Devil Catfish aka Freshwater Sandshark

[Tooch]

I went to the lfs yesterday to pick up a tank I ordered, and as soon as I walked in the door, the one guy said "Come here, I wanna show you what we just got in." So I walk to their back tank, and I saw one of these. They're called Devil Catfish. There are several species of him, and he said the larges could get to 9'! They had 2 babies of a smaller species, which will only get between 24"-36". They are definatly awesome, and I want one!

He said they need to be kept in a tank alone, as they will kill anything they want to eat, and kill anything they don't. They have pretty awesome teeth also! He said they are very aggressive fish, and you'd have to be really careful when cleaning their tank. So bad a*&!

[tropfish]

WICKED! that fish is awesome! Are you getting one??? what's another big tank? haha

[Tooch]

LOL right! It was definatly a killer fish! They said it would be alright in a 75gal, as it doesn't swim much, but I dunno. Seems like it should have something larger...

[tropfish]

Hmm, that does sound small, but it doesn't look like a fish that would swim much. I still say go for it, and if you think it's to small get a 100g tank, hey, we all know you can handle the big tanks lol. But, i still think you should get one for a 75g.

Hey, it could be a good conversation piece, and a lesson learned if an idiot doesn't listen and puts his hand in the tank lol.

[siymdapolio]

Hmm, that does sound small, but it doesn't look like a fish that would swim much. I still say go for it, and if you think it's to small get a 100g tank, hey, we all know you can handle the big tanks lol. But, i still think you should get one for a 75g.

Hey, it could be a good conversation piece, and a lesson learned if an idiot doesn't listen and puts his hand in the tank lol.
hahah that shark is awesome!!! Thats redicilious!!

Yup stupid people would really learn fast what that thing can do when you stick your hand in the tank.

[Tooch]

After I heard it, I overheard some lady asking around for Piranha. I almost considered selling her my 4 Red-bellies and use their 75gal! My fiance would kill me though, as she's really attached. I guess it's easy to get attached to something you need to do absolutly nothing for, as she's too scared to stick her arm in their tank to clean it, so I do that one now as well.

The kid at the lfs said I could just stick it in with the Piranha, and it would just have a large Piranha meal to start it's days in it's new home LOL Now that's a badass fish :c2:

[tropfish]

Making piranhas look like wimps!? Holy S^&T that''s one awesome fish. Now you really have to get it! haha

[Tooch]

LOL well red-bellies aren't the hardcore killer Piranha people get the idea they are, but they don't really like others in their tank! If this one fish could take out all 4, it's really hard not to get it!

But, alas, I've had the Piranha since they were about the size of dimes, so I'm pretty attached. Maybe when I get the guys out of my 150 into the 280, I'll put the Piranha in the 150 and give the Devil the 75...

[siymdapolio]

Now that is a bad ASS fish damn!!

Taking out pirhanas like nothing! I am starting to like this fish!:19:

[tropfish]

That's an idea. I hope you get it. We need at least one crazy killer fish on the forum, except for my killer (Jellybean Cichlid) of course hahahaha.

[Drumachine09]

Haha, adding sand to my tank yesterday, my severum took a pretty good chunk out of me. Imagine the damage THIS sucker could do.

[Tooch]

I'll run to the lfs tonight and get a pic of his teeth... Wait till you guys see them! :hmm3grin2orange:

[tropfish]

haha can't wait

[Wild Turkey]

Whoa now thats a fish! Defenitly do what u can to get that, how can you pass up something that deadly? He looks seriously bad@s$ as well

[Dsoto87]

Edit: Nevermind

[lbj41]

i guess you would feed him a whole leg of lamb or pork roast 3 times a day then

[jbeining75]

Looks like a big ole fat pleco to me... Hire a professional tank cleaner lol..... They do look awesome though... 3 feet though you would need a huge tank... 1000 gallons or so.... Tal;k to Cara and see if you can turn the basement into a fish tank lol.....

[Tooch]

Looks like a big ole fat pleco to me... Hire a professional tank cleaner lol..... They do look awesome though... 3 feet though you would need a huge tank... 1000 gallons or so.... Tal;k to Cara and see if you can turn the basement into a fish tank lol.....


You know... How cool would that be. It's the big hole I'd cut in the floor of the 1st floor that she may not like...


They still have 1 more, but I think she bought me the SW tank to get my mind off this fish... It didn't work...

[lg0815]

you guys know that pirhanas are cowards all they did in my 55 was hide i would touch them all the time and they did nothing that are not a vicous fish that everyone makes them out to be

[Demjor19]

That's a Goonch Catfish...in the wild they can reach 8+ feet and several hundred pounds. How much was he and at what LFS?

That catfish isn't gonna make a meal out of my Piranha! :hmm3grin2orange: At that size anyway...

Edit: Thread's a little old...

[MCHRKiller]

Agreed it is a Goonch...watch animal planet they have a show dedicated to them in the River Monster series. They literally are man eaters, unfortunatly they have no place in the aquarium :22:

Heres a video of one for those interested:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8nbGwndFKE

[Demjor19]

Agreed it is a Goonch...watch animal planet they have a show dedicated to them in the River Monster series. They literally are man eaters, unfortunatly they have no place in the aquarium :22:

Heres a video of one for those interested:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8nbGwndFKE

I saw that River Monsters episode! What an amazing fish! I'm sure they could have a place in some peoples aquarium...just nobody I know!

[Wild Turkey]

Warning: Super long rant!

Personally, i feel like this is sharks all over again, with catfish. The signs are all there. Difference is, some sharks are certainly man-eaters, and I dont think this catfish "preys" on humans, though it certainly eats them in said area.

The place where these supposed attacks took place were on a 4-5 mile stretch of river where the locals have been dumping the charred remains of people (from funerals) for who knows how long.

Even the people who suspect the catfish as the perp, admit that the access to human flesh has probably made the catfish more likely to go after something that smells like a human, and has made them unusually large.

The largest catfish the guy managed to find was 161 lbs, he admits, large enough to maybe take a child, and its 3 times the size of the "average" goonch.

Fact is, witnesses only saw one of the attacks. In my personal opinion the hype around the catfish in the area is keeping them from considering the vast amount of other species able of taking a life in those waters, but even if this catfish is eating people, I dont think citing one case of mutant catfish with a never ending source of food taking 3-4 people is enough to call it a man eater.

The goonch is well spread out through asia, and there has never been a single suspected attack reported anywhere else in the world besides this 4-5 mile stretch. It is also a migratory animal (not territorial) so any kind of "rogue" behavior, if thats what you want to call it, is a direct result of dumping bodies into the river, which they still do, and did in order to lure in catfishes during the expedition.

Its not far fetched to suspect this fish is just getting a "bad rep" even in said area, since it is revered by diners and fisherman alike throughout asia.

Here is a quote about the guy from the show

"The story is aggressively pursued by English angler/biologist/television personality, Jeremy Wade. He has already caught a specimen that was 161 lbs. and over 6 ft. long, large enough probably to maybe drown a swimming human."

IMO, "probably to maybe" says it all. Just consider how many unidentified animal attacks are blamed are sharks because they are feared. Well, if i saw a 6 foot catfish eating a dead body in the river, I would probably fear it as well.

Considering the only witnessed attack was on a small boy who was "knee deep" in the water, that to me says bull shark, or crocodile which are all over that river system, even if they arent all that common to that particular stretch, im sure pray like the goonch and an abundance of fresh corpses stinking up the river attracts sharks as well as other predators.

I cant be sure about the different species in the hobby, but certainly the species of goonch on the show does not belong in the hobby, gotta agree there.

[HorrorShowRot]

Very informative rant:)

[Red]

Turk, all I heard out of that post, was blah blah blah blah shark blah.

Just kidding, I agree with you, that the show was over done, but most large catfish will not eat a human. When I go bow fishing, I have seen 4-5ft catfish and mostly they run away from you. (I dont shoot catfish, only carp). And a fish like this, should be left in its wild habitat.

[Demjor19]

Of course the show was overdone! They needed to get the average viewer interested somehow! That's to be expected from a tv show.

Also...who are you to decide what fish does or does not belong in the hobby? Just because nobody on this forum has a tank of 10's of thousands of gallons! There are people on other forums that do have 50-100 thousand gallon tanks. Are you telling me they can't house this fish? Several of them have Arapaima's housed comfortably!

I do agree that this is a fish that probably doesn't need to be made 'readily' available, but to say it doesn't belong in the hobby at all isn't right!

I'm not trying to attack anyone here, but all we need is more people telling us what fish we can and can't have. Let's worry more about the countless Pacu that are being sold to everyone and there brother for $3.99 to put in there 55 gallon tank!

:14:

[Red]

I can't agree anymore with you demjoy, when I said it shouldn't be in the hobby, it shouldn't be in the hobby. As in if you want it, go pay your cash and pay someone to go get it for you. Same with a pacu, you want one, pay someone to go get it for you. If you can afford a 50 thousand dollar tank, you can afford to export the fish you want. I should not be able to get a pacu or anyone else in the fact. You should have proof of your tank before you are allowed to buy a fish over 3 feet.

[Demjor19]

I can't agree anymore with you demjoy, when I said it shouldn't be in the hobby, it shouldn't be in the hobby. As in if you want it, go pay your cash and pay someone to go get it for you. Same with a pacu, you want one, pay someone to go get it for you. If you can afford a 50 thousand dollar tank, you can afford to export the fish you want. I should not be able to get a pacu or anyone else in the fact. You should have proof of your tank before you are allowed to buy a fish over 3 feet.

That's pretty much what I was trying to say! If someone has the tank...they will find the fish that they want to put in it! Any fish has a place in the hobby as long as the right person brings them into it.

[Red]

That's pretty much what I was trying to say! If someone has the tank...they will find the fish that they want to put in it! Any fish has a place in the hobby as long as the right person brings them into it.
:goodpost:
I can agree anymore:hmm3grin2orange:

[Wild Turkey]

Once again I - M - O, Once you build a 150,000 gallon pond, (because yea its a pond, your average swimming pool is around 30,000) Its no longer a "hobby" if you get what I am saying. The fish shouldnt be sold at the LFS, which is why this thread originated.

Who am I? Turkey:ssmile: And no, I dont get to decide what fish are in the hobby or not, since obviously they are quite available. However, we are all entitled to an opinion on the matter. ;)

[Demjor19]

Once again I - M - O, Once you build a 150,000 gallon pond, (because yea its a pond, your average swimming pool is around 30,000) Its no longer a "hobby" if you get what I am saying. The fish shouldnt be sold at the LFS, which is why this thread originated.

Who am I? Turkey:ssmile: And no, I dont get to decide what fish are in the hobby or not, since obviously they are quite available. However, we are all entitled to an opinion on the matter. ;)

Yep! :22:

There are people on MonsterFishKeepers.com that do have 50,000-100,000 gallon TANKS in a building on their own property. They maintain them themselves and paid for them themselves...I think that constitutes a hobby? Just on a larger scale than most are used to. Maybe these fish shouldn't be sold at an lfs, but they still have a place in thobby.

[Wild Turkey]

Yep! :22:

There are people on MonsterFishKeepers.com that do have 50,000-100,000 gallon TANKS in a building on their own property. They maintain them themselves and paid for them themselves...I think that constitutes a hobby? Just on a larger scale than most are used to. Maybe these fish shouldn't be sold at an lfs, but they still have a place in thobby.

Yup, I have seen the threads; very impressive. I think the biggest ive seen so far was 50k, not that more is not doable.. but the term I had in mind when i made the statement was "obsession" rather than hobby :hmm3grin2orange: if you arent already making money off of it at that point, which would make it a job. We are talking about a tank that you could quite realistically mortgage lol

[Demjor19]

Yup, I have seen the threads; very impressive. I think the biggest ive seen so far was 50k, not that more is not doable.. but the term I had in mind when i made the statement was "obsession" rather than hobby :hmm3grin2orange: if you arent already making money off of it at that point, which would make it a job. We are talking about a tank that you could quite realistically mortgage lol

We are all obsessed to a degree...that's what makes all of us fish nuts gather on these forums and spend countless hours chatting between our endless water changes! :hmm3grin2orange: They are just obsessed and have money!

[Wild Turkey]

We are all obsessed to a degree...that's what makes all of us fish nuts gather on these forums and spend countless hours chatting between our endless water changes! :hmm3grin2orange: They are just obsessed and have money!

LOL true that. To add to your side of the discussion, when the word "hobby" was coined the definition meant "a way to squander excess time and funds" so i guess you could say some of us just have a little too much excess, wish it were me!:hmm3grin2orange:

[MCHRKiller]

Having owned a soon to be large predatory catfish, if the opportunity presented itself and the fish was big enough it would probably take a human if it thought it could. Unlike most people I dont see that as a necessarily evil act, the human was in the catfish's home the catfish was hungry. But of course cats are mostly scaveging or eating of smaller prey but hey its possible. So of course the show was over done, its freakin TV and was made with the sole purpose to entertain and make money. Most goonch realistically wont surpass 4-5ft, just as most of our tank busters in the hobby honestly wont get that large being tank reared. Due to space restrictions and food limitations as well as disease and etc. I highly doubt my TSN will get much over 2ft and definatly under 30" for example.

Now to my statement of that fish doesnt belong in the hobby, I stand by that. How many people could honestly house that animal....very very few properly. Those few that really have interest in the fish and can house it, will obtain it. If youve invested 50K into a tank I think you can spend a couple hundred importing a goonch for it if you so desire. I nearly bought an adult black rhom a few years ago, still living in VA...Piranha are illegal in the state but I spent the cash on the tank, beefed up the filtration system and had the desire to keep it...thus the $600 price tag didnt really make me flinch to much. Of course free fish are better so I went with my current option. I fully support stopping the sale of pacu...thus my LFS does not carry a single pacu for sale and hasnt for well over a year or any other fish growing over 18" max. Simply because so few people can house them. Take the OP for example, he was informed this fish could live permantly in a 75gallon aquarium...which realistically should have been 300G bare minimum. The dedicated people have means of accessing what they want, thus its better to restrict the importation of these giant species to the mainstream :22:

[Wild Turkey]

I agree, Pacu: another fish that doesnt belong at the lfs

[domjd05]

What's the big deal people?? when the thing out-grows the 20g just fill up the bath tub.

[bocrayfish]

what the $%^&% hmmm some thing you need a tank the size of an apartment sold at chainstores does not compute does not compute