Brown Bullhead Catfish....HELP!

bulldogEmily · 08-28-2006, 11:34 PM

I looked up and found out what sort of $3 fish I just bought at Walmart. Apparently, he is a brown bullhead catfish and will get almost 2 feet long. They seem like fish that people 'fish' for and not an aquarium fish. How in the heck did Walmart get him!?

In any event, I am taking him back tomorrow. I feel bad, he's pretty outgoing and docile. But, I read that as he matures he will eat ALL the fish we have in the tank right now.

Anyone want a brown bullhead catfish or know much about them?

Thanks,
Emily

Hepcat021 · 08-28-2006, 11:38 PM

I suggest you don't buy any fish from wally-world. Maybe you've come to this conclusion already.

Best Wishes
Bill

thewebpop · 08-29-2006, 12:33 AM

I thought that picture you posted looked like a baby Regular Ole River Mud Cat Fish. You just never know what Wally World will do next. Good Luck, Pop's

ahill3780 · 08-29-2006, 01:21 AM

A perfect example of the importance of researching the fish you are interested in before buying.

Much as it sucks for the little guy to go back to wally world, I don't see much choice unless someone you know has an outdoor pond that they wouldn't mind keeping him in.

Jarrett · 08-29-2006, 11:12 AM

I believe we've found what this fish is. It appears to be a spotted bullhead. The largest recorded appears to be 9 inches.

Here is some documentation we found on it:

spotted bullhead
It is mainly found in the Apalochicola, Ochlockonee, and Suwannee river systems in Florida, Alabama and Georgia. It is classified as Rare in Florida and Georgia, and of Special Concern in Alabama.

It is usually found in larger streams and rivers with moderate current, and shows a preference for rock bottoms. Snails have been found to be the dominant food type by volume, and another common name for this fish is "snail cat".

ahill3780 · 08-29-2006, 07:38 PM

Welcome to FishTankForums!

Can you cite that reference for us?

bulldogEmily · 08-29-2006, 10:49 PM

Here is where we found the information about him:
Spotted bullhead in Focus

Jarrett · 08-30-2006, 10:45 AM

Thank you for the welcome ahill3780

BulldogEmily and I are getting more and more into fish tanks which recently prompted us to move from the small 10 gal tank to a new 55 gal take. Its hard not to just sit there in front of the tank and before you know it you've been watching it for an hour.

Eventually, we want to try the salt water tanks but I don't think either of us are ready for that right now.

Thanks again for the welcome. The above post about the Spotted Bullhead was me but I used BulldogEmily's account.