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Questions on Irwini Catfish Care

What's ABbC?

If it is a properly sized LFS display tank, then we are back to the pre-arranged "pass your grow-out to a friend" scenario. If it is offered for sale, the fish may end up in less than humane keeping - hence, such risks cannot be a part of the initial plan whether or not to buy the fish... I'd imagine.
 
divemaster99 said:
Oh sorry I was abbreviating wrong, I have no idea where PL was coming from now that I think about it. No but I actually am still contemplating the idea of an irwini and if I can find somebody with a backup tank for him I will more than likely get one. I did say on another thread that one of my friends works at my LFS and I text with him about our tanks a lot, when I almost got rid of my ABbC he offered to buy it off me for his tank not just take it back to the store. I know he has a TON of huge tanks the irwini could always go into (about 2 out of every 3 are saltwater though).
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You know what, I go back and forth on the issue of buying pets that you already know that you might not be able to keep to full growth. One day I think it's just plain wrong and selfish and then the next day I think I was being anal and unrealistic.

I sort of draw the line when a person knows they don't want the fish past a certain size and has no idea what they'll do with at that point. To them euthanasia or the local pond are already part of what ever limited plans they might have.

Ok, so you've done some research, understand the implications and have a reasonable plan on how to handle it if you can't get a bigger tank. Today that sounds ok to me. IMO, you've already agonized over the decision more than most and you've already got a plan. No one knows the future, and really, it's just as likely that you'll become attached and figure out how to get a bigger tank when it's needed.

They are very unusual and entertaining pets.
 
Drstrangelove said:
You know what, I go back and forth on the issue of buying pets that you already know that you might not be able to keep to full growth. One day I think it's just plain wrong and selfish and then the next day I think I was being anal and unrealistic.

Ok, so you've done some research, understand the implications and have a reasonable plan on how to handle it if you can't get a bigger tank. Today that sounds ok to me. IMO, you've already agonized over the decision more than most and you've already got a plan. No one knows the future, and really, it's just as likely that you'll become attached and figure out how to get a bigger tank when it's needed.

They are very unusual and entertaining pets.
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that about sums up the way I have been thinking.
 
thebiggerthebetter said:
What's ABbC?

If it is a properly sized LFS display tank, then we are back to the pre-arranged "pass your grow-out to a friend" scenario. If it is offered for sale, the fish may end up in less than humane keeping - hence, such risks cannot be a part of the initial plan whether or not to buy the fish... I'd imagine.
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abbc = asian bumblebee catfish

my LFS sort of has a thing (the don't tell customers that are buying not selling) they will overprice the display fish to have a better chance of keeping one. For example they have a 14" display achara for $120. Plus if I sell the fish back it will probably be in the 14-16" range and I doubt anyone with half a brain would buy a large, expensive "agro-looking", thorny, catfish for their kids 20 gallon.
 
its funny how i stumbled upon this thread in my research regarding these beautiful catfishes. i have the same issue! hehe

Well, i already have an irwini reserved to me by a friend, for now its in a farm somewhere here, il be getting it on saturday. It's only 5 inches at the moment and i plan on growing it out in my 75 together with my upperjaw bichirs. It'll probably stay there for a year, a year and a half tops. Once Stimpy, my gulper cat, grows a bit, im planning on transferring him to a 200 gallon tank hopefully by next year. Im going to transfer the irwini there as well together with my gulper and this one huge raphael that i've got. So yeah, we basically have the same plan. Hope everything works out, as these catfishes sure are awesome. The gulper's current tank will probably house a jaguar cat and my bumblebee jelly cat soon
 
ericmagnus said:
its funny how i stumbled upon this thread in my research regarding these beautiful catfishes. i have the same issue! hehe

Well, i already have an irwini reserved to me by a friend, for now its in a farm somewhere here, il be getting it on saturday. It's only 5 inches at the moment and i plan on growing it out in my 75 together with my upperjaw bichirs. It'll probably stay there for a year, a year and a half tops. Once Stimpy, my gulper cat, grows a bit, im planning on transferring him to a 200 gallon tank hopefully by next year. Im going to transfer the irwini there as well together with my gulper and this one huge raphael that i've got. So yeah, we basically have the same plan. Hope everything works out, as these catfishes sure are awesome. The gulper's current tank will probably house a jaguar cat and my bumblebee jelly cat soon
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Good luck with yours man! I've pretty much abandoned the idea of getting one since I don't want it to outgrow my tank to quickly then I don't have the 180 ready and have to sell him/her. Plus I'm not even sure whether my 180 will be tropical or not.
 
Thats too bad man. You must have really wanted one before huh. Well, we got all our lives dedicated to keeping these wonderful fishes as pets, sooner or later you'll get a shot at that irwini. :)

And on that note, i do hope a single irwini, a gulper, and a raph would be okay in a 200.
 
I am sure you know what gulpers are capable of. Raph would be in peril with a comparably sized gulper, I think. Irwini has a chance because it grows bigger. I'd think a 1.5' irwini would be ok with an adult gulper.
 
thebiggerthebetter said:
I am sure you know what gulpers are capable of. Raph would be in peril with a comparably sized gulper, I think. Irwini has a chance because it grows bigger. I'd think a 1.5' irwini would be ok with an adult gulper.
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Yep, im well aware. I have a 50g blackwater tank with a gulper, and a raph the same size. I once put in another similar sized tangerine cichlid as an experiment, and the gulper ate him once the tangerine got too comfortable. The raph however cat piles with the gulper. Im not sure why or how, but stimpy just leaves the raph alone. Their first meeting wasnt as harmonious though, the gulper opened his gaping mouth to swallow the raph but didnt continue upon touching the raphs' armor plates. I hope they grow together like this. You're prob right about the irwini being safe with a gulper though. The gulper's 6 inches now, the raph is half an inch bigger
 
^ now you're making me want a gulper Eric :). Especially since I'll soon only have two armored cats in my 75 gal, but that probably won't happen since thyre so are locally, just a dream :D
 
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