# Just saved an iridescent shark...



## LouStar (Aug 12, 2009)

A friend of a friend of a friend (!)didnt want their cat fish, so they contacted me, and not knowing what it was I went and collected it and popped it in my 4 foot tank. Once home and able to see him properly, I have ID'd him as an iridescent shark catfish. After doing a little research, I have found they can grow to over 3 foot, so now Im worried!! Hes about 10 inches at present, he's beautifully black and its lovely to watch him swim around the tank but I cant help feeling that perhaps he is already too big...

Anyway, I know he was very skittish in his old home, constantly bumping and hurting himself in the tank where he was (had lots of other big fish, perhaps too many for the tank with such a skittish fish but they didnt know what he was when they got him either!). He's now much happier in my tank as we only have smaller fish and congo frogs, the levels are all good as the tank has been running over 5 years. However, now I've had a good look at him I am wondering if he might be blind? His eyes are cloudy/scarred towards the front, and almost constantly flicker back and forth like he's not sure where to look. I realise this could also be an infection or that he's at some point bumped both eyes, but any idea how I can tell which it is? And are either treatable along with the other fish in the tank? (list below) 

Also, do you think I should keep him and see if he will grow any bigger (we named him Moby after Moby Dick as he's the biggest fish in the tank already!) or shall I see if our lfs (or perhaps local zoo given the size he may take!) can take him now to avoid trouble later? I desperately wanna do right by Moby, we've not had him long and he's been in 3 homes just this year, (the previous owners from before the people I picked him up from kept him in a tank with guppies and wondered where their fish were going!!) so I will keep him a few weeks and let him settle if I do have to move him again, give him a little respite in a tank where he's the only large object!

Thanks for your help!

Lou

Fish in my tank:
10" iridescent Catfish
2 adult congo tetras
about 8 cardinal tetras of various sizes
6 danios
5 siamese algae eaters
2 common plecs
3 congo frogs (although I can only see one as of this week!)
1 miscellaneous tetra - lfs put him in the bag by accident and i didnt realise til I got it home!!

Tank dimensions - 4 foot long, by 12", and 18" deep with an inch of gravel, a large fluval cannister filter, the usual heater and a couple of live plants which have been eaten almost to bits so wont be in there for long! We also have 3 pieces of bogwood, one of which we have removed as it was sharper and we were worried Moby would hurt himself on it.


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## WhiteGloveAquatics (Sep 3, 2009)

Your 55 is too small for the shark already, he needs atleast a 90g possibly 120 to swim comfortably. And most the fish in your tank now are meaty little morsels to him.


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## LouStar (Aug 12, 2009)

Thanks for the confirmation, will call lfs asap and see if they can take him. Wouldnt wanna put him thru any further problems, thats the last thing I wanted. Next time I'll ask more questions but suspect the previous owners wouldnt have been able to transport him to lfs so think I still may have been his best chance, given I don't mind doing the legwork to find him a new home! They only got him because the person before said they were going to flush him - so I'm glad he's come my way so I can be responsible and do right by him... I hope!


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## WhiteGloveAquatics (Sep 3, 2009)

Call ahead to the LFS's in your area, most wont take em back unless they have the space, My LFS takes in very large FW/SW fish that have outgrown, SW he has 2 4' sharks of some sort and 4 huge rays


FW he has a big ray several 1-2# cichlids and a 5# pacu. He is a rescuer of exotics for years so try and find a LFS that has large fish for sale those will be the first ones to take in the bigger fish.


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