Huge Cats

[andywg]

I did think about an outside style pond, but it would lose more heat in winter, and I'd have to freeze before I could go and look at my monster fish, don't want that.

Ecto, what you have described is what I have taken my inspiration from. While the windows won't be on a lower level the main construction will be concrete or breeze block or some such with a or some viewing windows in the side.

 

[smithrc]

OMG. 12 x 7 x 6 - thats bigger than my study!

infact thats about the same volume as our spare bedroom

I can see a gararge conversion on its way!

P.S. I've got pictures somewhere of 5-6 RTC's in the same tank - merrilly swimming about together. one sec...

here ya go...

Pictures...

 

[Clare]

I have heard that Red Tails either live together fine, or kill eachother!! Your pictures look great though, a few together look lovely.

We haven`t been quoted for a big BIG tank yet but this BOSS place quoted about £400, for a tank 9ft x 3ft x 2ft, that included delivery.
We want only the front and maybe one side to made of glass, apparently a hexagonal tank is best as you have a huge rim top and bottom, and each pane of glass is seperate, thus spreading the weight.

The Nexus filters, which are huge and would more than cope with the tank we want are about £900, which we think is reasonable really.
Alfogrog tends to be a bit of a pain for us, clogging up easily and stray bits getting into the pump, then it`s hard to clean.
But, these Nexus ones we saw have a vortex one end, basically holding all the waste in the middle, then you unscrew a tap each day and let it out, brushes.
plastic filter media and sponges.

We estimate the tank to be £2000 (ish) but seeing as though we just paid an extra £3000 on the floor to the fish room to make it suspended so it was strong enough it doesn`t seem that much now!!

Good luck to you, it`s a major thing to take on and scares me!! I think about ours all the time, how, and when and what way!

 

[andywg]

Ouch on that floor, Clare

Sounds like a cool tank. What are you doing the other sides with?

Great pictures Smithrc. I forgot about those, at the time I last visited I was more fascinated by the size of the Pacus.

I have to thank all you peeps for your help on this, now all I need to do is move house and get digging!

On a different note, I was somewhat worried by my LFS attitude to giant fish.

I enquired about the hybrid that sparke my interest in this and was told it had been returned to them by three different owners as it grew (methinks they didn't warn on possible adult size... )

I was then told they had true red tails for sale (I had missed them on my round since they were in with the Cichlids). I was taken to a tank with a pair of 2-3 inch RTCs, the writing on the tank?

"Red Tailed Catfish £19.95
Grows XL, not suitable with small fish"

That must be the laziest way to do this, especially since there is a near adult in cramped conditions in their display tank on the other side of that row of tanks. They could have put a sign saying "see my older brother for likely size" or something to really put people off.

If I only thought I'd get the project completed quick enough I'd take them now but I just don't think I'll manage it Gotta love "not safe with small fish" after the things I've read and heard (like an 18 inch RTC trying to swallow a 15" TSN whole )

Oh well, rant over.

Andy

 

[Fishy411]

I know when I see a sign That says Not safe with small fish I think like 8-12" The only fish that my LFs has marked is a Leporinus species. It says that it grows up to 12". The rest just say the species name. Not even a warning on the 2" Oscars they have

 

[andywg]

The place is generally quite good, it keeps all the oscars and bigger cats and cichlids seperate from the community fish and clearly states above all the tanks that these fish are not suited for communities and require special care. Hell, they even warn you about the Bala shark's adult size and the Pim Pictus predatory nature.

However the warning on the RTCs was a bit weak for my liking, likewise there was no warning on the Mbu puffer they had in a little while ago (at around 2" they look lovely and cute...)

Still, none of us infallable I suppose.

 

[Paul_MTS]

At the LFS i work at we just have price and name tags. If someone goes to buy something odd or big we advise them.

We have a lovely 1ft RTC in at the moment, unfortunately he looks a bit stunted as he's been in vision 260. It was the weekend boys fish at work.

Rather than buying small fish from a shop you could do a bit of surfing and travelling and pick up quite a few RTC that are bigger...save you in food alot

 

[andywg]

I must say, having seen the RTCs at about 2-3 inches, I'd love to buy a couple and just drop them into a 6,000 gallon tank. I'd never see them for a while, but you know they'd love it

 

[Paul_MTS]

lol, expensive for what they are though. I think the bigger species around would apriciate it more and you would be saving them all from a stupidily squashed life!!