The Striped Raphael Catfish or Chocolate Catfish has been a favorite of aquarium enthusiasts for a long time. They are very peaceful and thought to be the nicest of the Thorny Catfish!
chris howard - 2005-01-27 thanks for the info from all who have posted. I have recently bought my chocolate catfish and thought that it was poorly because of its bizarre patterns. There have been a number of times I thought it was dead! I worried that it didn`t seem to eat too well but you have allied my fears. I hope mine will last as long as some of the stories ive read
Tanya - 2005-01-12 I bought my Raphael just over five years ago. He was about 3" then and is now nearly 7" long. I have him in a thirty gallon tank with a pictus cat and 6 large cichlids. Everyone gets along famously!
Rick - 2004-04-07 I bought my Striped Raphael when he was only about 1-1/2 inches long. I have now had this fish for 12 years. He is now 8-1/2 inches long, not counting his whiskers. He is extremely inactive, except at feeding time. His favorite food is the Hikari Tropical Sinking Wafers. He cannot wait for them to sink, though. He comes to the top of the tank and catches them on the way down. He will even take them from my fingers. His eating habits are often very irregular. Sometimes he will go for two weeks without eating anything, but occasionally he will eat 8 wafers in one evening. He also sleeps in very strange positions. More than once I have thought he was dead because he would be floating upside down and motionless under something in the tank. Lately, he sleeps standing on his tail between the heater and the corner of the tank. He has been a great fish and never bothered the other fish in the tank. For 10 years his best friend was a very active Angelicus Catfish, who recently passed away. They seemed to have opposite personalities, but they always stayed together.
johnny O - 2004-04-03 I`ve had two of these fish for twenty years,they go for long periods without eating,then they will eat for a period of days,then stop again.They will eat any small fish they can swallow at night when the fish settle down to sleep.
George - 2004-03-28 I bought my raphael at a near by pet shop for about $5 at four inches. Now, eight months laters, he is six inches living in a 60 gallon with my two Red Devils and is doing OK
Mickey - 2004-02-10 I bought two striped rafaels. One has a solid black belly, the other has a solid white belly. Evidently one is a female and the other is a male. Have had them in a 47 gallon tank for 6-7 months. They are now breeding. When the babies start free swimming they get sucked up in the filter. So if you are trying to breed these fish, they like it dark, no lights, they like coverage, a cave, plants. Leave them alone except for food and it just happens naturally? But I will change my filter for the babies sake.
Ty Elders - 2003-09-21 I bought a Striped Raphael the other day at PetCo. It cost me about 7 dollars for one about an inch long including the tail. He is living with a black-finned shark and they get along well.
The Striped Raphael Catfish or Chocolate Catfish has been a favorite of aquarium enthusiasts for a long time. They are very peaceful and thought to be the nicest of the Thorny Catfish!
thanks for the info from all who have posted. I have recently bought my chocolate catfish and thought that it was poorly because of its bizarre patterns. There have been a number of times I thought it was dead! I worried that it didn`t seem to eat too well but you have allied my fears. I hope mine will last as long as some of the stories ive read
I bought my Raphael just over five years ago. He was about 3" then and is now nearly 7" long. I have him in a thirty gallon tank with a pictus cat and 6 large cichlids. Everyone gets along famously!
I bought my Striped Raphael when he was only about 1-1/2 inches long. I have now had this fish for 12 years. He is now 8-1/2 inches long, not counting his whiskers. He is extremely inactive, except at feeding time. His favorite food is the Hikari Tropical Sinking Wafers. He cannot wait for them to sink, though. He comes to the top of the tank and catches them on the way down. He will even take them from my fingers. His eating habits are often very irregular. Sometimes he will go for two weeks without eating anything, but occasionally he will eat 8 wafers in one evening. He also sleeps in very strange positions. More than once I have thought he was dead because he would be floating upside down and motionless under something in the tank. Lately, he sleeps standing on his tail between the heater and the corner of the tank. He has been a great fish and never bothered the other fish in the tank. For 10 years his best friend was a very active Angelicus Catfish, who recently passed away. They seemed to have opposite personalities, but they always stayed together.
I`ve had two of these fish for twenty years,they go for long periods without eating,then they will eat for a period of days,then stop again.They will eat any small fish they can swallow at night when the fish settle down to sleep.
I bought my raphael at a near by pet shop for about $5 at four inches. Now, eight months laters, he is six inches living in a 60 gallon with my two Red Devils and is doing OK
I bought two striped rafaels. One has a solid black belly, the other has a solid white belly. Evidently one is a female and the other is a male. Have had them in a 47 gallon tank for 6-7 months. They are now breeding. When the babies start free swimming they get sucked up in the filter. So if you are trying to breed these fish, they like it dark, no lights, they like coverage, a cave, plants. Leave them alone except for food and it just happens naturally? But I will change my filter for the babies sake.
I just bought a stripped raphael at a local pet store for $5.99. Hes almost 2 inches long...
Im trying him out with pirhana... i hope it lives...
hes done ok in one night, the dont seem to bug him.
PetSmart has them for $5.99 & WalMart has them for $6.49
I bought a Striped Raphael the other day at PetCo. It cost me about 7 dollars for one about an inch long including the tail. He is living with a black-finned shark and they get along well.
These are wonderful fish and you should be able to acquire them at any specialty fish store. Good luck!