I Know Its Not Suitable But Would It Prevent

[mattlee]

i am looking to restock my 6.5 x 2x 2 as soon as i can find a new home for the current residents. i was thinking of a great planted tank with lots of colour and large groups of small fish. but at the lfs the other day i saw a cross breed spotted red tail catfish that was about 5-6 inches max, there were lots of people looking at it and almost buying the cat and i overheard them saying that it would be great in their 3 foot tank
now i know that these fish shouldnt really be sold in the aquatic trade due to their adult size and that no tank is really suitable for them that could fit in our homes. but i was thinking that maybe i could give it a better quality of life in my big tank for a few years at least rather than it suffer in one of the onlookers 3ft tanks or maybe smaller!!!!!!
if the fish isnt happy in the lfs tank and wouldnt be happy in the 3ft tank would it be the worst thing to have it in my 6.5ft tank? the way i see it is that i doubt very much it would ever get as much room than i could offer it but im sure someone will eventually buy it. ive no idea what i would do with it when it gets too big for my tank but im sure i could find one of these groups or individuals that set up a rescue pond for such fish.

what do you guys think? i know its not right to buy these fish but as i said someone will eventually im sure as the certain lfs has them in all the time and they are never the same redtails on sale so they are going somewhere to suffer....

please dont jump up and down on me about this as i know its wrong to buy these fish, i dont want abuse for asking this question but surely it would get a better quality of life for a few years at least!

 

[rdp50734]

You could give it a home for a while but chances are you would not be able to sell it on later down the road! In terms of a time frame before it gets too big for your tank I believe it would be 12-18 months!

I would love one but I haven't got anywhere near the room needed long term!

 

[amyw2008]

Personally I think you did what was best for the fish at the moment
Atleast this way you will know when it gets too big and that he has moved on to a good home.

 

[shroob]

It is my opinion that you have to be cruel to be kind when it comes to things like this. I can understand why you did what you did, however in the long run it is no solution, and it is you who will be stuck with a tankbusting fish.

By buying the fish you are encouring the retailer to stock more, so are unforuntately perpetuating the cycle.

Education is the only way to solve the problem, without regulation that is, and lets face it, to some people, a fish is a fish

 

[mattlee]

ok before we go any further i have NOT bought the fish.... i was simply saying that the lfs gets through these cats quite a bit so people are buying them. i was suggesting that i could get the fish and give it a better quality of life than most others could in my 6.5 foot tank.
im sure someone will buy him if i dont so if the lfs want to sell them then they will as there seems to be a demand for them. i am fully aware of these fishes adult size and know my tank isnt suitable in the long term but wouldnt it be better in mine than a 3ft tank?
there are always people asking for red tailed cats on aquarist classifieds that have got too big for their tanks so moving it on wouldnt be too difficult would it?

im just thinking it would be happier in a bigger tank even if it is for just 2 years.....

 

[rdp50734]

If your happy to move it on later then go for it! Enjoy it as its an opportunity most people don't get even short term!

 

[mattlee]

If your happy to move it on later then go for it! Enjoy it as its an opportunity most people don't get even short term!

this is what i was thinking and i love these fish and catfish in general. as you said its something that most people dont get the opportunity to do even if it is for just a couple of years

 

[kizno1]

So much for a planted tank that wouldnt last long with one of these. Im not sure what i would do like you said you could give it a better like than what its likely to get in a LFS but then the more they sell the more they will get in. I personally would leave it because either way the tanks to small long term but i get where your coming from.

 

[rdp50734]

Its your choice really. I dont consider potential size too much as I usually change my stock around every 6 months or so. I get bored too easily!

 

[mattlee]

So much for a planted tank that wouldnt last long with one of these. Im not sure what i would do like you said you could give it a better like than what its likely to get in a LFS but then the more they sell the more they will get in. I personally would leave it because either way the tanks to small long term but i get where your coming from.

no it would not be planted with a fish like this.... the lfs have a new one in every week so people are buying them and i dont see 1 more sale that will give it a decent home for a while too much of an issue. obviously i dont intend on keeping it for its entire life as that would be cruel but surely it would be happy for 2 years and then moved on to a huge pond like the one advertised on aquarist classifieds...
i understand that the more they sell the more they buy in but people are buying them thats the thing im trying to stress and im not 100% convinced that they are going to suitable tanks...

it is only a thought and a possible option for my tank and i think it would be kind of nice to have a pet kind of fish instead of lots of fish... i am also toying with the idea of a planted tank but just trying to cover all options before it all happens

 

[kizno1]

So much for a planted tank that wouldnt last long with one of these. Im not sure what i would do like you said you could give it a better like than what its likely to get in a LFS but then the more they sell the more they will get in. I personally would leave it because either way the tanks to small long term but i get where your coming from.

no it would not be planted with a fish like this.... the lfs have a new one in every week so people are buying them and i dont see 1 more sale that will give it a decent home for a while too much of an issue. obviously i dont intend on keeping it for its entire life as that would be cruel but surely it would be happy for 2 years and then moved on to a huge pond like the one advertised on aquarist classifieds...
i understand that the more they sell the more they buy in but people are buying them thats the thing im trying to stress and im not 100% convinced that they are going to suitable tanks...

it is only a thought and a possible option for my tank and i think it would be kind of nice to have a pet kind of fish instead of lots of fish... i am also toying with the idea of a planted tank but just trying to cover all options before it all happens

If you do get it it might be worth talking to some people and trying to arrange a pond first. I personally would go for a big group of lima shovelnoses and a few big cichlids. I do get where your coming from though my lfs has a 6" TSN x RTC cross in at the moment but they dont really seem to sell that well.

 

[mattlee]

So much for a planted tank that wouldnt last long with one of these. Im not sure what i would do like you said you could give it a better like than what its likely to get in a LFS but then the more they sell the more they will get in. I personally would leave it because either way the tanks to small long term but i get where your coming from.

no it would not be planted with a fish like this.... the lfs have a new one in every week so people are buying them and i dont see 1 more sale that will give it a decent home for a while too much of an issue. obviously i dont intend on keeping it for its entire life as that would be cruel but surely it would be happy for 2 years and then moved on to a huge pond like the one advertised on aquarist classifieds...
i understand that the more they sell the more they buy in but people are buying them thats the thing im trying to stress and im not 100% convinced that they are going to suitable tanks...

it is only a thought and a possible option for my tank and i think it would be kind of nice to have a pet kind of fish instead of lots of fish... i am also toying with the idea of a planted tank but just trying to cover all options before it all happens

If you do get it it might be worth talking to some people and trying to arrange a pond first. I personally would go for a big group of lima shovelnoses and a few big cichlids. I do get where your coming from though my lfs has a 6" TSN x RTC cross in at the moment but they dont really seem to sell that well.

this possibly what it was it was labelled as a spotted red tail cat and had 2 latin names with an x inbetween so it must have been a cross breed of some kind....

 

[kizno1]

So much for a planted tank that wouldnt last long with one of these. Im not sure what i would do like you said you could give it a better like than what its likely to get in a LFS but then the more they sell the more they will get in. I personally would leave it because either way the tanks to small long term but i get where your coming from.

no it would not be planted with a fish like this.... the lfs have a new one in every week so people are buying them and i dont see 1 more sale that will give it a decent home for a while too much of an issue. obviously i dont intend on keeping it for its entire life as that would be cruel but surely it would be happy for 2 years and then moved on to a huge pond like the one advertised on aquarist classifieds...
i understand that the more they sell the more they buy in but people are buying them thats the thing im trying to stress and im not 100% convinced that they are going to suitable tanks...

it is only a thought and a possible option for my tank and i think it would be kind of nice to have a pet kind of fish instead of lots of fish... i am also toying with the idea of a planted tank but just trying to cover all options before it all happens

If you do get it it might be worth talking to some people and trying to arrange a pond first. I personally would go for a big group of lima shovelnoses and a few big cichlids. I do get where your coming from though my lfs has a 6" TSN x RTC cross in at the moment but they dont really seem to sell that well.

this possibly what it was it was labelled as a spotted red tail cat and had 2 latin names with an x inbetween so it must have been a cross breed of some kind....

Im 99% sure it will be a Tiger shovel nose x redtail catfish cross thats the only type of red catfish cross ive seen. I dont agree with that cross either its done using hormones. It will be hard to tell how big it will get aswell tigers get to about 3-4 foot and redtails in aquariums get to about 4-5 foot but there have been reports of ones upto 8' long so you could end up with a real monster.

 

[mattlee]

Im 99% sure it will be a Tiger shovel nose x redtail catfish cross thats the only type of red catfish cross ive seen. I dont agree with that cross either its done using hormones. It will be hard to tell how big it will get aswell tigers get to about 3-4 foot and redtails in aquariums get to about 4-5 foot but there have been reports of ones upto 8' long so you could end up with a real monster.
[/quote]

yeah just googled them and im sure it is 1 of these. by the time im ready to get my new fish im sure it will have sold anyway. so lets just say it would be a straight red tail cat that i would get for now if i got one that is

 

[kizno1]

Theres plenty of other big cats that could go in there i would go for a different catfish and for all that it seems harsh just leave the TSN x RTC cross because evan if you do help one theres still hundreds more that wont be saved the best way to save them will be to try and let people know how big they will get.