LA Pic
Kinda cute at four inches.  An electric catfish gives you a little tingle when you touch him.

LA
Really cute under two inches. 

LA Pic
Other species exist, but we always get the same species of electric catfish.

LA Pic
Electric catfish really all look alike.  The number of spots varies.

Origins:  Electric catfish come from the Nile river basin – at least the ones we’ve always seen.  There are other species.  No one breeds them on fish farms.  They all come from the wild.  Little electric catfish look cute.  Large guys take a couple giant steps over the ugly line.

Appeal:  You gotta love a fish that makes you tingle.  And the little guys really are cute.  Little electric catfish just make you jump back when they give you a zap.  The big ones can knock you off your feet.

Common Name:  Their name comes from their one best talent – kicking out ‘lectricity.

LA
Two inchers get along fine with cichlids

Size:  Over and over we've seen references (mostly zoos) reporting a 39-inch maximum size.  We’ve never seen an electric catfish remotely approaching this length.  Foot longers were the biggest we’ve encountered.

LA Pic
After electric catfish fill up on rosy reds, they ignore nightcrawlers.

Foods:  Electric catfish are not picky eaters.  Gluttons describes them better.  Theoretically, electric catfish sidle up to other fish, slip them enough amps to make them upchuck, then eat the results.  In our tanks they gorge on feeder fish, nightcrawlers, and beef heart.  They like frozen foods, of course.

Housing:  Commercially available at three to four inches, you can house your young electric catfish in a 10-gallon tank.  Realize that you will need a 55 or bigger to keep this growing critter happy. 

Keep Covered:  Not considered jumpers, you still want to avoid picking electric catfish up off the floor barehanded.  Not a fun job.

Sport Fish:  When caught on a hook and line along the Nile, most fishermen cut their line.  Taking a large electric catfish off the hook is not fun.  They are considered a hard to unhook food fish.

Tank Mates:  Since electric catfish like to argue and strongly protect their territories, you usually cannot mix many fish with them.  If you do, give their competitors lots of room.

Temperature:  Their Nile River origin means electric catfish need 75^o or better. 

LA Pix
Electric catfish do like their PVC pipes.  They swim into them even while you hold them.

Décor:  Electric catfish locate caves, burrows, and overhangs to while away their daytime hours.  Small sections of PVC pipe make instant home sweet homes.  At night, they come out looking for food and trouble.

LA
Bare tanks don't do much for you or your electric catfish.

LA Pic
Electric catfish like wood ...

LA Pic
... especially when they can crawl into it ...

LA Pic
... and survey the world while totally protected from all sides.  He's out of the water.

Plants:  Immaterial.  Plants make your tank look better, but your electric catfish couldn’t care less.

Water:  Put your chemistry set away.  Electric catfish adapt to nearly any clean water.  Since they eat like pigs, you will need to make large water changes on a weekly basis.

Breeding:  Won’t happen.  Electric catfish would probably spawn at 12” but you’ll need a minimum three-foot section of PVC pipe with nesting room at the end.  Try it.

Disadvantages:  Electric catfish pester or kill other fishes.  They’re illegal in many states, kinda ugly, hard to hand feed, and hard to breed.  They also need a larger and larger tank as they grow.

LA Pic
You can pet and hold electric catfish when they're small.

LA Pic
At 7-inches, electric catfishes get sparkier.

LA Pic
Only 10-inches long but plenty "juicy."  This guy gets along fine with other fish.

LA Pic
Electric catfish grow tamer over time.

Last Word:  Electric catfish make a great “extra” to add to African cichlid aquaria.  They teach those ol’ African cichlids how to “dance.”  Most people should not own this fish.  LA.

© 2004, © 2006 LA Productions