They will hunt and eat any fish small enough to fit into their mouth that they are kept with. Otherwise, they are a solitary fish that will generally not bother other tank mates. The Channel Catfish is fun to watch because it likes to dig into the gravel, which can sometimes make a mess. Their environment should not have any sharp features, since the Channel Catfish will be likely to cut itself while digging around. Channel Catfish should have course gravel as a substrate, as dirt or finer particles will make their tank murky from the constant digging.
Live plants are acceptable as long as they can withstand the constant digging.
They should also have plenty of hiding places. Like other Catfish, Channel Catfish are mostly active at night and their tank should have low lighting levels. The Channel Catfish is a large fish and at maturity will reach a size of 12 inches. It has a depressed head, with large protruding eyes. Channel Catfish have varying colors, from albino to dark gray.