How long do bullhead catfish live

Add floating plants to the tank to give the fish cover and oxygen. Bullhead catfish are nocturnal and often like to hide from light during the day. Choose aquarium plants that float on the top of the water and provide shade.

Duckweed, Water lettuce, Hornwort, and Salvina are great floating plants. Purchase floating plants from a pet shop or an aquarium plant grower. Follow the planting instructions that come with each plant.

Choose tank companions that are larger than the catfish. Bullhead catfish will try to eat any fish that will fit in its mouth. Opt for fish that are at least the same size as the catfish.

Large sunfish, perch, and cyprinids make good tank companions for bullhead catfish. Place the tank in an area out of direct sunlight. Catfish are nocturnal, so they don't like intense sun exposure. If possible, place the tank in a dim hallway or room. If your tank is beside a window, close the curtains during the day to block the direct light.

Method 2. Bullhead catfish are really adaptable to different water temperatures. Attach the tank heater on the side of the tank near the surface of the water and then select the appropriate temperature on the heating dial.

Install a mechanical filter system that processes gal L of water per hour. This filter system is appropriate for a gal L tank, as the water in the catfish tank needs to be filtered 3 times per hour.

If you have a larger tank, you will need a more powerful filter system. Follow the instructions on the packet, as each filter system has a different setup process. Select an aeration system that oxygenates your tank to 4 mg 0. Fish can become stressed if there is too much or too little oxygen in the water. To set the oxygen level, simply turn the dial on the aeration system or follow the specific instructions from your system. Check your existing filter system for an aeration system, as many filters come with oxygenators.

Place the oxygenator tube along the bottom of the fish tank and place the dial beside the tank. Keep the water pH between 3. Bullhead catfish are extremely resilient and can withstand a range of pH levels.

Use pH test kit to find out the pH of the water each day. If the water has a low pH, add a handful of seashells to the water. If the aquarium has a high pH, place a piece of driftwood into the tank. If the water is left to sit in the tank for too long, the tank will get dirty. If you have a 50 gallon L tank, replace 10 gallons Use a bucket to remove water or use a syphon.

Dispose of the old water in the garden or down the drain. Method 3. Feed the catfish in the evenings. Catfish are nocturnal, so they tend to wake up in the late afternoon or early evening. Place the food in the tank before you go to bed to ensure that the catfish are awake when you feed them. Give your catfish 1 pinch of catfish fish pellets each day for nutrition. This helps to ensure that your bullhead catfish receives enough protein and vitamins.

Any flakes or pellets designed for fish will work well for catfish. Follow the feeding instructions on the back of the packet. Feed your catfish up to 1 handful of leftover fruit and vegetables each day. Bullhead catfish are scavengers and enjoy a varied diet. Chop the fresh fruit and vegetables into 0.

Drop the produce into the tank and wait for the fish to search it out in the bottom of the tank. If the fish stop eating the food, this shows that they are full. Bullhead catfish thrive off organic produce and fish pellets because they don't contain any pesticides. Look for products that are spray-free or organically grown to help the fish reach optimum health. I just got a new Bullhead. It is only about half an inch long and I don't know what would be small enough to feed it.

Anything will do, from cut up bits of corn to bits of worm. Spam will also work, but as long as the food you use to feed it is something that can sink to the bottom, they are likely to enjoy it.

Not Helpful 1 Helpful Bullhead are not picky eaters at all and will eat a lot of different foods ranging from live food to dead food. You should try it all.

The brown bullhead is a smooth-skinned catfish with a mottled, brownish body and whisker-like barbels around the mouth. It lives in slow-moving ponds, streams and rivers throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The brown bullhead grows to about one foot long, but can be as long as 20 inches.

Its olive or yellowish-brown body is mottled with brown or black. It has a yellowish-white belly. It is smooth-skinned with a broad, flat head and four pairs of dark, whisker-like barbels around its mouth.

Sharp spines appear on its dorsal and pectoral fits, and its tail fin is squared. Brown bullheads are bottom-feeders that eats algae, insects, mollusks, crustaceans, crayfish and other fish, using their long barbels to taste for prey. Spawning occurs from April through June. Black bullheads live about five years in the wild and slightly longer in captivity. The oldest are around ten years old. They are easily kept in aquariums and adapt well to captivity.

Adults are not very active during the day, they feed mostly after dark, and are seldom seen or caught in rivers and streams until after dusk. Blacks bullheads tend to look for food along with small groups of other black bullheads. Little is known about the size of the home range in black bullheads. They tend to utilize pools in rivers and occupy areas where food is available. Black bullheads have taste buds on in the mouth that help differentiate prey items. Barbels are used to pick up chemicals in the water and water movements.

As in many catfishes the swim bladder is used to pick up on vibrations, as well as communicate. Young black bullheads usually thrive on small crustaceans, like ostracods , amphipods , and copepods , as well as insects and their larva. Young feed in small schools during the middle of the day. Adults feed at night and eat on a wide variety of invertebrates. Midge larvae and other young insects are the main diet for adult bullheads.

Black bullheads have been known to eat small fish and fish eggs as well. Black bullheads will also eat plant material and scavenge. Young black bullheads may fall prey to largemouth bass and other basses , as well as walleye. They are protected from some predation by their venomous pectoral spines, that can inflict a painful sting. Black bullheads can make the water in which they live more cloudy and turbid, making it difficult for other fish species to survive. Black bullheads are important intermediate predators in the ecosystems in which they live.

Black bullheads are not considered a problem to most humans. In areas where populations are very dense, they never grow to their maximum size, making them unpopular for fishing. Black bullheads can cause a painful sting with spines on their sides. Black bullheads contain small amounts of venom at the ends of these spines, which can cause pain for up to a week.

Though black bullheads are relatively small, they have become a popular fish among anglers. They are known for their good taste and amount of fight during a catch.

Many black bullheads are kept in captivity because they adapt well and have a long lifespan. Black bullheads are common and sometime very abundant throught their range. They have become a popular gamefish in many areas, so fishery agencies sometimes "stock" lakes and ponds with black bullheads for fishermen.

Etnier, D.