BellaOnline Forums Home and Garden Fish Catfish Species Problem!

My friend has a catfish of some kind, she THINKS it's a 'leopard catfish', but she says it doesn't look like my little leopard cory catfish. Can anyone help me find out what species it is? I'll list all the details she gave me:

When it was bought, it was about the size of a cory catfish you can find in petstores. It is now about 3cm thick (or about an inch) and about 8cm long (about 3 inches)

It's supposedly rather ugly, has good camaflauge and is a brownish-greenish color with brown leopard-like spots on it's body

It also ate her *adult* angelfishes after living with those fish for a long time, and it recently devoured a newly introducted baby angelfish as well. But her neon tetras have been in the tank for a long time, and are still alive 0_o.

If anyone might know what this thing is, please let me know! My friend is terrified to get any new fish because she doesn't know what kind of catfish she has, and therefore what fish it's compatable with, or even if it will just keep growing until it's too big for the tank!

Cat! you and your friend might want to check out this website Aquariacentral.com's Catfish species list
looks pretty thorough, has photos and those that don't just cut n paste in google and do an images search. and these are all freshwater catfish (i assumd your friend has freshwater).

ENJOY! :rolling:

also try.. Planet Catfish

look like a good site. please let us know what kind it is once you've found out. i'm curious to know what sort of "small" catfish will eat nice fishies.


have fun!

I think it is probably some type of Cory catfish. They actually get to be about 3 inches long at thier adult size. I don't think they are supposed to be aggressive and kill other fish, although they will eat a dead fish that is laying on the bottom...

Is it a Chinese algae eater by any chance? I was told they get several inches long and are aggressive when they get bigger. Also, was told they like to suck the slime coat off other fish. Eeeeeewww!

The other thought I had was a pleco. They do well with my cichlids, but the more peaceful fish died in a tank with them. The betta and pleco killed each other when they were together. :angel:

Nan

Ohhhh my. I had NO IDEA there were so many kinds of catfish!!! -_- This is going to take forever to figure out without a picture. I'm gonna have to gather up some images and have her point out the right one lol. I checked out all the ideas you guys gave me, and I think it might be a pleco or a cory. I guess we'll see what my friend says on monday : )

i got 2 dwarf otos for nebbie and he attacked them! i had to put a towel over the tank for 12 hours, then he settled down. they are SO scared of him now. but they are cute and they are eating the algae pretty good. i guess i should get another live plant eventually...i got them sinking wafers and ill get them zuchini or cucumber if they dont eat those. they are cuuute <img src="/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> i dont know what to name them though. i might get a 3rd onenext week when i do the water change. its a 3 gal tank, maybe i should?