Aquarist Notes

Genetic Line:   Aquarium Strain

Year Acquired:   2022

I acquired 3 of these as juveniles from a generous fish keeper in eastern Massachusetts. Those 3 are still doing well as of July, 2024. Fish are housed in a "15 gal" 12"x12"x14" glass tank. Some other notes... pages I read by other keepers on catfish forums suggested that wood is an essential component for the diet of these fish, and I included wood in my aquarium (the kind you'd purchase at fish stores that already sinks), but I have never seen these fish chew on that wood, and I have never even seen them simply resting on it. Of course they may do it late at night. However, most kinds of lightly cooked vegetables are eagerly devoured. Zucchini / summer squash, cooked beans, kale especially, cooked peas are all consumed. I should note that there really is no algae available in their tank for them to eat. Tank is furnished with live plants - mostly aquatic moss and Süsswassertang / Lomariopsis lineata. Temp is kept just under 80F. Other tank inhabitants are cherry shrimp and many "black panda" variety guppies which breed well in the same tank. These guppies also share an affinity for cooked vegetables. Typical small aquatic snails are also present. The L397's are very much attached to some rock work caves that I made with some naturally aged slate with smooth edges - as far as I can tell they only stay in and around their caves - I have never seen them in any other part of the aquarium, though again, they may roam at night. These fish have not spawned for me, but they may not be mature yet... one is substantially larger than the other two... all have grown in the 18 months or so I've had them. These fish are generally shy during the daytime or when the tank light is on, though they have become less shy in recent months. Good food that they enjoy (kale) is likely to bring them out even with the lights on. They are still skittish when I approach the tank to watch them feed.