RTC and TSN Information

**Oscarboyz** · 08-29-2007, 7:29 AM

ok i have no idea what to do. i just got a 620 gallon tank in which i plan to put my existing fish. 1, 14" oscar 1, 10" jd, and 3, 10" parrots. I also plan to add a few peacock bass at aroundt 15". I really would like to add one of these beautiful catfish to my tank. I will be buying it small around 4" and then growing it in a 150 until it is big enough to go into the 620. I am worried sick about waking up one day when the jd is gone from the tank! Any ideas on how to try to keep rtc or tsn on the small side like not power feeding? Dont suggest lima;s i dont like them. HElP GUYS PLEASE. Would the rtc even attack if he was smaller than the jd and got beat up buy him a few times would he learn his resepct? or would he be evil...

**tiersmoke92555** · 08-31-2007, 2:13 PM

Your cat will grow to a foot long before you know it. But all i can say is keep it feed so it dose not get hungry for a JD Burger all so give the some place to hide

**tiersmoke92555** · 08-31-2007, 10:50 PM

Dose anyone know what Not to feed a RTC?

I treat mine like a dog.

**Bgonz** · 08-31-2007, 11:23 PM

Originally Posted by Oscarboyz;1093765;

I am worried sick about waking up one day when the jd is gone from the tank! Any ideas on how to try to keep rtc or tsn on the small side like not power feeding?

The RTC will eventually eat everyone. I dont care who, what or how big. When the rtc grows up it will be bigger and capable of eating just about anything shy of a pacu. Your JD doesnt stand a chance. RTC's are not good comunity fish and are better kept alone. If you get one for that big tank and keep up on the water changes you will have a single RTC tank in less than 2 years

JMO of course........

bob

**mcox3** · 09-05-2007, 12:38 PM

I recently picked up a RTC and I immediately noticed its gills on one side protrude and the other side is nice and tight. He is only around 3" and eats like what I imagine a RTC should.

Could this be gill curl?

Will it correct itself? What do I need to do to fix it?

**UncleNos** · 09-06-2007, 8:18 AM

Hi I'm hoping someone knows the answer to this. My RTC has been lethargic for a week or more and has now developed a pinkish edge to his gill flaps and the top of his head looks as though he's dehydrated? Starting to get kind of worried as hes stopped eating as much as he used to , he's mainly fed on uncooked prawns.

**mcox3** · 09-06-2007, 12:24 PM

I found out gill curl comes from big fish being in tanks too small and the fish has to back up to turn around causing the gills to curl back.

I dont think mine has GC... I'm thinking he was born this way.

Hopefully it will correct itself.

**necrocanis** · 09-06-2007, 5:01 PM

Originally Posted by mcox3;1111560;

I found out gill curl comes from big fish being in tanks too small and the fish has to back up to turn around causing the gills to curl back.

I dont think mine has GC... I'm thinking he was born this way.

Hopefully it will correct itself.

This statement is very untrue. Gill curl comes from poor water conditions or from poor diet and possibly from gill infestation(parasites) Large daily water changes can sometimes help, but most of the time it will be with the fish for life, and there's a possibility some of it could be genetic. Some people resort to trimming the skin behind the gill(part that's curled) and let it grow back straight. I would not recommend this except in larger fish that are more hardy. Smaller fish respond better to large frequent water changes and medication. I cured mine when it was small, and you can barely see and curl now it's larger. These fish are extremely susceptible to poor water conditions, and will stress easily from it. Parasites can also be attributed to poor water conditions in some cases. Main thing is to keep the tank super clean, but this does not always help, but most rtc can live their entire life with gill curl and have no adverse side effects. It's important to increase aeriation in the tank with a fish that has gill curl as the flap that normall covers the gill is not there to trap oxygen for the gills to asorb. Therefore more asorbed oxygen can help slow the heavy breathing associated with gill curl and also calm the fish.

**necrocanis** · 09-06-2007, 5:08 PM

Originally Posted by Oscarboyz;1093765;

ok i have no idea what to do. i just got a 620 gallon tank in which i plan to put my existing fish. 1, 14" oscar 1, 10" jd, and 3, 10" parrots. I also plan to add a few peacock bass at aroundt 15". I really would like to add one of these beautiful catfish to my tank. I will be buying it small around 4" and then growing it in a 150 until it is big enough to go into the 620. I am worried sick about waking up one day when the jd is gone from the tank! Any ideas on how to try to keep rtc or tsn on the small side like not power feeding? Dont suggest lima;s i dont like them. HElP GUYS PLEASE. Would the rtc even attack if he was smaller than the jd and got beat up buy him a few times would he learn his resepct? or would he be evil...

Unless you hand feed all your fish it will be hard to keep a rtc away from food. They steal it even from the mouths of other fish. Growth rate varies between individuals, and stunting a fish growth could shorten their potentially long lifespan of 20+ years. This is a descent tank for growing a rtc but only the peacock bass would be safe for life. Even then if the rtc establishes the tank as his territory he will kill the peacock bass without eating it. Sometimes they are fine for many years but as they grow so does their territory, and they will kill anything in it. I had pacu and oscars with my rtc in the past. Although he couldn't fit them in his mouth he pounded them to death once he was too large for the tank I had him in making more room for himself. Just some food for thought. You give them nutrients and their genetics take over. No way to stop growth unless you put them on a really reduced feeding schedule, and then they will stunt and be really unhealthy. If you can see their ribs or spine in the tail they are too skinny. There should be a nice hump on the back the belly should not be sunken in. It's sign of famine in catfish. If they fast everyone knows what I am talking about. Skip this fish if you are not willing to provide enough space and food for it to grow to it's full potential.

**mcox3** · 09-06-2007, 5:09 PM

Originally Posted by necrocanis;1112126;

This statement is very untrue. Gill curl comes from poor water conditions or from poor diet and possibly from gill infestation(parasites) Large daily water changes can sometimes help, but most of the time it will be with the fish for life, and there's a possibility some of it could be genetic. Some people resort to trimming the skin behind the gill(part that's curled) and let it grow back straight. I would not recommend this except in larger fish that are more hardy. Smaller fish respond better to large frequent water changes and medication. I cured mine when it was small, and you can barely see and curl now it's larger. These fish are extremely susceptible to poor water conditions, and will stress easily from it. Parasites can also be attributed to poor water conditions in some cases. Main thing is to keep the tank super clean, but this does not always help, but most rtc can live their entire life with gill curl and have no adverse side effects. It's important to increase aeriation in the tank with a fish that has gill curl as the flap that normall covers the gill is not there to trap oxygen for the gills to asorb. Therefore more asorbed oxygen can help slow the heavy breathing associated with gill curl and also calm the fish.

Thanks for clearing that up. I'll try and snag a picture of it and see if we can diagnose the problem.