pangasius catfish behavior??

[cbmoore22]

Ok so ive had my catfish for about a week or two and im not sure if one of them is acting right or not im still new to having an aquarium and knowing whats normal and what isnt. Long story short i bought the two catfish at the same time did everything right when setting up my tank had a friend help me. And the one catfish keeps like i guess playing in the airstone wall of bubbles just up and down up and down only comes out to eat takes like two nibbles and back to the bubbles it is he has been doing it for five or six days now does nothing else the other one does it but then she or he swims round like normal. I moght add that they bump into the walls alot and pass out but there still breathing when they do after bout a min. There back to normal. They havent done this passing out for about a day or two the one that plays in the bubbles non stop hasent done it in seven days just the bubbles that he never stops playing in. Back on track ok...so is he acting like he should i mean im worried he isnt breathing right nor eating right like why wont he do anything else but play in the bubbles. And yes i kno a ten gallon is way way to small for them i plan to move them to a bigger tank just gotta find a good deal on a twenty- thirty gallon. Ive added a video.

 

[LeafsFan]

I actually had the same issue with a pictus catfish. It would swim in the air bubbles and also swim in "loops" around my filter intake. Very weird. Nothing ever seemed wrong with him though. During feeding he would go nuts.

For mine I thought it was lonely and bought a second one. After that the behavior stopped.

Turn the air stone off for a bit and see how they react.

 

[cbmoore22]

I will give that a try and post what happens.

 

[cbmoore22]

Well i turned off the airstone wall of bubbles and they went to acting normal again swimmin around like happy fish...i guess its like one of my friends said there just having fun being weird. But ill keep an eye out for their diets. Maybe ill turn off the bubbles when its eatn time.

 

[TXaggie]

I know you already said you're aware your current tank is too small for your fish. Are you aware of the adult size of these fish? A 20-30 gallon is not really going to help much. They are in the giant fish category. The behaviors you're describing seem consistent with the info in the Wikipedia article I posted below.

Honestly, you'd probably be happier long term with a fish suited to the size of your aquarium. It's already hard to maintain an aquarium when you're new to the hobby (I know because I made a lot of mistakes in the beginning!). Having fish that aren't made to live in a home sized aquarium I feel just sets you up for frustration and disappointment. There's species suited to your aquarium size that are colorful or have a lot of personality or are oddball unique looking fish, depending on what you want. If I were in your position I'd look into returning the catfish to your LFS. I really think you'll enjoy the hobby more if you can find something suited to a 10 gallon (or 20 or 30) that you like.

From Wikipedia:

"Juvenile iridescent sharks are often sold as pets for home aquariums. However, they are not easy fish to keep, and are not recommended for home aquariums. Iridescent sharks are schooling fish that prefer to be kept in groups of five or more.[3] Accustomed to living in rivers, they are very active fish that require a lot of space. They have very poor eyesight, so any foreign movement they detect outside of their habitat, they will see as an utter threat. If stressed, their first instinct is to flee, and such a blind dash can result in injuries, especially in an aquarium environment. These flights may be terminated by the fish sinking to the bottom, where it may lie on its side or back until it recovers.[6]

Many fish owners are unaware of the enormous size an iridescent shark can reach and also that they have a very harsh bite. If given enough room and fed adequately, an individual of this species can reach 1 m (3 feet) in length. In most home aquariums, the amount of space an iridescent shark has severely stunts its growth. For this reason, most iridescent sharks kept in home aquaria grow to only 15 to 30 cm (6 to 12 inches) in length and die prematurely from organ failure.[dubious – discuss] As a rule of thumb, an iridescent shark requires a minimum tank size of 12 m (40 feet) to develop naturally and live a long, healthy life. Schools require even larger tanks. When provided with adequate sized aquaria and proper husbandry, an iridescent shark may live well into its teens and grow to full size.[7]"

 

[T1KARMANN]

I have a 1000 gal tank and this catfish is way to big for me

I would return them to a shop ASAP

 

[Zimmanski]

I have a 1000 gal tank and this catfish is way to big for me I would return them to a shop ASAP

Agreed, keeping a fish in a tank that's too small for their adult size isn't advisable. My LFS has a few for sale right now that are 16"+

 

[hitman11]

Ok I have 1 of the for 2 years I have to give him to a pet store bc he was getting big I have a new one he is about 3 inch I have him for about 1 year this fish is really active he ll swim on one side of the tank up and down all day give him food he ll eat and go back they get really shock when they move I move 2 times but it's a great idea to get a bigger tank so don't worry that's what they do as long you give them food and keep a clean well oxygen tank you are good to go. But I bet some more people know more about him so I know u can learn more.

 

[bribo12]

The fact that this fish is sold in almost all pet shops is horrible. So many people buy them, have them for a couple years, it grows to about 7" and then dies. They think oh it did great so they get more. It's a vicious cycle as these fish will get enormous given an enormous tank. 100% agree this is a fish best left to zoos and aquariums as no hobbyist really has a tank for them.