How realistic is it to keep a Red Tail Catfish?

Sara1210 · Post by **Sara1210** » 17 Feb 2012, 23:17

I've been reading up about them and am fully aware of there size etc but I was just wondering if anyone on here has one and how old it is, what size, what size tank? Etc etc...

I've fell in love with them and would love to get one but wanted to make sure I'm 100% sure of all its needs first.

Any input would be really appreciated.

racoll · Post by **racoll** » 17 Feb 2012, 23:45

what size tank?

I'm afraid aquariums are a big no-no for the and similar big cats.

Unless you are a millionaire, no tank is big enough, and you will need to build an indoor, heated pond.

Here's an idea of what'd be required.

MatsP · Post by **MatsP** » 17 Feb 2012, 23:56

There is a chap in Canada that is a member here that has a 52000 gallon tank with a couple of red-tailed cats. Unfortunately, most of us don't have the resources to build this sort of aquarium (or pond) - or even the smaller one, which is 15000 gallon. If we follow the "guideline for aquarium size" of 4L x 2L x 2L, where L is the length of the fish, and the red tail grows to 5ft, we end up with a size of 20ft x 10ft x 10ft, which is around 15000 gallon. Also, bear in mind that they do live for a LONG time (assuming they are looked after properly, of course).

Here's a video:

[Racoll just answered something very similar].

--
Mats

TheFishGuy · Post by **TheFishGuy** » 18 Feb 2012, 13:43

Realistic? It is realistic if you have the resources. Sure a 52k gallon tank is great but not realistic to most people. 2000 gallon round stock tanks are a good thing to start with. Filtration should be powerful and reliable as water quality is a must. An automatic water changer would be ideal too. The returns for the filtration should return back to the stock tank in order to make a circular current. Make sense? Do a search on the net for round stock tanks. One important thing is some sort of lid to keep the guy in...

They are very cute when small, as most things are.... But then they grow. Visit your local aquarium or zoo and enjoy them there, bring your video camera and go on a day when its not busy... Burn your video to DVD and run it on a loop on your wall hanging flat screen... Even if you were to buy all that equipment new you'd spend less that what you would spend on a lifetime of care for a RTC or TSN.

Please do not give in to the pet stores and you want for a cute little catfish!

Do more research...

Just say no...

Don't go out and get a 75 gallon to start with and plan to build something later...

LIFE'S WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU'RE MAKING OTHER PLANS!!!!!

Sara1210 · Post by **Sara1210** » 18 Feb 2012, 14:23

Yeah thanks for your advice I think its probably best to just love the RTC from afar. But thank you all

Scleropages · Post by **Scleropages** » 18 Feb 2012, 18:22

Sara, I applaud your inquiry regarding the SA red tailed cat. A lot of hobbyists would have saved themselves and their RTCs a lot of trouble if they had the foresight to do what you did with this thread.

Viktor Jarikov · Post by **Viktor Jarikov** » 19 Feb 2012, 02:51

http://www.planetcatfish.com/forum/view ... =+red+tail
http://www.planetcatfish.com/forum/view ... =+red+tail
http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forum ... Catfish%29
http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forum ... er-Catfish!
http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forum ... nformation

also can ask Taksan here on PlanetCatfish - he had kept a pair in a 15,000 gal pond for 27 years...

I am of the mindset that it can be done and even done on the modest budget but one will have to make sacrifices and learn lots of stuff along the way. It is, when done right and with good luck along the long way, a very long commitment - 2-3 times longer than owning a cat or a dog.

2000 gal will last you at least several years if not longer, IMHO. Very few RTCs hit 5 foot mark. Most stop growing at around 4', at least length wise. But the more mass (not necessarily length) they put on, the more they eat and the better and better filtration you will have to provide.

I've had many : http://www.planetcatfish.com/forum/view ... et+catfish
...but lost them all: http://www.planetcatfish.com/forum/view ... hilit=+RTC

If you want experience-based advising (will need to filter out and weed out a lot of immature fluff) - MFK is your better source, IMHO. As you can see from this one of my threads, very few people here on PCF keep or ever kept an RTC and many of those that do/did, are barely active/inactive. http://www.planetcatfish.com/forum/view ... hilit=+RTC

Generally speaking, I consider PCF the most competent and reliable of similar forums that are in existence. No one is perfect, of course.

How realistic is it to keep a Red Tail Catfish?

How realistic is it to keep a Red Tail Catfish?

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