24 and the youngest one is now 19 years old. I find most web sites say 'your lucky if they live past 7 years'. Apparently that cannot be normal except if the fish aren't well looked after. I got all 3 fish from different sources at less than one inch in size so it cannot just be a fluke that mine are the ages they are. If anyone else has the same breed and older than 20 years (the fish), I'd love to hear about them. Thanks. Simone🐟
Wow, those are really long-lived fish! I don't have any personal experience keeping them, but I would like to hear if anyone else has had a similar experience.
i just bought my spotted catfish and for two weeks hes been hiding. ive read that is normal...i would just like to see what i paid for. thanks for all the imfo from everyone it really helps!
I've had a similar experience with an upside-down catfish, he always hides under a log during the day but comes out at night. Night lights, like moon lights for reef aquariums work well to see him but you have to do it after the regular lights are out.
Does any body know where I can get a good sorce of live food for my Raphael?
Pet shop normally, but make sure to quaranteen any feeder fish for atleast 7 days.
I just bought a spotted raphael catfish about 12 inches for my back yard pound. I also purchased 4 blue catfish about 4 inches 7 Plecostomus about 4 inches and 24 goldfish. The gold fish where to be eaten but not the others. My question is will the Raphael eat all of them in 2 weeks???
I would not think so. Normally aren't fast enough to catch other fish.
My raphael talking catfish is just sitting in its hole all day and all night and I never saw him eat anything. I have him in a 55 gallon community tank with synodontis zebra hybrid, long fin serpea, tetra, african butterfly fish, archer fish, rope fish. Is there somthing wrong with its health or lonely because he is the only raphael in the tank and I have him already a year?
My raphael is doing well I thinknk he is still alive. I have been feeding him earth worms every so offten.I drop them in at dusk he and will eat just as fast as I can serve them to him Am I feeding him enought?
14 years ago, thinking my talking catfish was dead, I drained my aquarium and for one whole year this fish lived in the gravel without food or water until I heard it and retrieved it. I have had my talking catfish for about 15 years now in a tank with guppies. I have only fed this fish guppy food. Since you say it needs protein to live is he eating guppies that I am not aware of? I always have an abundance of them.
Could be. There is protein in fish food too.
I got my raph about 9 months ago from a friend who had him for about 2 years. When my friend had him he never ever saw him, because he stayed hidden inside his hollow log the entire time he had him.
when he gave him to me and I put him in my 50 gallon tank, we literally had to break the log to get him out. In my tank he lived happily in a hole he had dug behind some large rocks. Strange thing though is that NOBODY has ever seen him eat, EVER. Everytime i feed my fish he never moved, even with the food sinking and landing on his body. At night sometimes i would hear rocks hitting the glass as if he was digging his hole deeper but thats about it. Nobody has ever witnessed him eat, not even at night.....
Unfortunately he died last night for some reason and I have no idea what caused it. 2 days ago I noticed him on the wall of the tank which was rare and he was still breathing. Last night however, I did a head count (as i always do to make sure my ghost fish didn't eat any of the smaller fish) and I noticed my Raph upside down floating at the top of the tank. For a little while i could still see him breathing, but eventually his breathing stopped. The other fish are doing fine so i am left mind boggled as to why my Raph suddenly died.
These fish are nocturnal, and are best fed at night, with the lights off. It is quite plausible to suggest that the diurnal fish in the aquarium consumed all of the food before he was able to eat. If you ever find yourself obtaining another, try feeding the fish, when the lights in the aquarium are off.
Hi I have 2 spotted raphael catfish I just want to know what are some of the things they like to eat?
The Spotted Raphael Catfish (Agamyxis pectinifrons) is a carnivore, so try to feed them protein-based foods. They especially like live foods such as bloodworms, tubifex and earthworms. But often frozen foods will work just as well. Also try foods that float to the bottom, including flakes and tablets meant for bottom feeders.
My baby spotted raphael catfish is upside down, but moving around like that. I am not sure what's wrong with it because it was fine before today?
The Spotted Raphael Catfish (scientific name Synodontis nigriventris) is also called the Upside Down Catfish. It will swim upside down and it is frequently the normal behavior for this fun, decorative catfish.
Sometimes they swim right side up and sometimes upside down. I would imagine it would be a little frightening to see. Normally when a fish is upside down there is something seriously wrong. Your case, he is probably just hanging out.
I live in Oregon and my aunt has a male and female chocolate catfish in her tank. Among other fish, and have never had a problem with losing other fish due to the catfish. They swim like they are a pair. The female chocolate catfish is pg, she is ready to have baby's soon. If she does this will be a first. I have not found any one that has been sucessful on the internet or local fish stores, I will keep you updated if we are proud parents. If anyone else has some input, please let me know. thank you.