Realistically How Big do RTC's Get..

[derekp]

lol I would take it if I was close. I have 7 already from 12 to 18 inches. How big is it?

 

[jclyde13]

It's nearly impossible to get an accurate measurement without having to take it out of the tank (which I'm not willing to do lol), but it is somewhere between 20 and 24 inches, and very tall and thick. My tank size has at least provided it with enough space to avoid any deformities, but it has very little swimming room (my tank is 6' long, but about 2.5' of its length is taken up by driftwood, which is necessary for the tank's other inhabitants). I had to remove a 54lb chunk of texas holey rock from the tank a while back to give it more space (which really sucked b/c that was a very expensive rock, and it is now just sitting in storage).

 

[derekp]

Dang. Well I wish I could help you out. Good luck with him though. If you happen drive to austin for any reason let me know. lol

 

[jr monster fish]

I think the reason most people have RTCs that max out at around 3.5' is because of stunting, or poor water quality, or tank too small for them. It's not like someone somewhere once pulled out a 5' RTC from the Amazon, and it's never happened again. Fishers have consistently pulled out 5' RTCs from their natural habitat, so it is safe to assume that is their average size. Their shortcomings in the home aquaria are not an excuse for smaller tanks, but a consequence of them.

^EXACTLY. it isn't that it has happened, but it happens CONSISTENTLY.

I find it funny how people can be so inconsistent with their beliefs. They argue how cruel it is to keep a certain fish in a certain size tank, yet you search one of their tank threads and see their tanks overstocked. Almost every guy who keeps pbass and aro's keep them in tanks too small.

I hate how they also throw out wild fish sizes. We damn well know that if the biggest wild caught fish is 6 foot, it DOES NOT mean EVERY fish will reach that size. Comparing wild fish with captive fish is ridiculous. And it's even more ridiculous to tell people not to keep fish because they get too big and you yourself turn around and keep fish that will outgrow your tank.

1st, comparing wild fish sizes to captive fish sizes is anything but ridiculous...It is the size the fish SHOULD be able to match or come close to.
Also, it is a great indicator of how a fish is doing.
Every fish may not reach 5 or 6 feet, but (close to) every fish has the potential to come close. Since the potential is there, any keeper is obligated to be prepared for it.
2nd, just because "Almost every guy who keeps pbass and aro's keep them in tanks too small", does not make it okay to do it. A lot of people do stuff that is immoral, but that is ANYTHING but justification.
FLAME ON

 

[jprp]

I looked at this thread a long while ago, but have not looked at all the intermediate posts- so apologies for going over old ground.

My current thought on the monster fish situation is this:
Retail outlets should not be able to sell fish with a large potential size (and by this i will go as LOW as 6in fish) unless they-
A: will always take back said fish and re-house them OR
B: Provide a build on site service for suitable sized accomodation for the adult fish.


It seems odd to me that a shop can sell fish with a potential of 3ft + when they only sell tanks 12in wide?!

 

[FLESHY]

You cant really ask an LFS to do that...a really amazing one might have the facilities to take one back at a large size, but anything else is probably asking too much.

Even holding a large fish for a long period of time can wear a hole in a guys pocket, they want to get little fish they can feed flake, and move them out as fast as possible, nothing else.

 

[Gasha]

Mods please close this thread, it was ment to be a thread where people could voice their opinions about what they thought a minimum tank size for an RTC could be but it seems to have come to name calling and flaming

omg please tell me your some 12 year old girl and not a man.... looks like he might cry a pond to house a 5 footer of his own

and the old dudes gear hanging out in that pic...lol

 

[jprp]

You cant really ask an LFS to do that...a really amazing one might have the facilities to take one back at a large size, but anything else is probably asking too much.

Even holding a large fish for a long period of time can wear a hole in a guys pocket, they want to get little fish they can feed flake, and move them out as fast as possible, nothing else.

SO-they should stick to selling "bread and butter" community fish that can be kept with the equipment they stock.

 

[SemperFish]

I looked at this thread a long while ago, but have not looked at all the intermediate posts- so apologies for going over old ground.

My current thought on the monster fish situation is this:
Retail outlets should not be able to sell fish with a large potential size (and by this i will go as LOW as 6in fish) unless they-
A: will always take back said fish and re-house them OR
B: Provide a build on site service for suitable sized accomodation for the adult fish.


It seems odd to me that a shop can sell fish with a potential of 3ft + when they only sell tanks 12in wide?!

Its corporate business. we cant expect too much from them. Its like saying that a car dealership should make sure that they only sell cars to people who will be safe and responsible drivers.

 

[FLESHY]

Well put semper.