find the American name "Channel Catfish" much more appropriate
than our German name for this species "Getüpfelter Gabelwels".
This catfish anyway is known to be a challenge for every experienced
catfish keeper.
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I. punctatus in his juvenile colour dress.
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It is difficult to get the Channel Catfish here in Germany
but was lucky in June 2007 to get one specimen at “Köllezoo”
in Stuttgart, there my friend Wolfgang Ros had him reserved for
me. The mite was only about 6 cm long and I already feared problems
for the long drive to Hanover where I live. The kind employee of
this shop however packed the catfish into a gigantic plastic bag
and filled it with oxygen. So everything turned out all right anyway.
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The relatively small mouth is surprising.
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The animal has grown until today, approx. 9 cm. I know what is
coming to me as the final length should reach 70 cm later or perhaps
longer, however since I’m keeping also other big catfishes
in big aquariums I am already used to it. Of course for a normal
society tank this fish is not the right one. He only can be kept
in a species tank. Probably this species can be kept with other
Ameiurus catfishes or other big fish species. My Ictalurus
punctatus is swimming in a 300 litre tank and he is used
to following a swarm of Silver catfish (Schilbe intermedius).
The colouring and and the kind of fins are a little similar but
though not the same. He seems to feel quite settled.
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Again and again you can see
Ictalurus punctatus swimming in the swarm with
Schilbe intermedius.
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The Channel Catfish is native from the USA like all blue catfishes
(Ictaluridae). His habitat is indicated in the German literature
with the Rio Grande and Southwestern USA. however today he has
spread much further. Finally this catfish is a popular fish for
sports angling or is spawned with thousands in aquacultures and
then eaten as a fish for everyday consumption. Such a Catfish
meal tastes very delicious. I have a few times already fished
for blue catfishes with my relatives in Kentucky and of course
the catfishes were put straight back into the water.
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Fishing in Kentucky, getting a big I.punctatus
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Although in the specialist literature shaded tanks are recommended
my fish swims in an aquarium well planted with quite normal light.
Of course one must offer caves and hiding-places. The tank is
without a heater and the temperature is about 22° c. A great
“Juwel Jumbo” filter keeps the water crystal clear.
The water is changed every 14 days around about one third. Ictalurus
punctatus eats great flakes and food tablets without any
problems, frozen mosquito larvae is also taken. This catfish however
is also quite greedy like my other blue catfishes (Ameiurus
nebulosus) if there are given fresh earthworms. Different
frozen fish fillets, divided of course into pieces, are also not
disdained.
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The "Happy German Catfishfreaks" when they buy
their I.punctabus baby.
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There is an albino form besides the wild colour which is kept
with pleasure in garden ponds in the USA and Great Britain. The
trend could come towards Germany once too. The bright colour variant
is taken with pleasure because one can hardly find the natural
colour in a pond.
This fish can be recommended to everyone who has a sufficiently
big tank, but it doesn’t really thrive and prosper in too
small tanks; therefore one should consider the purchase of such
an animal with great thought.
Text (status: October 2007) and pictures: Copyright Reinhold
Wawrzynski
http://wawrzynski.de.tt
Translated by Wolfgang Ros.
Edited by Allan James.
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