Tunnel Rat Posted June 20, 2006 Share Posted June 20, 2006 Hi Has anybody ever keep one of these cats can you tell me anything about them. I seen one for sale the other day. Rat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Posted June 20, 2006 Share Posted June 20, 2006 I haven't but I've seen what they can do to other fish. Is it wise to keep something that...powerful with other fish? Bruce Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D6C1 Posted June 20, 2006 Share Posted June 20, 2006 Is that the same as Eel Tailed catfish? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cuong Posted June 20, 2006 Share Posted June 20, 2006 Completely different toufic. These are the ones from Africa/the Nile who can put down a couple of hundred volts to stun their prey/predators. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D6C1 Posted June 20, 2006 Share Posted June 20, 2006 AWESOME!!! I want one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apache3 Posted June 20, 2006 Share Posted June 20, 2006 do not belive every thing you read a couple of hundred volts ? dont know about that i have personal held one of my friends in my hand many times sure you get a shock but no more than you get from new carpet try it for yourself they also are a very peaceful fish as i have seen as he keeps it with many comunty fish an they are fine own one an enjoy it an most of do not be put of from comments from those who have never owned one good luck with your choice cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cuong Posted June 20, 2006 Share Posted June 20, 2006 Was it a full grown adult? (ie 1m+) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tunnel Rat Posted June 20, 2006 Author Share Posted June 20, 2006 do not belive every thing you read a couple of hundred volts ? dont know about that i have personal held one of my friends in my hand many times sure you get a shock but no more than you get from new carpet try it for yourself they also are a very peaceful fish as i have seen as he keeps it with many comunty fish an they are fine own one an enjoy it an most of do not be put of from comments from those who have never owned one good luck with your choice cheers ← My Catfish atlas (TFH) said that they can give you a range of voltage jolts from 100-300 volts and a 1m+ is capital of a 400+ volt jolt. I think I will give it a miss. Rat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cuong Posted June 20, 2006 Share Posted June 20, 2006 After a bit of googling, there are a few varieties of EC but only one grows to 1m. The others I think max out at around a foot. I didn't manage to read anything about breeding, so maybe wildcaught? It would definitely be cool to keep one of the smaller varieties though, probably by itself or with something tough enough 'just in case'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wui39 Posted June 21, 2006 Share Posted June 21, 2006 300-400 volts will tingle but it is the current that will give you stop your heart from beating. The voltage from rubbing carpet will range up to 1500 volts. The catfish will not be delivering more than a few microamps, enough to stun or kill small fish though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Posted June 23, 2006 Share Posted June 23, 2006 The species of e-cat we have in Australia is M. electricus this fish grows to roughly 3 feet. Firstly let me start by saying - this is one of my all time favourite fish. beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder when it comes to the e-cat. I first started out with 4 e-cats. All ~ 3". They went into a 4x2 with a few assorted plecos. They all lived in there fine until about 6-7" not killing any tank mates and not bothering each other. At about this time I sold 3 and kept the smallest 'runt' so to speak. This fish then grew from about 4" - 12" in about 6 smonths. I kept this guy with all sorts of fish from african cichlids to arowana to large goldfish, and as far as I could tell he didn't bother any of them, living of chopped squid, prawn and fish meats. About 3 months ago after not being able to sell him - I gave him away to a close friend who had an 6x2 with a large jardini and some assorted CA's. After the second night in his tank he awoke to find his prized jardini with its head in the gravel and 3 large P. splendida dead. 2 convicts unable to use the back halves on their bodies (these fish are still alive they 'hop' along the bottom of his tank. He now lives in a 4x2 by himself at about 16". These are my experiences with this great catfish. It is an absolute risk to keep this fish with anything else. But it can be done, but the risk will always remain. here is my little devil at about 4" - ps - I purposely shocked myself by stirring my fish up at feeding time every couple months to see how powerful their 'shocks' become just so i had a true indicator of what they are capable of. Odd, but that's me. From about 3-4" it wasn't too bad, similar to getting flicked in the hand. Once about 7-8" it started to feel more like you were being punched. At about 12" it felt about the same as 7-8". The fish was then given away soon after. I helped move the fish after the holocaust in my mates tank. I was subsequently zapped in the process and it hurt a great deal more then ever before. Enough to make me not want to be tagged again. Something like getting hit with a cricket bat. Alex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Posted June 23, 2006 Share Posted June 23, 2006 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cuong Posted June 24, 2006 Share Posted June 24, 2006 Awesome stuff Alex. They sound like pretty fast growers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Posted June 25, 2006 Share Posted June 25, 2006 Slow in comparison with other large predatory catfish, but still a somewhat fast grower. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wui39 Posted June 25, 2006 Share Posted June 25, 2006 Something like getting hit with a cricket bat. Alex ← Another personal experience? Certainly you have to love it to keep it. Thanks for the advice Alex. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tunnel Rat Posted June 25, 2006 Author Share Posted June 25, 2006 The species of e-cat we have in Australia is M. electricus this fish grows to roughly 3 feet. Alex ← Thx for all the info Alex.Is there any fish you have not keeped ? I am now having second thoughts. thx Rat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Posted June 26, 2006 Share Posted June 26, 2006 Got to love rays. Personally for the same money i'd go the rays as they are usually alot more pricey then e-cats. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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