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Asian Red tailed catfish

Posted: 04 Dec 2005, 22:39
by GTS
OK guys I was thinking about putting one of these in my 250 gallon tank.I have heard about there immense reputaion. I just want to hear any and all experinces that you guys have had with them. How active are they? Do they really live up to their aggresive reputation? How large do they get?(Do they reach full length in aquaria?)

Posted: 04 Dec 2005, 22:44
by declan
i dont have one of those catfish but they do grow very large (80 inches/200cm), they won't stop growing even if put them in a small aquarium. i suggest a very large display aquarium as they do live up to their reputation(one guy has a two footer)

Posted: 04 Dec 2005, 22:51
by GTS
80" even in home aquaria? I thought they get around 32" in home aquaria...

Posted: 04 Dec 2005, 22:55
by declan
these fish don't stop growing even if kept in a small aquarium. at the pet shop they might be small and cute they all reach full size!

Posted: 04 Dec 2005, 23:29
by Shane
http://www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/ba ... r/19_F.PHP

38 inches (about a meter) seems to be the maximum size.
-Shane

Posted: 04 Dec 2005, 23:47
by declan
ohh i tought it grew bigger, anyway thats what my petshop owner told me, he said they get 80 inches. there is a member with a 2 footer

Posted: 05 Dec 2005, 09:54
by MatsP
GTS wrote:80" even in home aquaria? I thought they get around 32" in home aquaria...
Why in the H*** would a fish grow smaller because it's in a home aquaria than somewhere else? Well, I can tell you why: Because it's not getting the right care, and that's a pretty poor reason for saying that it doesn't get bigger than X.

Now, in this case, it may be entirely correct that these fish don't grow larger than around 30-40 inches, but there's no reason why any particular fish would be growing smaller in a home aquarium than it would out in nature.

--
Mats

Posted: 05 Dec 2005, 14:28
by GTS
You know I was told that if I asked this question about thier max size in home aquaria on this site that I might get flamed. Keep the flaming up guys. The more you do it the more your reputation around the web grows..


I'll just ask this question on another forum where people wont flame me through pm's and such.

I'm done with this topic and this site.

Posted: 05 Dec 2005, 15:22
by MatsP
Try having a look at the following links:
http://www.planetcatfish.com/forum/view ... hp?t=12468
http://www.planetcatfish.com/forum/view ... hp?t=11058
http://www.planetcatfish.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2637
http://www.planetcatfish.com/forum/view ... hp?t=13510

I think anyone asking for "max size in (home) aquaria" deserves anything coming. Doesn't mean that I won't give decent answers to other useful questions, but I think anyone who DOESN'T believe that size is to do with genetics and not location would require a attitude change. Although a 250 gallon (~1000 liter) tank is LARGE, it's not even close to coping with a fish that grows to nearly (over?) a meter long. You'd be looking at something that is SIGNIFICANTLY larger than that, something along the lines of 2-4000 gallon, depending on how strictly you follow the 4L x 2L x 2L guideline. 4m x 2m x 2m => 16000 liter -> 4000+ gallon.

I don't know what's better - a forum where you ask this type of question and get a "flame" answer, or one where the replies aren't guiding you to avoid getting really large fish - unless of course you have the financial and other required means to supply the care for the fish. Which you may well have. In which case, good on you. But a 250 gallon tank, even with the best replies from any forum, will NOT support a fish that grows WELL OVER 2 feet long.

Enough said from me.

--
Mats

Posted: 05 Dec 2005, 20:40
by nolan
I have one point here :
Why do people have to mount their high horses over fish size, tank size etc. If you cant give advice with being an a-hole then dont bother because quite honestly your only making a fool out of your self!.

I already have 3 people talking to me through private messaging for answers relating to there big catfish as they are fed up with the way they get treated.

If the person cares enough to ask about their potential new purchase then obiviously they care enough to house it properly.

As for the orginal question relating to the fish then expect it too reach around a meter in length meaning a tropical pond will be a cheaper alternative to keeping an adult than a tank, but dont house this fish with any tank mates as they will get killed.