Bullhead Catfish With Koi?

C

Colombian_Shark

King Catfish
Jan 23, 2006
82
0
0
Will a bullhead catfish get along with koi that are close to its size (a little smaller or a little larger)? I read one site claiming that a bullhead catfish will bite fins off a fish far too big for it to consume. Is this true?
 
you're asking if it's true that a bullhead catfish can bite the fins off a koi? is it worth the risk? and for what? to keep a bull head catfish with a koi?

up to you man.
 
T/N said:
you're asking if it's true that a bullhead catfish can bite the fins off a koi? is it worth the risk? and for what? to keep a bull head catfish with a koi?

up to you man.
Click to expand...


Not asking if they can; I'm asking if they're actually likely to do so. Being capable and wanting to do so are two different things. I can see how mixing a bullhead with koi could sound a little crazy, but I'm not talking about expensive import koi -- just a few cheap pet shop ones.
 
Expensive import koi or not, it would be cruel of you to try to keep the two species together. Bullheads are quite aggressive cats. I wouldn't try it, even with "cheap" koi. If you injure a cheap koi you're still going to have dying koi on your hands. Then you have to euthanize and euthanizing a koi isn't easy.
 
I agree. Individual bullheads vary, but many of them are quite aggressive even towards larger fish. If you have a big pond and low densities of both species there will probably be no issues, but in an ordinary backyard pond there would be trouble.
 
A bullhead has been in the pond for 2 days now. Zero kills; zero injuries; and zero acts of aggression. The little fella' just swims around, minds his own business, and eats whatever sinks down to him. I've heard of people keeping channel cats with koi, and those suckers get bigger and more aggressive than a humble little bullhead. I don't even know why I made such a silly thread -- of course bullheads are no real threat to sizable koi! :P
 
Colombian_Shark said:
I don't even know why I made such a silly thread -- of course bullheads are no real threat to sizable koi! :P
Click to expand...

Well, IME I was at a local water garden store whe nthey were fishing out a 18" koi with no tail and with quite a few injuries, but still barely alive.
They said it was from a 12"-13" bullhead that had lived with the koi for a year, I have never seen that type of agression from them before but why chance it? It's like keeping angelfish with a betta, sometimes it works, but alot of times it doesn't and one ends up severly hurt of dead.
I love my pets too much to risk their lives, I cannot speak for you though, but if you do, (again)why take the chance?
 
Actually, bullheads can be much more aggressive than channels and often shove them around when kept together. I hope your fish get along, but don't count on it. Why ask for advice if you're going to ignore it?
 
Everyone here is right. While the fish may be compatible for now, it will grow up one day and develop into a killer.

I always kept a pleco with my goldfish. They got along fine for 2 years, then BAM.

My favorite fish is dead.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
AquariaCentral.com
Top Bottom