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Striped Raphael Catfish

Chocolate Catfish ~ Thorny Catfish Family: Doradidae

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Platydoras costatus

   The Striped Raphael Catfish or Chocolate Catfish has been a favorite of aquarium enthusiasts for a long time. They are very peaceful and thought to be the nicest of the Thorny Catfish!

   These are a fun fish to watch as they have a curious nature. Even though the Striped Raphael Catfish or Chocolate Catfish are nocturnal, once they are comfortable in their environment they will often spend many daytime hours exploring the aquarium.

   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 and hiding places like the hollows of roots. The Striped Raphael Catfish or Chocolate Catfish will not harm plants, though some of the smaller leaved plants may get a dusting when this catfish burrows into the sand.

   It is best to catch the Striped Raphael Catfish or Chocolate Catfish with a glass rather than a net as they are prone to sticking out their side spines in a very rigid manner when they are stressed. They can easily get caught in a net. Not only is it difficult on both the fish and you when you try to get them untangled, it is also a bit dangerous. A prick from the spines of this fish is quite painful!

   A curious fact about the Striped Raphael Catfish or Chocolate Catfish is that it also has tiny curved spines running along its body to protect it!

For more Information on keeping this fish see:
Guide to a Happy, Healthy Freshwater Aquarium

Distribution:
   The Striped Raphael Catfish or Chocolate Catfish are found in the middle Amazon region.

Size - Weight:
   They will grow to 8 1/2 inches (22 cm).

Social Behaviors:
   The Striped Raphael Catfish or Chocolate Catfish are a good community fish. They are friendy with other community tankmates.

Sexual Differences:
   Not known.

Water Region: Top, Middle, Bottom:
   These fish will swim in the bottom of the aquarium.

Acceptable Water Conditions:
   Hardness: 2-20° dGH
   Ph: 5.8 to 7.0
   Temp: 26-28° C

Breeding/Reproduction:
   The Striped Raphael Catfish or Chocolate Catfish have not reportably been bred in captivity so far.

Availability:
   The Striped Raphael Catfish or Chocolate Catfish is readily available.

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Latest Comments
I have one striped catfish in my 29g tank and I love him to death too. He is so ugly! So big paunch! I love it! This paunch. I can see my catfish only one time when he take food. Another catfish Spotted Pimelodus. He had grown to 4 inches during 3 months... and stopped :-( it seems to me it's max size. He has huge paunch too! I like it! Alex 2009-09-26
I have one striped catfish in my 10g tank and I love him to death. I have had him for about a month now and he seems to be doing pretty well. I have noticed he only comes out at night when I throw in the food right before I go to bed. Along with him I have 3 zebra danios (1 glolight), a bamboo shrimp, 1 rainbow shark, a banjo cat, a clown pleco, and a red marble bushy nose pleco. I find it rather funny because as soon as I threw him in he went straight for the ship. He has gotten along great with all of the fish especially the shark. They seem to share the ship that I have in there, which I find rather awesome. He has not harmed any other fish in the tank which enlightens me. I can't wait to get my bigger tank, hoping a 55g, so I can purchase another one. These fish are truly awesome and I thank everyone for their input on these awesome fish! Bryan 2009-05-31
I have 2 striped raphael catfish and they are awesome! They have very different personalities, like one hides in his shell cave and the other swims actively around the tank. They are a new addition to my 20 gallon tank with 4 guppies and soon some angelfish. they are very peaceful and shy and have a funny face when they stare at me. I would recommend that in order to keep this fish, have a large tank and have another one for company. Justin 2009-04-08
We have had our catfish for about a month! He just sits on the bottom and doesn't move very much unless he's moving to the other side of our 40gallon tank. We never really see him eating, and he always clings to the big rocks we have in the tank! Paige,Tina,Tim, and Tyler 2009-03-07
hi! I have 2 raphael catfish, and it's my favorite! it's starting to grow! As you all said, I thought it was dead for a couple of times, so when I tried to take him out of the fish tank it started swimming. Also, my one of them went though a bad disease that killed a few of my fish, :( First they all started getting white dots but I really didnt put attention to that, days after that one by one started dying except this raphael. The little guy was full of white dots! I was so worried I put alot of stuff that they gave me in the store. After a few days the fish that survived were doing better and I was scared of this raphael to be dead. But when I looked at him all those white spots disappeared!! and it's still living! Well, I just wanna say that if you start watching your fish scratching against rocks and getting white spots, go to the store really fast and buy super itch right away or your fish will start to die. So watch you fish! vars 2009-02-24
Some of the coolest comments:
I have had one of these guys nearly a year now. He's living with two Oscars, a 14 inch silver arowana and some others, and they get along great! I researched this guy when I got him and heard loads of reports of people not seeing their guy for months, or coming out only in the dark, or even appearing dead! But my guy must be the exception to the rule, he's constantly out in the open even though he has ton's of caves and hideouts. He likes the company of other fish and seems to enjoy the company of a huge albino african clawed frog I have in particular! As far as foods concerned, this fish is an underwater hoover! Be careful not to overfeed, and be sure to give them a day off the food weekly, or you'll see him getting very fat indeed! Mine is about 6 inches now and growing fast! Anything you put into the tank that gets near the bottom will be eaten, but a variety of high quality protein foods is the way to go if you want him to thrive. I love this fish, so much so I got another three for company for my guy today! You may or may not see this guy very often, but it's definitely worth it when you do :) Greg Dorney 2009-09-07
I have two striped raphael catfish. Have had them for almost seven years. Most memorial snipet about them was two years ago. I thought they were MIA until I completely removed everything in the tank to move to a new house. Wow, they had been hidden under a rock formation I made for that purpose. They had grown something larger than I would have expected (i.e. 5 inches). To enjoy them more I've lighten up on having too many large rocks. Miquel 2009-03-07
Comments Dr Jungle REALLY Likes to Hear!
After seeing all the comments on this cat I needed to add my experience. I also experienced the small fish vanishing along with smaller cats. They would make it until the lights out, then gone. I have had my cat for about 12 years now. He had a habit of getting stuck in a rock and not moving for years at a time. During a move once, I lifted the rock with the cat in it and when he hit open air he barked like a frog...LOUD. Now I know any time he hits the air he yells out. I introduced a 7" ghost fish 6 years ago. At first I thought they were at odds, but I soon realized it was true love. The ghost would bring shrimp pellets to the cat to eat so he would not need to leave his hole. Sometimes I must try to shake him out to be sure he does not grow to become stuck in there. JHSAILS 2007-01-06
thanks for the info from all who have posted. I have recently bought my chocolate catfish and thought that it was poorly because of its bizarre patterns. There have been a number of times I thought it was dead! I worried that it didn`t seem to eat too well but you have allied my fears. I hope mine will last as long as some of the stories ive read chris howard 2005-01-27

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Author: David Brough. CFS.