Re: Albino Walking Catfish(Clarias Batrachus) Questions

[levittd]

"a" > wrote in message
e.rogers.com...
> Hi everyone,
>
> I am interested in breeding my catfish, however I can't find much
> information on this particular fish. Can anyone help me sex it? Once sex
> is determined, does anyone own the same fish in the Toronto area that is
> interested in breeding it?
>
> Thanks in advance,
> Bent2Bits

I have one of the beasts, but I'm on the other side of the continent from
you. I haven't found much info on them but here's a little:
http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/Gallery/Descript/WalkingCatfish/WalkingCatfish.html

http://www.gsmfc.org/nis/nis/Clarias_batrachus.html

http://fishbase.sinica.edu.tw/Summary/SpeciesSummary.cfm?genusname=Clarias&speciesname=batrachus

http://www.scotcat.com/clarias_batrachus.htm

Is yours the grey/brown type or the black & white spotted type? The latter
is a cultivated variety I think so breeding must be possible. I would think
you'd need a tank that was absolutely huge to have 2 of them in it. Mine has
never seen another of his own kind, but I do know that he's not very
friendly with any other species, even a pleco twice his (then)size that he
used to live with, briefly.

levittd
>
>

[levittd]

<snip>
>
> Is yours the grey/brown type or the black & white spotted type? The latter
> is a cultivated variety I think so breeding must be possible. I would
think
> you'd need a tank that was absolutely huge to have 2 of them in it. Mine
has
> never seen another of his own kind, but I do know that he's not very
> friendly with any other species, even a pleco twice his (then)size that he
> used to live with, briefly.
>
> levittd

Haha the subject finally registered in my overworked and overstressed brain.
You have an albino. How about that.
levittd
> >
> >
>
>

[a]

Hehe, yes mine is an albino. I have sent a couple of photos to the second
link you provided and to the email address you have posted for your viewing
pleasure. I am unsure as to the policies on this newsgroup or I would have
posted them here.

Bent2bits


"levittd" > wrote in message
. ca...
> <snip>
> >
> > Is yours the grey/brown type or the black & white spotted type? The
latter
> > is a cultivated variety I think so breeding must be possible. I would
> think

> Haha the subject finally registered in my overworked and overstressed
brain.
> You have an albino. How about that.
> levittd

[levittd]

"a" > wrote in message
le.rogers.com...
> Hehe, yes mine is an albino. I have sent a couple of photos to the second
> link you provided and to the email address you have posted for your
viewing
> pleasure. I am unsure as to the policies on this newsgroup or I would
have
> posted them here.
>
> Bent2bits
>
>
I'll post more info as I find it, but most sites just repeat one another.
Nice pictures, btw, he looks about the same size as mine. I posted a pic of
mine (very cruddy camera) on alt.binaries.aquaria and by email. Post yours
too for the world to see...
levittd

[a]

Posted.
Bent

> I posted a pic of
> mine (very cruddy camera) on alt.binaries.aquaria and by email. Post yours
> too for the world to see...
> levittd

[levittd]

Apparently the males have a row of small spots along the dorsal fin. Here's
some light reading:

http://www.aquariacentral.com/fishinfo/fresh/clarias.shtml
http://www.planetcatfish.com/cotm/2000-06.htm
http://www.seremban.net/fishcorner/fc220199.htm

Although none specify this, I don't believe the spots they are talking
about have anything to do with the actual markings of the fish, but rather
the small pinpoint spots that appear faintly in rows along the sides. I
notice with my Clarias that these spots are far more visible on the black
areas than the white, so with an albino they may be hard to spot.
Fortunately these fish don't mind sitting still once in a while, so it's not
THAT hard to get a good look (unless s/he knows you're looking, then forget
it lol). I also noted that on mine, these spots do not occur on the dorsal
fin at all (though the markings do) so I suspect I have a female. One piece
of information was consistent throughout all the sites I visited - though
they are egglayers like any other catfish, their breeding
habits/rituals/requirements are a mystery. If you attempt breeding, please
keep us posted here as to your progress.

[a]

I have been to the sites you have provided and it seems that the spots are
the key indicator. I would suspect that they would be even fainter on an
albino if at all noticable. BTW, do you have anything in with yours? If
so, what size tank are you housing it in? Planet catfish recomends SA
cichlids, I tried him with an adult black belt, which resulted in furious
battles for territory which the black belt eventually lost and had to be
moved to a new home as a result of. He currently resides with a young fire
eel, a rather large red tail black shark, and a dozen or more various plecos
in a 70Gal.


"levittd" > wrote in message
. ca...
> Apparently the males have a row of small spots along the dorsal fin.
Here's
> some light reading:
>
> http://www.aquariacentral.com/fishinfo/fresh/clarias.shtml
> http://www.planetcatfish.com/cotm/2000-06.htm
> http://www.seremban.net/fishcorner/fc220199.htm
>
> Although none specify this, I don't believe the spots they are talking
> about have anything to do with the actual markings of the fish, but rather
> the small pinpoint spots that appear faintly in rows along the sides. I
> notice with my Clarias that these spots are far more visible on the black
> areas than the white, so with an albino they may be hard to spot.
> Fortunately these fish don't mind sitting still once in a while, so it's
not
> THAT hard to get a good look (unless s/he knows you're looking, then
forget
> it lol). I also noted that on mine, these spots do not occur on the
dorsal
> fin at all (though the markings do) so I suspect I have a female. One
piece
> of information was consistent throughout all the sites I visited - though
> they are egglayers like any other catfish, their breeding
> habits/rituals/requirements are a mystery. If you attempt breeding, please
> keep us posted here as to your progress.
>
>

[levittd]

"a" > wrote in message
e.rogers.com...
> I have been to the sites you have provided and it seems that the spots are
> the key indicator. I would suspect that they would be even fainter on an
> albino if at all noticable. BTW, do you have anything in with yours? If
> so, what size tank are you housing it in? Planet catfish recomends SA
> cichlids, I tried him with an adult black belt, which resulted in furious
> battles for territory which the black belt eventually lost and had to be
> moved to a new home as a result of. He currently resides with a young
fire
> eel, a rather large red tail black shark, and a dozen or more various
plecos
> in a 70Gal.
>
>
Right now he's in a 30 gal by himself, which he is rapidly outgrowing. I'm
looking for a bigger tank now to house everything in my 50gal so the clarias
can be moved into it. His tank has a deep gravel substrate to allow for his
digging, with slate arranged to form hiding places. I keep his tank very
simple because he does his all his own landscaping. When he was smaller he
was in with some large silver dollars, angels, and a pleco. I moved him when
he started harassing the angel and nipping fins. The only fish I could
imagine housing him with would be something like a large arrowana, so that
they would occupy different strata in the water. Mine, I think, is destined
for the single life. I just don't trust him not to kill his tankmates.
levittd