Amazing 22" Giraffe Catfish to re-home. (UK). Can anyone help?

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sjbquattro

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Feb 3, 2009
24
2
0
Northants UK
Hello everyone. This is my first thread on this forum. I have some unfortunate business to attend to on this first post, but here goes...

With massive regret I am having to re-home my 22" approx Giraffe Catfish who is outgrowing his 700l tank (Rena Aqualife 200). The problem is the tank is only 20" deep (front to back) so he needs to be in a 2.5ft or 3ft deep tank. Despite the tank being over 6ft long.

He WILL grow bigger so he will only go to someone who can demonstrate they have a good and suitable home for him.

He has been my very tame pet for about 4 years (2" when I got him!). In fact I would go as far as to say he is part of the family.

Does anyone have a suitable tank/tropical pond or know anyone who could offer him a good home with plenty of space? Great fish in perfect condition. Tolerant of everything else in my tank from small Gouramis to big Tiger Oscars.

He feeds from hand at the surface every night. Takes most food but eats mainly Cichlid Gold pellets (lots of them!). Currently he is in quite soft water as I do 300l water changes each weekend with RO Water, but he used to be in quite hard water. He's very hardy and will adapt to anything.
He does have a name! "Ronnie" and he is a youtube video taken last year. He's bigger now by about 4" I would say:

[YT]http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=xREIbGGT-_I[/YT]

If anyone can help or point me in the right direction I would be very gratefull. I am not looking for any money for him as its more important I am happy he goes to the right tank/home.

I am in Northants (UK) but willing to travel within reason if it means he gets to the right home.
 
try bogwoodbruce, heard him mentioned as a good source in this country. would love to take him myself but just starting out with my first 1" girrafe and hoping to get him as tame as yours and don't have room for a second. good luck.
 
hi i know a guy in eastbournbe who owns a fish store he has a fair (20") lunker in there and im sure hed be more than happy to rehome him/her for you. (i dnt think he would like my red tail lol)
 
nice giraffe, if i had my pond setup i would take him , but it will a couple of months untill i have the money and the matriels.
 
i would suggest try wharf as they have a few big cats and a huge tank, they might not want it tho big cat are hard to rehome
i say keep him and upgrade the tank:D
i will pm this link to a few people who may be interested for you

good luck mate
 
I will speak to someone who bought my arowana of me he had a giant tank. will let you no.
 
there is a chap on aquarist classifieds.co.uk that has a pond with big cats and rehomes them for free and collects them too!!! search him up and give him a ring
 
Thanks for the great reponses everyone ;) Muchy appreciated and please keep them coming! I need as many options as possible, but I am making some progress it seems.

- Thanks for suggestion of bogwoodbruce and cheers for the consideration bogwoodbruce!

- Need to get in touch with Wharf Aquatics as they have been suggested a couple of times and I have seen their tank buster system before :D

- LFS in Eastbourne. My only concern is distance and prefer him to goto a private keeper if possible. Good to have the option though.

- Thanks to everyone who has sent PM's to their contacts for me!

- I have spoken to the guy on Aquarist Classified a few weeks sgo. My conceren there was the pond is totally bear which is a major change of environment for the fish. I would prefer him to goto a system with bogwood, rocks, caves and sand like he has at the moment. Dave was really helpfull and I accept his point that the fish don't get as many injuries etc, but I would still prefer a more "natural" home.

So, at the moment I have 2 good "leads".

1) A lady who has about a dozen Giraffe Cats of various sizes in various big tanks. She is in the process of building a massive fish house this year and the bigger cats are getting move to their. At the moment she has an 8 x 3 x 2 that only has smaller fish in. She has lots of experience in keeping Giraffes.

2) A chap who has a tropical pond (10 x 4 x 3) who is sending me some photos and further details today. Lots of experience of keeping big cats.

So, please keep the suggestions coming and if all else fails I'll tell the missus the dining room table has to be sold to make way for a custom 10 x 3 x 3 tank...... :screwy:
 
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