Anyone successfully keep a....

[wright4lfe]

redtail cat in a home aquarium? i have a 240 at home that houses a few oscars/flowerhorns, a large 14 inch pleco and a large black arrowana and i've been thinking of getting a redtail.

anyone on this forum keep one in a in-home tank and not in a pond?

[KNH]

I believe they are kept by several people here. I would discourage you from getting one though. They are great fish but do to their massive size a 240g is not sufficient for them. Post some picts of your oscar/flowerhorn tank.

[wright4lfe]

i'll post pics pretty soon, i've had problems with my comp lately with the USB ports so uploading pics has been a pain.

so, what do you think of as the minimum size necessary for a redtail cat?

[Oddball]

I have a young 18" redtail that I keep in a 450. It used to have tankmates but, I had to remove my "keepers", when it was 16", due to the RTCs appetite. In a week it ate 4 12"+ channel cats. That was less than 3 months ago. This species would only do well with fish that are not only its size, but those that can keep pace with its growth rate. Another contention to deal with is filtration. I had a 500 gal W/D on the 450 and couldn't keep this single-fish tank clean. Now I run a 1200gal bead filter running 1650gals/hr. I'm already planning on where to put the fish in my 650 when the RTC outgrows the 450. This is definitely not a fish to plan on keeping in a 240.

[wright4lfe]

interesting.

thanks for the info. i was unaware they grew that quickly. btw, how big are your 450 and 650 tanks dimension wise? are they 10feet long or what?

[piranha45]

redtail cats get 4 feet long. They aren't suited for a 240g even as subadults...

[Oddball]

The 450 and 650 are round tanks. The 450 (I have 20 of these) are 74" diam. The 650 is 80" diam and a lot deeper than the 450s. They're blue polyethylene bins with 24" x 24" lexan windows.

[Loubard]

Could you post some pic's of your set-up oddball? Would love to see that!! :headbang2

[dialphantom]

damn odd ball what the hell u do with all them tanks

[Vitaliy]

damn odd ball what the hell u do with all them tanks
He dives in them while laughing his ass off looking at pictures of 10 gallon tanks. Or perhaps he keeps large fish in them.. we'll never know.

[rayman45]

i think he keeps guppies and betas

[armac]

More appropriate for a pond, redtails are neat fish

[Oddball]

The 450 gal bins are mostly for growing mosquito larvae............NOT!
The bins are primarily for growing my red-claw crays. I only have about 100 glass/plexi tanks in the back for my fish (NO 10s). Of these, polys and puffers are the biggest populations I have. I also have fairly large colonies of Tropheus, Cyphotilapia, Heros (rotkeil and efasciatus). I'm getting in a few more (54) tanks to set up in another section of my fish building. I'll be posting pics once all the construction is complete (provided I don't get raided again)

[guppy]

i think he keeps guppies and betas
But they are really BIG guppies and bettas

[wright4lfe]

interesting info. thanks for all the posters. i was thinking of putting a 2in redtail in my 240 and then transfering it to a pond i'm going to build in the next 1-1.5 years, but i had no idea of their growth rate.

[Oddball]

This is one of those fish where it's best to have the proper tank ready before getting an RTC. They're available just about anywhere you look so finding one once you're ready for it shouldn't be a problem.

[Redtail_Watcher]

I owned alot redtail cats, i love them! (i love big fish for tha matter) 6 month will grow to a foot long and 1and a half year. it be 20-23inches at max. 5-6years you'll have close to a 4footer. and stander for and adult tank or pond i think it should be 4x12. if you make a tank that is glass it needs to be at least 1inch thick so the fish don't break the glass a 4x12 1inch thick glass wieghs in at around 1,200pds.

interesting info. thanks for all the posters. i was thinking of putting a 2in redtail in my 240 and then transfering it to a pond i'm going to build in the next 1-1.5 years, but i had no idea of their growth rate.

[Dirty Old Man]

I owned alot redtail cats, i love them! (i love big fish for tha matter) 6 month will grow to a foot long and 1and a half year. it be 20-23inches at max. 5-6years you'll have close to a 4footer. and stander for and adult tank or pond i think it should be 4x12. if you make a tank that is glass it needs to be at least 1inch thick so the fish don't break the glass a 4x12 1inch thick glass wieghs in at around 1,200pds.


I was thinkin' of getting one too (in the near future of 1-2 years. So your recommendation is to just keep them in a pond, right? A really big pond...

[Biogoldboy]

ive heard of ppl keeping them

[IMFishHead]

Everyone here is NOT gonna agree with me, but here's my 2 cents. I have had many RTC's over the last 15 years. Yes they do grow big and quite fast. But a 240 gallon tank WILL support your RTC for MANY years. Most RTC's usually die from choking on other fish that you will presume they can't fit in their mouths. I have NEVER had one bust a tank. My fish are in smaller tanks and they do ok. No I don't have massive 1,000 gallon tanks like most people feel you should have. Remember these are fish, as long as water is taken well care of, frequent water changes an absolute MUST, don't worry about them being a little cramped. The same guys who cry about the poor fish being in small tanks, don't seem to have a problem feeding live innocent fish. Also I would not reccommend feeding live foods, for chance of a disease, they will thrive on just about anything! Ok girls lets here the whinning!:eek3:

[GBG]

Everyone here is NOT gonna agree with me, but here's my 2 cents. I have had many RTC's over the last 15 years. Yes they do grow big and quite fast. But a 240 gallon tank WILL support your RTC for MANY years. Most RTC's usually die from choking on other fish that you will presume they can't fit in their mouths. I have NEVER had one bust a tank. My fish are in smaller tanks and they do ok. No I don't have massive 1,000 gallon tanks like most people feel you should have. Remember these are fish, as long as water is taken well care of, frequent water changes an absolute MUST, don't worry about them being a little cramped. The same guys who cry about the poor fish being in small tanks, don't seem to have a problem feeding live innocent fish. Also I would not reccommend feeding live foods, for chance of a disease, they will thrive on just about anything! Ok girls lets here the whinning!:eek3:

Agree with Fishhead. Another important factor to acknowledge is the 99.9% of RTCs sold on the market are headed to tanks much smaller than a 240g. So, your decision not to buy an RTC from your lfs will condemn that fish to either a life in his LFS tank or, in all liklihood, to a life in a 30g, 55g, 90g, or maybe (if it's lucky) a 125g.

[CichlidAddict]

Agree with Fishhead. Another important factor to acknowledge is the 99.9% of RTCs sold on the market are headed to tanks much smaller than a 240g. So, your decision not to buy an RTC from your lfs will condemn that fish to either a life in his LFS tank or, in all liklihood, to a life in a 30g, 55g, 90g, or maybe (if it's lucky) a 125g.

But this is flawed logic. Don't buy a fish you can't house just because you think someone else will buy it and put it in a worse setup. What will happen is: You buy the RTC. The LFS says "wow, these are really selling" and orders more. 10 more people who can't house a RTC buy those. And so on....

It's just like buying dyed fish. People who know better buy them because they think "I'll be giving this poor fish a better home than most people would". Meanwhile, the LFS only cares about sales. When dyed fish are selling, they order more.

So really, unless you have a backup plan for 18 months down the road when the RTC outgrows your tank, don't buy it. I have a 240 and there's a reason I don't own a RTC - I don't have a pond.

[GBG]

But this is flawed logic. Don't buy a fish you can't house just because you think someone else will buy it and put it in a worse setup. What will happen is: You buy the RTC. The LFS says "wow, these are really selling" and orders more. 10 more people who can't house a RTC buy those. And so on....

It's just like buying dyed fish. People who know better buy them because they think "I'll be giving this poor fish a better home than most people would". Meanwhile, the LFS only cares about sales. When dyed fish are selling, they order more.

So really, unless you have a backup plan for 18 months down the road when the RTC outgrows your tank, don't buy it. I have a 240 and there's a reason I don't own a RTC - I don't have a pond.


Agree in priciple to your analysis, :) but not in actual practice. Since you can't control the other 9 people who buy RTCs, most or all of whom will have a small tank, I beleive that my analysis holds. I wouldn't preach my advice to the world at large, just to the tiny percentage of the market here, all of whom (I assume) are reasonably responsible hobbysist compared to most.

[ng80]

i have kept a red tail til it reached 18" in a tank and then moved it to a tropical pond. if you are thinking of a tank then acyrlic is a very good idea as it lighter and tougher although more expensive. you need a tank at least 14 foot long and 5ft wide to house an adult, this may sound over kill but they need a huge water volume to keep them healthy.

thats why i reccomend tropical ponds. cheap to build and can be made to fit any location.

[IMFishHead]

I agree with youn guys, especially about no room down the road, but I have been a tropical fish hobbist for over 30 years, yes I have always like having fish tanks most of my life. And I truly believe that a RTC can "survive" in a 240 and it most like will stunt it's growth. Is this healthy for the fish? proably not, but where the RTC's come from they are EATEN for dinner. The fish Will adapt to it's surrounding, and if it's eating well, swimming ok, not breathing hard, water parameters ok, then let it be cramped if its a fish you desire to own. Even the great Herbert Axelrod, of TFH publications was known to eat a fish he has raised for many years once it got to big!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Redtail_Watcher]

have you ever seen a big fish thrash around in a tiny aquiraum???? becuase of it's tank be too small??

you got a point on water changes but their is a limit to that. i talk to a sales person who was keeping 5 of a customer's really large fishes because they broke his tank he came home one day for work and saw water and broken class everywhere with his fishes on the ground that pic of your redtail is ok for now but in 4month you'll have and angy redtail for being in a small house, Would you make your how your living size, size of a bathroom??? (i think nobody in their right mind couldn't say; yes) you Just being mean to your pet. can you keep a 3ft cat in a 75 gallon!!!!! from the look of the cat it is 18inches from its color pattern. can You say that with a straight face and say you'll keep your baby/toddler in a box size of itself? You will end up torchering your fish to the point it doesn't want to eat.

You are curel/shelfish and shouldn't keep a big fish in a tiny tank


Everyone here is NOT gonna agree with me, but here's my 2 cents. I have had many RTC's over the last 15 years. Yes they do grow big and quite fast. But a 240 gallon tank WILL support your RTC for MANY years. Most RTC's usually die from choking on other fish that you will presume they can't fit in their mouths. I have NEVER had one bust a tank. My fish are in smaller tanks and they do ok. No I don't have massive 1,000 gallon tanks like most people feel you should have. Remember these are fish, as long as water is taken well care of, frequent water changes an absolute MUST, don't worry about them being a little cramped. The same guys who cry about the poor fish being in small tanks, don't seem to have a problem feeding live innocent fish. Also I would not reccommend feeding live foods, for chance of a disease, they will thrive on just about anything! Ok girls lets here the whinning!:eek3:

[Redtail_Watcher]

well a stanard large max wit. of a large tank is two feet. and 4.5years a redtail will be close to 4feet long, Mr. smarty pants:irked: . If you wanted fish to eat than buy it from a store. I proably own more redtails than you! (i love redtails...)

[wingbak48]

HAHA:OMG: :swear: :owned: :hitting:

[Redtail_Watcher]

also where they come from the natives a scared and superstious because of their meat are dark as their blue eyes. the reason why they keep a big fish at the pet store or any one in a small tank is because the are trying to get rid of it. It just sound like you need a bigger tank!

[ng80]

as these post decend into a great big fish small tank debate. i will add one further piece of advice concerning red tails. when the get big and i m talking 39" plus they have a habit of eating tank ornament s and heater etc so it is best to leave them outside the tank in a sump.

I recived a call from a rather upset red tail owner and i had to break the tank to get a 2ft red tail out a tank way to small for it as it wouldnt fit through the gap between the lid and the tank above it. It is not fair to put a huge fish in a 2ft wide tank and expect it to be happy. It is the same as leaving a dog in a small cage. this red tail lived with us for about 6 years in a pond and grew to nearly 4ft long and lived on a diet of trout. all its tankmates got exterminated over the years regardless of size.

i love these fish and i think if you cant respect there needs please dont buy them, but as this a monster fish forum its not really us we have to educate but other fish keepers .

[IMFishHead]

You seem to be quite fond pf redtails, Redtail-watcher, however, your growth rates are WAY out of touch with reality. I had 2 redtails over 3 years of age and they were ONLY about 21 inches! NOT 3 feet like you lead everyone to believe. I'm creul and don't deseve to keep fish according to your logic. So then someone who feeds, ohh my god, feeders, yes a poor live fish to another fish must be a MONSTER of some kind! And every pet store should be shut down for having fish in such small tanks. Get a life!

[IMFishHead]

Comparing a catfish to a human or a mamal is ludacrist. Most catfish prefer tight close living spaces except when looking for food. Ever have a catfish that you never see because it hides all day in a small cave??? I'll tone it down a bit becuase I like this web site and welcome ALL your opinions!!!

[buckeyenut222]

You seem to be quite fond pf redtails, Redtail-watcher, however, your growth rates are WAY out of touch with reality. I had 2 redtails over 3 years of age and they were ONLY about 21 inches! NOT 3 feet like you lead everyone to believe. I'm creul and don't deseve to keep fish according to your logic. So then someone who feeds, ohh my god, feeders, yes a poor live fish to another fish must be a MONSTER of some kind! And every pet store should be shut down for having fish in such small tanks. Get a life!
if you dont have the tank already to house a FULLY GROWN redtail catfish dont get one. and just because pet stores keep there fish in small tanks doesnt mean you should. the pet stores do so to make money and because most of the time they get rid of the fish quickly. if every petstore kept every fish they had in "ideal" living conditions then there would be little to no pet stores selling big fish. it would just be guppies and danios.

[Redtail_Watcher]

You seem to be quite fond pf redtails, Redtail-watcher, however, your growth rates are WAY out of touch with reality. I had 2 redtails over 3 years of age and they were ONLY about 21 inches! NOT 3 feet like you lead everyone to believe. I'm creul and don't deseve to keep fish according to your logic. So then someone who feeds, ohh my god, feeders, yes a poor live fish to another fish must be a MONSTER of some kind! And every pet store should be shut down for having fish in such small tanks. Get a life!

I had one 3year old it was near 32 inches! (which died from fungis) so what happen to your 2 redtails? Yes i do have one life, -which is to go to work and come back to feed and take great care of my fishes. I just am not anry at all I'm just a bit predjuedus against people treat their pets like that:chillpill: . Yes... fish got to eat fish, i eat fish but not my pets! every liveing thing in life got to eat. so it is not curel to eat what life can consume to in order to live. About that part of fish eat fish you just being sarcastic. It doesn't nessarly means all fish grows big to become a monster.(example comon shovel head with black and white strips grows less than 19inches they just eat fish and is nonagressive.) I feel you need to get bigger tank. every fish store is not a home for big fish! just there to make money. I don't want you to incourage people interested time think it ok to try to do somthing not logic.

[IMFishHead]

Ok I understand your points, well taken. Unfortunately one of large redtails choked on a JUMBO silver dollar, that I would have bet money that there was no way it could get it in it's mouth. The other choked on a STRIPED Bass that I raised from 4" to about 16" I really liked that fish!!! Came home and found him in redtails mouth! Considering these fish were in a 125 gallon, didn't seem to effect their appetite! But I still stand by my statement that if someone really wants to own a redtail and has a 240 gallon tank, I say go for it, it will be many years before it out grows it, if the person becomes very fond of it,and wants to keep it, hopefully they will upgrade to a bigger tank!