Catfish Bonanza

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
Mystus Redtail;1333621; said:
So cliff, I'm wondering if, all in all, you are happy with that 1100 gallon pond, I'm really considering going the same way in the next 8 months and I'm wondering how you would rate it? I know you're working on a new pond, but are you going to keep the 1100 going?
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I rate it a 6 out of 10 for my situation. Maybe I just got a crappy one, but it leaks like crazy. I did a test filll when I first got it and it leaked. So I drained it found the leak and fixed it. Added a internal filter and bam leaks again. So again drain it and patch it and refill it. There were no holes just that when it would get scrapped it will leak and water will build up after a while. I tried adding sand hoping that tiny debris would fill any holes, well leaks worse. Stopped leaking for a while, I added rocks. 2 weeks later leaking again. Been leaking continously for 3 months now. Catfish punched a hole in the side one time and I had to patch that. It's just too aggrevating for me, but there's other members who say they never have a problem, but with all the problems I have fixed I could have built the new pond by now. So I am giving up on making it stop leaking and just building the bigger pond. I have the plans, most of the lumber is free, and I have help. So just time to get started! lol. I say just make sure you are really carefull and you could make it last a year or two probably. I can't tear it down to repatch it ever week or two so it's just gonna leak until the big one is finished. You may want to talk to other's about theirs as mine could just be a bad one, or one that sat in storage at a store for a few years and got dry rotted a little. Over all it works for the purpose of keeping fish, but IMO it's not the answer.
 
That's what I was afraid of, the deal did sound a little too good to be true. How big is the new one going to be? And how long do you think it will take?
 
Gonna take a lil while I would imagine since I will be doing most of the work myself. Going to seal the inside with sweetwater epoxy after doing some fiberglass. Only doing like one coat of fiber glass and like 4 coats of epoxy, plus there will be a 5.5'x2.5' viewing window. The tank as of right now will be 14' x 10' x 3.5' Those are the outside dimensions the internal dimensions will be more like 13' x 9' x 3' The filter will be
10' x 3' x 3.5' sealed the same way as the tank at the same height as the tank. The filter will have a bottom drain that will provide gravity upflow hopefully keeping the bottom a lil cleaner. It will also have one overflow. The filter will be in two sections at the end of the tank. They both will have an upflow into the first chamber, which will be a settling chamber, after it flows up through that chamber it will overflow through poly batting into the drip tray. The drip tray will have a section under each that will be roughly 2' x 3' x 3.5' of wetdry pot scrubbies. Then it will flow into the basin where the pump will push the water back into the tank. That's pretty much it. It will also be insulated like house walls, and have a big sturdy lid with plenty of cross bracing.
 
Haven't been on the boards lately that much but just reviewed your thread man. Really sorry to hear about the Jau, I will do my best to track you down another one because shortly after xmas I'm going on a rare catfish binge I think and I just might know someone able to find one...

In other news have you heard back from Dre yet about that fish you and I were looking for? I haven't heard anything from him in about a month and a half after I was told that the collectors were busy finding us some...just curious. I'm going to email him again later this week to find out what the deal is. Also some interesting pangasius news if you're interested pm me about that.

Lastly, with regards to the pond, I think you might have just gotten a "lemon." Mine was leak tested with various stages of water when I first set it up and no problems. Added 300lbs of pool filter sand and large driftwood pieces, still no problems. Fish have been in there for 6 months or more including several fish in the 2ft range (catfish) and still no leaks of any kind (knock on wood) I wouldn't rate it as the best setup by any stretch of the imagination but it gets the job done. Aesthetically pleasing, certainly not; functional, absolutely. I to plan on building a larger/better pond in the future but my means are at the limit on space right now so mine will have to wait. I'm looking forward to a full how to write up on your new pond and glad to hear that all your others are recovering from their "winter" Let it be known also now that apparently some of those SA cats are a little more cold hardy than most have thought; not necessarily long term but that temp is significanlty lower than any they would have encountered otherwise by 10 degrees or more probably and they survived. I will be breaking my pond down in the next week for some major maintence per se and it will be down for about 2 weeks. Hopefully if all goes as planned the fish will be enjoying a 2 week stay all expenses paid at "key promotional music" the dallas world aquarium! I have been talking with the owner/head of the aquarium and I think they have the space to house them for me while I rework the pond. It should be a good time to get some accurate measurements both length and weight on some of my bigger shovelnose.

Props on the growth of your little hyrbid, I'm toiling with the idea of investing in another one but I just don't want to get another and have it spotaneously die on me like the last one within a few days...also those niger x tsn hyrbids have been catching my eye lately and they don't seem to be plagued by the same sudden death that the marble x rtc's are... Those limas are looking great! ~Trent
 
nice catfish i just read this whole thread im sorry about your jau thats was an amazing looking catfish. what happend to your little rtc you got. the second one?
 
Ben_Jam_In;1338057; said:
nice catfish i just read this whole thread im sorry about your jau thats was an amazing looking catfish. what happend to your little rtc you got. the second one?
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My wife happened to that one. She unplugged the tank I had him in while I was out at work, and hmm, for some reason she didn't realize that my fish might need filtration and air. So long story short he was almost a skeleton when I got home after a 5 day tour of duty.

Tnx for all the great comments guys. Trent there's someone working on the one you want the most right now. I'll keep you updated if I am able to get anything. I appreciate the heads up on the possible jaus. I am definitely pocketing some money for one just in case so that I can pounce on it.
 
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