Banjo is an adventure-seeking cat who enjoys living an idyllic life with his family until the allure of adventure calls him out into the bustling city. On his travels there, he learns invaluable lessons about family, friendship and home.
Nancy and Juve immediately fell for Banjo when they met him at Best Friends. Taking him in as their foster, Banjo quickly made himself at home in his foster family’s home.
Characteristics
Banjo catfish are scavengers with highly keratinized skin that’s rough to touch, found throughout the Orinoco Delta waters in both freshwater and brackish environments. Members of Siluriformes order, they include 43 species with base colors ranging from medium brown to light brown while their heads and dorsolateral bodies feature darker pigmentation.
Wild banjo catfishes may reach six inches. When kept as tankmates, these peaceful, peaceful species such as corydoras, hatchetfish and small tetras should be kept. Other suitable companions could include angelfish or guppies with peaceful, non-aggressive dispositions like angelfish and guppies; aggressive or large species or invertebrates like snails should not be housed with them.
As soon as Banjo arrived at Best Friends for his initial assessment, it became apparent that he would lead an exciting life filled with love and adventure. From his cowboy hat and bandana attire to his memorable name and friendly disposition – Banjo exuded confidence while exuding charm.
Nancy and Juve immediately knew Banjo belonged in their family from the moment they met him, regardless of age or FIV status. From day one they pledged their affection and that is exactly what has happened!
They brought Banjo into their foster home, where he immediately settled right in. He spent his days occupying an important spot by the window watching passers-by and intimidating any dogs that try to approach too closely (once a sheriff, always a sheriff!). At nightfall he would retreat into aquarium sand or another hiding spot until bedtime arrived.
Banjo’s new owners have been very generous with their time and care in providing him with a secure home environment, complete with three female singing cats named Emily, Jean, and Crazy Legs as companions. While Banjo misses his former companions from time to time, he remains content in his new life and looks forward to meeting up again some day!
Habitat
The banjo catfish is an interesting species worth keeping in an aquarium. It derives its name from its unique flat rounded head and narrow tail fin, which resemble the body of a banjo instrument. Although not very fast moving fish, most of its time is spent submerged within the substrate where it feeds on algae, small invertebrates, detritus etc.
Banjo catfish live in bodies of water such as rivers, lakes, ponds, and creeks in Uruguay, Bolivia, Peru and Southeast Brazil. Aquarium hobbyists frequently keep them as they don’t require extremely large volume tanks and their hardiness allows for low quality water conditions to thrive in them.
Banjo catfish should only be kept captive with similar species or members of its own genus, as they tend to hide when threatened and tend to retreat when scared. When kept with other fish species it is essential that hiding spaces be provided so as to prevent bullying or fights between individuals in an aquarium.
Banjo catfishes are nocturnal fish, feeding at night. While most types of commercial flakes, pellets and live food will suffice, offering occasional live foods such as bloodworms, brine shrimp or daphnia could supplement their diet and mimic natural feeding behavior more closely – this may help reenact its natural feeding behavior more closely.
Like many catfish species, banjos are opportunistic feeders and will eat almost anything that comes their way, including decaying plant matter and the eggs of other catfish (particularly females of subfamily Aspredininae ). Females in this subfamily usually carry around their eggs until they hatch, then swallow them whole once hatched.
Most banjo catfish species exhibit some sexual dimorphism, with mature females appearing fuller and larger than males and displaying darker coloring; however, identification of gender can often be challenging in many species.
Feeding
Banjo catfish are opportunistic feeders, feeding on various organic materials and small invertebrates in captivity. When kept as pets, these fish should be offered live or frozen foods like bloodworms and brine shrimp as well as frozen or live food such as bloodworms and pellets to supplement their diet of algae, decayed plant matter, decaying plant matter or decaying organic matter – they will typically remain hidden during the day only emerging at nighttime to feed on these offerings! Since Banjo catfish prefer hiding during daytime hours only emerging at night for feedings it is crucial that aquarium owners provide suitable hideaway spots.
Although these fish may appear solitary, they can coexist peacefully with other peaceful fish species of the same size and even tolerate those from different genera; it is recommended to place them with tank mates that occupy lower regions of water column to prevent possible fin-nipping or aggression incidents.
Optics prefer slightly acidic to neutral water conditions; they will generally thrive between 6.5 and 7.5 pH with 5-15dGH of GH content, making water renewal at up to 20% essential to maintaining an ideal environment.
Aquarium tanks should be furnished with driftwood, rocks, dried leaf litter (such as Indian almond leaves) and caves to recreate a natural habitat for your aquatic friends. Doing this will allow them to find safe spots where they feel secure – however it would also be prudent to provide non-abrasive substrate such as soft sand or fine gravel that won’t cause as much friction than alternative surfaces would.
Fish with this profile tend to bury themselves in the substrate when not hunting for food, scratching their gills on sharper or coarser materials and scratching themselves on any sharp surfaces that poke through it. They’re generally bottom dwellers so having some type of substrate covering will assist them with searching for food and burrowing; covering it with some moss adds visual interest as it helps the fish blend in with fallen leaf litter to avoid detection from predators – though typically found alone or sometimes found in groups of two or three fish together in an aquarium environment.
Breeding
Banjo cats (Bunocephalus coracoideus), more commonly referred to as Eel tailed Banjo Catfish, are peaceful, unique aquarium fish which can quickly adapt to different tank conditions. Though shy by nature, these unusual aquarium species prefer being partially hidden during the day before emerging at night for foraging activities. Bloodworms or sinking pellets work best as food sources while live food can also be introduced. Ideally kept in tanks of around 25 gallons with sandy substrate that mimics riverbed conditions from where these native fish originate.
These fish will benefit from adding driftwood and roots as well as artificial plant life to help camouflage and make themselves feel more at home in their environment. Dried leaf litter from Terminalia catappa or dried Indian almond leaves can be used in an aquarium to simulate their natural habitat – just make sure that it’s nontoxic! Hiding spots such as caves or smooth rocks should also be provided.
These fish will spawn in captivity, although this is not advised due to the sheer volume of eggs laid at once. While the eggs can be removed from glass surfaces and fertilised using small quantities of tank water, it is better for the eggs to hatch out naturally in their natural environments where competition for food might arise and some assistance might be required in starting up again. Once born, fry may need separating and help getting established before growing into adults.
Banjo cats make fascinating additions to aquariums and make great conversation pieces for anyone that sees one. Easy to care for and adaptable to most conditions as long as the water remains clean, they require ample hiding spaces since they tend to spend their time exploring the substrate and foraging for food sources – especially as slow-moving scavengers they can even be taught to eat live food!