Chocolate Catfish

Chocolate Catfish (Acanthodoras spinosissimus) also known as Striped Raphael Catfish is from South America in the Amazon and Essequibo River basins.  They are very peaceful and thought to be the nicest of the Thorny Catfish!

The Chocolate Catfish is hardy and moderate in size, making it a great first catfish for the beginning aquarist. They do a great job cleaning the tank and not very picky about what they eat. These are bottom scavengers that do a great job cleaning the tank. Their water requirements are very easy to meet and their temperament is of a peaceful nature, making them good community fish. There is not usually much of a need to upgrade to a bigger tank as much as it is with some of the larger catfish, unless you want to increase the number of fish you’re keeping.  These are tough skinned catfish with a well-developed nuchal shield in front of the dorsal fin and bony lumps, forming thorny scutes, along the lateral line. This family is also called “talking catfish” because they can produce audible sounds by rotating their pectoral spines in their sockets.

Behavior 

These are really fun fish to watch as they have a curious nature. They are nocturnal, but once they are comfortable in their environment they will often spend many daytime hours exploring the aquarium. They are very peaceful and hardy. An excellent choice for the beginning aquarist, or any catfish enthusiasts that wants to keep a moderately large community tank.

Tank Conditions

Provide them with a large and well-filtered tank with plenty of hiding places in bogwood and rocks.  They are very hardy and tolerant of most water conditions. Although they are naturally nocturnal, they have a typical feline curiosity, and once comfortable in their home they will often venture out to explore during the day. They like to burrow in the soft river bottom so be sure to provide a corner of fine gravel or sand. They also like some plant cover to help keep their tank dimly lit and hiding places like the hollows of roots or driftwood, clay flowerpots, or pieces of plastic piping. Plant are appreciated but not essential.

Compatibility

These are very peaceful and a great catfish choice for a beginning aquarist. They do well in a community aquarium and make an excellent companion with most other medium to large fish, only very small fish may get snacked on. With its armored thorny protection it can even be kept with more aggressive tankmates.

Feeding

They are bottom feeders and In the aquarium they will eat any food that reaches them. Feed them daily, and since they are nocturnal the best time to feed these fish is after the tank light is turned off with a night light in the room. One thing to be careful of is overfeeding. It has been reported that they will actually eat themselves to death if given too much food.

Protein foods are most important for them, though they will graze on some algae. To keep a good balance give them high quality sinking pellets everyday, along with freeze-dried bloodworms and tubifex. They will eat live foods such as bloodworms, earthworms, and tubifex. They are bottom feeders and may also eat frozen foods as well as flakes that have sunk to the bottom.

Care  

Thorny Catfish have a strong first spine on their pectoral fins, which can be used as a defensive weapon. The cats tend to stick out these spines in a very rigid manner, especially when stressed. It is best to catch the Striped Raphael Catfish with a glass container or plastic bag. The spines can easily get caught in a net and it can be difficult to try and get them untangled, and it is also a bit dangerous. A prick from the spines of this fish is quite painful!

These are hardy fish that tolerate most water conditions. There really isn’t much that needs to be done for the easy going catfish. They are very low maintenance and their tank only requires water changes of 30% a month.  As typical of all catfish, they cannot tolerate salt or brackish water.

Chocolate Catfish are usually fairly hardy but can be subject to the same diseases as other tropical fish. Disease is not usually a problem in a well maintained aquarium and these catfish are very resilient. The most common problem that happens to this fish are injuries from netting and transportation. If your nitrate levels are high, these catfish can develop infected barbels which makes it difficult to navigate and eat. Try to maintain nitrate levels below 20 ppm with regular water changes.

Because they are a scaleless fish, catfish can be treated with API Pimafix or API Melafix but should not be treated with potassium permanganate or copper based medications. Malachite green or Seachem ParaGuard can be used at one half to one fourth the recommended dosage. All medications should be used with caution.

Take care when treating disease because the Synodontis Ocellifer can be extremely sensitive to medications.

Click for Fish Disease Diagnosis and Treatment at Rebel Pets.