I Need Help!

[Carina]

last week i got a red tailed catfish and it has eaten 3 guppys, 1 molly, and one silver shark (ggrrr) it has left my red tailed shark and i have bought a red siamese fiter fish - but im not so sure i will have that by the end of the day as the catfish is watching it closely! so i have a catfish and a shark - my tank looks so empty! what can i have with a red tailed catfish and that it wont eat?

 

[andywg]

You can have pretty much nothing you would usually find with an RTC, being as they easily hit 3 feet in captivity and 5 feet is by no means out of the question. Wild specimins get to 6 feet and more.

It will eat the fighter, and the silver shark, and pretty much anything that isn't pretty much the same size as it, and even then, while young it will most likely outgrow any tank mates and then eat them.

You are looking at tanks in excess of 1,000 gallons to happily house an RTC. One to return, methinks.

 

[chibi]

O_O! PLEASE tell me you have a large tank!! Red tailed catfish grow over 3 feet long! They will eat anything that fits in their mouth. That's why it's best to keep him alone. There aren't many fish that he will live contently with without a public aquarium-sized tank.

 

[sparklefuzz]

oh I have a horrible feeling your betta is about to be lunch! You should maybe take him out?

argh! why don't LFS's ASK what kind of tank fish like that will be going into, surely the vast majority of people buying won't have the kind of set-up it really needs!! Man it makes me mad!

 

[catxx]

RTC shouldn't be sold in pet shops. at all. at all at all at all!!
most of the RTC's you see in public aquaria have been rehomed from private aquariums that they grew out of when people bought them thinking they were cute little catfish.

they're not, they're big mean beasties!

saying that, if i was super-rich with lots of cash to splash around (sic) i'd love a HUGE (2000gal ish) set up to house an RTC properly.

 

[Carina]

Whats a Lfs?

 

[catxx]

Whats a Lfs?

local fish store

 

[Carina]

ive seen that picture and many more pictures. lol. when i got him - i had no idea he would eat my fish or grow to a massive size! pet shops should not be allowed to sell such fish in my opinion

 

[Bloo]

ive seen that picture and many more pictures. lol. when i got him - i had no idea he would eat my fish or grow to a massive size! pet shops should not be allowed to sell such fish in my opinion

You're absolutely right Carina - they really shouldn't Especially when they are sold so cheaply and so small. I do lay a lot of blame on shops that stock these fish (together with similar such fish). Because in reality, how many people that frequent lfs's have tanks the size of a pond in their house ?

 

[sparklefuzz]

they're not, they're big mean beasties!

My GOD, THATS a fish!

 

[Carina]

lol yes! i wish i had seen that picture BEFORE i bought the fish lol. pet shop said they would take him back.....what so they can re sell him to someone else who has a small ish tank and doesnt have a clue about RTC and make another £20.....i think not! Going to try and find him a home somewhere nice.....ive grown attached to him now lol

 

[jayjay]

They have been seen in markets at 6' with no head.

Have to be harsh but people should research the fish they buy, before they buy them. LFS should ask about it but not all to.

Well done for getting it a good home.

 

[liserini]

I get my fish from local garden centres, they have generally questioned me when buying fish! Maybe a local aquarium could take him in and then you could visit when you wanted