shovelnose catfish

Question
My shovelnose is about 10 inches long and  i've had him for about 6 months all was well till couple days ago I noticed his wiskers looked broken and he swims near the top. He lives by himself in a 30 gallon tank and gets the best attention.  

Answer
Hi Marge;

I would immediately make a partial water change. He may have injured himself and is trying to recover. The clean water will help his immunity to hopefully avoid infection. Watch for signs of further trouble. If it looks as if he developing redness or fungus, he may need medication.

Shovelnose cats need lots of room to satisfy their energy level and huge size. They are nervous jumpers and will sometimes try to escape by slamming themselves against the lid and sides. The recommended tank minimum size is 150 to 200  gallons. I had one in a 240 and he still bashed himself against the top, one day breaking his nose upward. The bent shape was permanent but he healed eventually and was just fine. Here are some web pages about them;

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?pCatId=932
http://www.scotcat.com/factsheets/sorubim_lima.htm
http://fish.mongabay.com/species/Sorubim_lima.html

I hope yours feels better soon....

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins