So you want to keep a RTC (Red Tailed Catfish)?

[NightAngel96]

Great work on the summarie should help a lot of ppl wit what to expected didn't take long for my red tail/shovel to grow to 16" but luckly dosnt eat evey thing in the tank lol

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[phikhanh]

I love RTC and I want to have one LOL

 

[TheFishGuy]

For fun this evening I thought I do a little research on RTC’s just to see what things are being said about them lately… Of course I ran across this thread so have decided to read the whole thing. I’m not 100% sure how to respond quoting multiple posts so I’m going old school…

Red_Man:
“So I just bought an RTC and yes I put him in a 55 gallon tank! Yes I already knew he could grow 18 inches+ this year, that he can eat the average joe out of house and home, that he will one day require an enclosure big enough to loose a school bus in. I just think it pointless to put a 4 inch fish in a tank he can dissapear in for the next year or more. I already own thousands of dollars in blue prints for my custom home with a 7000 gallon+ concrete tank the length of my basement. One day I will own an amazing assortment of Monster fish, but we all have to start somewhere and this just happens to be where I started. Call me an idiot but I know what is required and I have the resources to make it happen.
Oh... and just a side note. All of you dreaming about a Arapima gigas, feel free to send me a message. I know where you can get one in a week. Just might have to take a road trip!”

I personally find it amusing how people behind a keyboard like to throw numbers around and claim they’re going to do this that and the other thing. Red_Man, if you indeed accomplish using your $7000 in prints and if you do indeed make your 7000 plus gallon tank I’ll apologize 7000 times. LOL Anyone else notice a pattern? It’s been three years… Any updates?

Please folks, buy the tank, then the fish. Simply because life’s what happens when you’re making other plans…

I’m quoting this one because I need it translated…

Spyder001 USA:
“lol ok so ill add to this, a blunt + a walk to "Koreaville" in NYC brings my friend to buy an RTC from some insane store. The guy barely spoke english and we had no clue what we where buying. He put it in a 10 gallon tank with his G-F tetras, soon after his g-f was shocked when she saw a RTC in her small tank. Unlike us she new what it was. The thing was only a 1" big, completly harmless.....So i decided to take the RTC and bought a 20 gallon tank. With in a week I thought to 2x my tank size to a 40 gal breeder. Within 3 weeks i realized I need a 100 gallon. Now that I have the 100 gallon I know I need 350 gallon, that cycle will continue. I have never hurt an animal or neglected a pet, so i feel bad for the stress he had to go through as myself being an Amatuer fish hobbist. Though I have become completely thrilled with it, finding that it has just as much personality as a dog. Thats what it is like, getting a dog only it grows faster, larger, and must be kept in water.”

So after 8 weeks he has grown from 1" to almost 11", now i understand his g-f utter shock finding it swimming with her tetras. Mine is kept with tetras and guppies, he hasnt eaten any”

I like this one
Adamrhh:
“They do have mini RTC's their called Oscars haha not as cool looking but will eat like them lmao”

I'm pleased to see so many people discouraging others to buy these fish. I'm pleased to see the information out there about these Monster Fish.

I broke my own rule and got a little guy this past Saturday. I have the tanks and resources to properly care for one but it's a huge commitment. I stared at the tank watching him swim for a very long time before deciding to get him. He's 4 1/8" when I put him in a custom 70 in the fish room. Since his arrival he's eaten two earthworms and about three convict fry roughly an inch. His name is "Toast". My six year old son named him claiming that everything he meets is toast... I say I broke my own rule because I do not support the sale of these fish, and by using my store credit I supported the sale of these fish. Something I'll have to live with I guess... In my own weird way I wanted to rescue one from the start. Give it the life it deserves. Care for it properly... Make sense? Just thought I'd share.

Some of you know me, some of you do not. Those of you who know me will understand this next statement...

Please don't buy any of these. They are not a fish for the beginner or for even the experienced. They should not be sold, they should not be bought. They should be appreciated at a public aquarium. Period.

-peace

 

[tampa_bass]

i respect everyone's view and opinions on these fish but, I will give my opinion even though some may not like it. Maybe it's short sited but, I view these as fish, a renewable resource that brings money to those who collect them and helps them provide for their families is poor countries where they are collected. RTC's are not endangered. they are as common a channel catfish in the states. how many in the US eat catfish every year?
My point being it that these are fish. if they out grow your situation and you can't rehome then dispose of them in a humane way or even eat it. fish are not dogs,cats,horses, or other pets even though we my become attached to them.. Just my two cents and yes i have 3 20"+ redtails i've adopted..

 

[that_fish_Guy]

Ok so RTC can get 5' right they can ceartanly get that big ok this is an established fact largemouth bass can get to be 20 lbs and 2.5 to 3 feet long but you dont go around seeing that everyday most bass Max out at around 4lbs what I am trying to say is that captive RTC will most likely rarely ever become 4.5 feet with exeptions there is no exact measurement so when people say this thing will get 5' I think they are wrong I don't know what to believe because of all the conflicting view points I just don't know any way I have a baby RTC in a 180 gallon and I'm planning on keeping him in there for 1 year or a year and a half until I put him into his final home of a 950 gallon stock pond someone told me that they could go in a 350 gallon stock pond but I might just go for the 950 gallon someone told me I would be ok in the 180 for two years and then transfer to a stock pond someone else told me just to leave him in the 180 for life the thing is regardless of fish tank size any fish enclosure is too small so regardless they are still in captivity it seems there are so many conflicting theory's and beliefs on keeping red tail catfish you don't know what to believe so someone might say they only get 2 feet in captivity and a 180 gallon is fine or some might say they get 5'+ and you need a 10,000 gallon pond


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[that_fish_Guy]

IMHO


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[that_fish_Guy]

Here is a couple of pics of my little guy in a 20 gallon just before going into the 180 gallon


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[TheFishGuy]

It's the "it's just a fish" mentality that put Monster Fish Rescue out. Not enough people care and they never will.

 

[that_fish_Guy]

Were you responding to me ? or the thread ?Oh beleive me I don't have that mentality I cried when my old oscar died yes I cried and I was just saying that everyone's all over the place with information and its hard to beleive anything is right or wrong I love fish and treat them like I would my dog I don't have the its just a fish mentality I m just curious as to what is the right info and what is the wrong I am truly sorry if I came off that way


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[Brazzen1]

I didn't see anything wrong with what you said fish_guy, I think he was referring to tampa_bass. IMHO it's this kind of mentality that messes up our great way of life. I also work in a lfs and have to agree on some of the points made here, for instance I have had people come in and want to do an aquatic fight club (like so many youtube posts). Or no matter what you tell them about tank size and compatibility issues that you see that they are making, they just will not listen. I feel, and nothing personal against anyone, that most of the stories that you here about almost everyone having 25,000 gallon tanks or ponds is bs. If these people have this type of money how can they not know proper English or punctuation. Like I said, no attacks against anyone personally but it seems that most are just trying to say "my d*** is bigger than yours."

I admit some people do have these monster tanks, I have sold large fish to them and helped maintain these same tanks over the years. Lastly I have to say that, while an rtc does have the capacity to reach those monster sizes that some people claim, this is usually not the case with captive bred specimens. Most are inbred and and no matter how well they are taken care of there is no substitute for a natural environment. This is just like the fisherman who claims to have almost caught a 30lb largemouth but he got away. I don't discount that this could happen but in general captive bred is usually smaller. Forgive me for my ramblings and I'm not trying to turn this into an English class, I just wanted to give my observations.