FishLover14
Aquarium Advice FINatic
Does anyone have any experenice with the yellow bullhead catfish? If anyone does please give some tips and your experences with keeping them.
Thanks
Thanks
Yellow BullHead Catfish
- Thread starter FishLover14
- Start date
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If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
BillD
Aquarium Advice Addict
I once had brown bullheads. they eat huge amounts and grow quickly, and of course, they have huge mouths, so anything that will fit, and is edible, is fair game. I didn't keep them very long. When they outgrew the tank, (which was only a few weeks) I took them back to the lake.
Fishyfanatic
Aquarium Advice Addict
Hey Dan! Long time no post! 
Welcome Back to the site!
I have no experience with them so I can't comment, just wanted to say Hi!
Welcome Back to the site!I have no experience with them so I can't comment, just wanted to say Hi!
FishLover14
Aquarium Advice FINatic
Yep I found out the hard way they eat tons. I feed 40-50 Oemga One Shrimp Pellets a night. I had them in a tank with some small fish and the fish just kept disaperiring and i had a lot of plant life in the tank so i figured they are just hiding but then on of the bigger of them turned up one morning with nothing but a skeleton left of it. I have seen themm just grab a little fish head first and eat it. Needless to say they are in a tnak by themselves. Mine are only around 3 1/2 -4 inches each so far, but i imaguine they will get bigger they are really cutte fish but they are quite exspesive to feed.
Anyone think a half grown Mbuna Cichlid would be a good tankmate for them?
Does anyone think you could establidsh a community of mbuna with them in the tank too?
Thanks.
P.S. I intend to keep the catfish not roll them in cornmeal.
Anyone think a half grown Mbuna Cichlid would be a good tankmate for them?
Does anyone think you could establidsh a community of mbuna with them in the tank too?
Thanks.
P.S. I intend to keep the catfish not roll them in cornmeal.
flamingonhot
Aquarium Advice FINatic
I've had a lot of them over the years.
They are pretty easy to care for. Keep salinity very low, provide enough filtration, feed them enough, give them a big enough tank, and choose there tankmates correctly.
They can pretty much stand anything that comes there way.
They are pretty easy to care for. Keep salinity very low, provide enough filtration, feed them enough, give them a big enough tank, and choose there tankmates correctly.
They can pretty much stand anything that comes there way.
flamingonhot
Aquarium Advice FINatic
And no I don't think it would be good to put it with a mbuna. Either the cat will be attacked or the cichlid will get eaten.
Zagz
Aquarium Advice Addict
I just have to go and google this fish now, you all have my curiousity way up.
Zagz
Aquarium Advice Addict
Wow! They are pretty cute though IMO, but they look as if they could get mean as can be.
flamingonhot
Aquarium Advice FINatic
They're more hyper than aggressive. I had one with a banded leporinus and it got so crazy when the food went in the tank it wold shoot out and grab it from the leps mouth lol.
Kind of layed back but not something you put with smaller fish.
Kind of layed back but not something you put with smaller fish.
FishLover14
Aquarium Advice FINatic
Whta would you call a big enough tank 100 gallons anywhere in that neighbiorhood. So you think i couldnt maintain a mbuna community with the catfish? What would the problems with it be would they just attack each other to often? I know these are mean little guys mine are in a tank with a BIG golden gouramia and every chance they get they run up against him head butting him. Do u think they should be kept alone or in groups?
Thanks.
Dan
Thanks.
Dan
Fishyfanatic
Aquarium Advice Addict
I did a quick search and it appears that they grow to 18 inches in size. A large tank is definately needed.
Here's what I pulled from North American Native Fishes Association:
The yellow bullhead has been known to reach 18" in total length and to weigh well over three pounds, our fish have never exceeded 12" and are usually in the 4" - 7" range. As an aquarium fish, the yellow bullhead is a very satisfying choice for those of us who appreciate the unique characteristics of catfishes. Certainly not a beautiful fish, and one not very likely to pass up making a meal of any tankmate smaller than itself (except when very small, these fish are best housed alone), the yellow bullhead does very well in captivity. When provided with even basic care such as a tank large enough to adequately accommodate it, clean water, and plenty of food (this fish will eat virtually anything), it grows rapidly, and quickly adapts to low-light tank situations, when it will freely swim in search of food. It remains timid, however, and will quickly dart into one of its many lairs when it is startled.
I haven't been able to find any sites that list proper tank requirements though. But the tank should definately be at least 20 inches wide, preferable 24. They need adequate space to be able to turn around. This is of course provided that the fish grows to the 12 to 18 inch mark. Still, a large tank is needed because of the hyperness.
Here's what I pulled from North American Native Fishes Association:
The yellow bullhead has been known to reach 18" in total length and to weigh well over three pounds, our fish have never exceeded 12" and are usually in the 4" - 7" range. As an aquarium fish, the yellow bullhead is a very satisfying choice for those of us who appreciate the unique characteristics of catfishes. Certainly not a beautiful fish, and one not very likely to pass up making a meal of any tankmate smaller than itself (except when very small, these fish are best housed alone), the yellow bullhead does very well in captivity. When provided with even basic care such as a tank large enough to adequately accommodate it, clean water, and plenty of food (this fish will eat virtually anything), it grows rapidly, and quickly adapts to low-light tank situations, when it will freely swim in search of food. It remains timid, however, and will quickly dart into one of its many lairs when it is startled.
I haven't been able to find any sites that list proper tank requirements though. But the tank should definately be at least 20 inches wide, preferable 24. They need adequate space to be able to turn around. This is of course provided that the fish grows to the 12 to 18 inch mark. Still, a large tank is needed because of the hyperness.
FishLover14
Aquarium Advice FINatic
I dont now if mine will gte quite that buig due to the fact that they stayed in a 20Long tank for a couple of weeks and i think that that kind of stunted thier growth. Yep mine are sure hyper!! thye run around like insane fishes whenever i turn the lights on. I would love to set up a Mbuna comunity and keep some of them with it. They are such cute little catfishs althouigh not so little now. I read somewehre they take up to 2 years to attain full size so i have a bout 1 1/2 years to find a big tank.LOL
Thanks FishyFanatic!!
Thanks FishyFanatic!!
greenmaji
Aquarium Advice Addict
a fish that will get near that long needs a WIDE tank.. I would shoot for a 180 gallon (24" wide and 72" long) if possible.. I dont know if this is a temperate water fish so I have a couple of ideas..
If I was going for tropicals it would be big south american cichlids.. Jack dempseys and Oscars come to mind.. be causious with the agressive ones though.. Jacks seem pretty mild IME but the O's can have an aditude at times..
Temperate water fish.. Rock Bass (this might just be another name for small mouth bass, I could swear these things are a little smaller though, thats just we called them when I was a kid) come to mind.. maybe a big red ear or pumpkin seed sunfish?
If I was going for tropicals it would be big south american cichlids.. Jack dempseys and Oscars come to mind.. be causious with the agressive ones though.. Jacks seem pretty mild IME but the O's can have an aditude at times..
Temperate water fish.. Rock Bass (this might just be another name for small mouth bass, I could swear these things are a little smaller though, thats just we called them when I was a kid) come to mind.. maybe a big red ear or pumpkin seed sunfish?
IrishSeaDog
Aquarium Advice Newbie
- Joined
- Oct 30, 2009
- Messages
- 1
I have a 10" Yellow bullhead I caught out of Big Bear Lake! He was lip hooked so I put him in a bucket an rushed him home to a 40 gallon that had three 2 inch yellow bullheads I had caught with a net. He ate them. He has turned out to be a really fun fish to keep though. He does eat a lot, I feed him small feeder goldfish. I'll put about 20 in there at a time wich last about 2 weeks with algae wafers as well. He is and aggressive eater though. I would be careful putting anything in there that he could attempt to fit in his mouth, chances are he'll try. I built a cave for him and he seems to like that during the day. When I walk up to the tank he will come up to the surface and wait for food, I sometimes catch moths and crickets and he'll nab them right out of my fingers... Pretty fun any questions I'll be happy to tell you what I can!!!>>>
