Never is a very bad word. It is possible to end up with a very large fish, so why not prepare for it just in case? I myself will not get a fish that I cant house the theoretical size of. Even with people saying its not likely, if Ive seen pics of them a certain size and cant house it then I wont. Err on the side of caution when it comes to somethings well being. But thats just me.Bgonz;3734098; said:
RTC housing
- Thread starter magdrive
- Start date
Thanks for all the info and suggestions.I am inlargeing the pond to L12'XW4'XH3', I hope that will do for awhile til I can redo the basement and try to talk the wife into letting me build a bigger pond.
It's definitely good to go as big as possible, but if you ask me a 12x4x3 or a 10x6x3 or anything around that will be good for quite some time.
There's a local LFS that has a 7yo (I think) RTC in a huge tank (forgot the dimensions but its in the 1000's) and the thing is only around 3'.
Its hard to judge, but I think it'll will take quite some time for the RTC to reach its full potential. I believe the above dimensions would hold it for quite some time. At 4' wide and 12' long, even a 4' RTC would be able to swim and turn comfortably for the most part.
My RTC, although still a baby at around 8" doesn't cruise the tank relentlessly, doesn't dart into the sides, etc. For the most part its stationary unless looking for food. I realize they become more active as they grow, but still, not that active.
I say go as big as you can with a fish, but a tank with the above dimensions will substantially hold an RTC for quite some time and will have a much happier life than most others that get shoved in a "giant" 55g until they die a premature death.
There's a local LFS that has a 7yo (I think) RTC in a huge tank (forgot the dimensions but its in the 1000's) and the thing is only around 3'.
Its hard to judge, but I think it'll will take quite some time for the RTC to reach its full potential. I believe the above dimensions would hold it for quite some time. At 4' wide and 12' long, even a 4' RTC would be able to swim and turn comfortably for the most part.
My RTC, although still a baby at around 8" doesn't cruise the tank relentlessly, doesn't dart into the sides, etc. For the most part its stationary unless looking for food. I realize they become more active as they grow, but still, not that active.
I say go as big as you can with a fish, but a tank with the above dimensions will substantially hold an RTC for quite some time and will have a much happier life than most others that get shoved in a "giant" 55g until they die a premature death.
Does anyone have a picture of a 3 foot or larger RTC in a aquarium/pond? I'd just like to see one. I've seen pictures of big ones in the wild but never in a huge aquarium. Even the RTC's at the Steinhart Aquarium in SF are only around 2.5-3 feet long.
I'm in work at the moment and propbably not back at my computer until tomorrow, but do have a picture of an almost 4' rtc in a 10x4x3 at one of my lfs, i'll try to remember to post it tomorrow for you.ryansti;3771760; said:
I totally agree that those dimension would hold a RTC very comfortably for several years. Just know it may not be the last pond you build. It will take several years to reach 4 feet, but if give a healthy environment, the right food, and good water quality, there is no reason it wouldn't.SpeshulEd;3771728; said:
As for a 4' wide tank being wide enough for a 4' long catfish I beg to differ. When was the last time you paralleled parked? These guys aren't super flexible when they're big like that, and they need at least a little bit of margin. A full grown adult would not be miserable with 4' wide, but not "comfortable".
As for being inactive... My cats are incredibly active. Now, granted, I have a RTCxTSN not a RTC, but I have quite a variety and every large cat I have is incredibly active. If I go out and anyone is sitting on the bottom, I'm immediately checking for problems. The only time these guys are quiet is the rare occasion when I've fed them too much, or when they were cramped in the 180 gallon while I finished the grow out 600. When they were all cramped, they barely moved around. Now they're everywhere, following me around, playing in the current, punking each other, etc.
Here is a link to some giant cats that are still growing like crazy here on MFK:
http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=285048&highlight=pond+catfish
So, in all you'd do will with either of those sizes. The 10'x6' might actually be better since he would have a nice wide easy turn, while still having a diagonal of 11.7 feet. The 12'x4' would give him a little longer diagonal of 12.6', but he wouldn't turn as easily when he gets large. Again, either way, you'd be good for probably 3-4 years.
