Please read!

TheFishGuy · Post by **TheFishGuy** » 29 Jul 2007, 01:50

Hi everyone!

Please check out the featured article on our website http://www.monsterfishrescue.com It's about Frankie a rescued stunted South American Red tail catish.

Thanks for looking!
TFG

YouTube · Post by **Jools** » 29 Jul 2007, 08:02

That's great that you've brought the fish back to life and the photos tell a good picture. However, if you got the fish in April, isn't it too early to be sure the fish is permanently stunted?

In fact, wouldn't it be worth keeping the fish on for a year or so to research that?

Jools

TheFishGuy · Post by **TheFishGuy** » 29 Jul 2007, 15:47

We'll have had him for four months on Aug 4th. After eating 4-6 6" bluegill a week for the past three months and only growing an inch.... He's stunted. Not to mention that inch is what has grown back on his caudal fin.... and the fact he's as old as he is... he's stunted.

YouTube · Post by **Jools** » 29 Jul 2007, 15:58

I'm not sure you can say that for sure.

I rescued a gibbiceps from a tank and he was maybe about 3" long, wasn't being watre changed and was kept at about 90F due to neglect of heater/stat too! Although got a much fatter, didn't really grow much in a medium sized tank over the next 8 months. Three years ago I gave the fish to a friend for their 6x2x2 show tank. The fish is now over a foot long.

I'm not saying this fish is definitely going to grow again, just that, in my experience, four months might be too short a time to judge that condition given a hardy fish that lives for decades.

Jools

TheFishGuy · Post by **TheFishGuy** » 30 Jul 2007, 01:57

True, at any rate hopefully it doesn't matter! There's someone interested with an indoor pond that's plenty big enough!

taksan · Post by **taksan** » 02 Aug 2007, 01:05

If he's 22" at 6 years old he's definitely stunted.

In perfect conditions you can grow RTC's to 36"+ in 18 months.

Then they eat everything with laguna pumps being a favorite.

fmueller · Post by **fmueller** » 14 Aug 2007, 19:19

At any rate, seems like a good thing what you are doing. You might also want to try the Ohio Cichlid Association forum (http://www.freeboards.net/?mforum=ohiocichlid) if you have another large fish to place. There are plenty of people on that forum with large tanks!

Frank

TheFishGuy · Post by **TheFishGuy** » 15 Aug 2007, 01:17

Thanks

DAWN · Post by **DAWN** » 15 Aug 2007, 12:54

Hi, What a lovely fish and story, we had a shovel-nose that was kept in a 6ft tank along with a sting-ray. But unfortunately, had to part with him as he was getting far too big