Schilbe intermedius (grasscutter catfish)

[katschamne]

How long do these guys live for? I have had mine for 13 years. He gets along with everyone and I have a very aggressive tank. I don't see them too often around here but I saw one the other day at a LFS but it had ich. They have had it for awhile and I was about to get it but then I noticed the ich. It is about 8 inches (about 20cm). How can you sex them too? I never thought about it but just wondering. Thanks

[Richard B]

Have you seen the cat-e-log page http://www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/sp ... cies_id=59 ?

it shows a pair & then shots of individual male & female -useful to distiguish although they might have to be bigger than your to be sexually mature(?)

I would imagine this species could live 20+ years but it is not often kept so you could maybe provide useful info

[Chrysichthys]

I saw one the other day at a LFS but it had ich. They have had it for awhile and I was about to get it but then I noticed the ich

I once saw some which arrived at the LFS with ich. LFS tried to cure it with two or three ich remedies sequentially with no success, and in the end they all died. I don't know why the medication didn't work.

[sidguppy]

I kept this fish years ago and have the same experience

an easy to keep fish, low on demand, but if it gets sick, it's a goner.
mine had import-itch on arrival and I lost a few. no medication seemed to work.
I had to resort to some pretty gruesome methods, like stone-age medications, loads of salt and temperatures up to 30'C.


males and females are easy to spot. females get obese and males are darker, the dorsal fin is quite pointy and the nasal barbels are thicker.
Also, when they get frisky, males have a visible papilla right in front of the anal fin. it's not as obvious as, say, an Auchenipterid, but definitely as visible as on a Synodontis.
but closer to the anal fin than a syno.
the place of that papilla is almost the same as with Parauchenipterus galeatus (don't ask me the new name, I mean the driftwood Cat, but I'm rusty)

I used to have 8 and they were visible ALL DAY. just hanging in the middle of the tank waving a bit in the current. they really like a bit of current. fun fish.

the 1 drawback is their gluttony. they can and do manage to starve less competitive tankmates to death, wich I found out with 2 halfgrown Sorubim lima. I had to trade these, cause they were no match for 8 Grasscutters.
and they also can and do eat tankmambers right up to 1/3 of their own size (!!). you expect this of a fish like Chaca or pseudopimelodus.
not these goofy-type fish. but they do.
mine had no trouble at all swallowing 8cm/3" Labeotropheus fuelleborni when 20-22cm/8-9" at all.......

[katschamne]

Well I thought I would up date my post. I now have had this fish for 16 years and it is doing great. He is the only Schilbe intermedius in my tank but he does school with two other catfish in the tank, a sunspot and a Four-lined Pimodella.

As far as having ick in my home aquarium I have never had a problem. We have always run a 25 watt UV sterilizer on tank. I think that it is worth it's weight in gold in my opinion.

[Viktor Jarikov]

I've had a pair for 1/2 year. Nice fish, easy, eats all, visible, fun, with personality.

I once saw some which arrived at the LFS with ich. LFS tried to cure it with two or three ich remedies sequentially with no success, and in the end they all died. I don't know why the medication didn't work.

but if it gets sick, it's a goner.
mine had import-itch on arrival and I lost a few. no medication seemed to work. I had to resort to some pretty gruesome methods, like stone-age medications, loads of salt and temperatures up to 30'C.

Wow! Good to know.

I used to have 8 and they were visible ALL DAY. just hanging in the middle of the tank waving a bit in the current. they really like a bit of current. fun fish.

yep, yep, yep. they school with my burmese sun cats, S. limas (or elongatus), etc.

the 1 drawback is their gluttony. they can and do manage to starve less competitive tankmates to death, wich I found out with 2 halfgrown Sorubim lima. I had to trade these, cause they were no match for 8 Grasscutters.

Never experienced it but can see that where Alex is coming from.

and they also can and do eat tankmambers right up to 1/3 of their own size (!!). you expect this of a fish like Chaca or pseudopimelodus. not these goofy-type fish. but they do. mine had no trouble at all swallowing 8cm/3" Labeotropheus fuelleborni when 20-22cm/8-9" at all.......

Wow! Really! Double good to know! Totally unexpected for me although I was always amazed how they can stuff that little stomach - that body part looks like it's made of the stretchiest rubber...

Well I thought I would up date my post.

You are the very opposite of me! So commendably reserved it is down right unbelievable. When you say things, we really should listen

I now have had this fish for 16 years and it is doing great.

Would you please share the pics and the size (and the tank size)? Perhaps you can help improve Cat-eLog. Pretty please?

We have always run a 25 watt UV sterilizer on tank. I think that it is worth it's weight in gold in my opinion.

Excellent idea.