Pretty sure he hit the magic 24" ID size ;)

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
Pseudoplatystoma fasciatum was my thought too when Amy said about the Y-shaped bands. From PCF http://www.planetcatfish.com/common/species.php?species_id=328 Identification: "Vertical to slightly oblique black stripes which are joined together in ''y'' shapes over the fishes back; often has spots, which are thicker on the ventral side; great variation in stripes and spot patterns. Eigenmann recognized at least 14 varieties or subspecies based on colour patterns; easily confused with other members of the genus."

Good thinking about the possible paleness hiding the light stripes.
 
thanks for the back up, much appreciated...I don't have much knowledge of the scientific facts but I've been keeping these guys for quite some time in many more numbers than most. People also like to bring them to me for free lol so I've seen/owned atleast 20-30 over the past 8 years. (I don't kill them, I find em new homes and some get eaten by the others lol) IME the slowest growing end up being the biggest and most beautiful like the tigrinum and the reticulatium. The facitatum seems to be the most available, fastest growing and also has the most varied pattern/coloration. I think its actually easier to identify the different species from an above view as in a pond so your not getting confused so much with color or pattern as it can change on a monthly basis. Its all about the head shape/size/structure in my opinion. Im not positive on the 2 diff. species/subspecies correct name I currently own but its night and day to tell them apart next to one another. Out of the 30 or so ive had come through my home ive only came across 2 that wernt facitatum. Its taken a good 4 years for the 2 oddballs to really show their differences at around 24-30" and their patterning and color are simply amazing compared to the run of the mills. Not bashing facitatum lol as I have 5 of them aswell but the others are just a bit better in my eyes for looks. Theres another thread where a tsn is only 12" in two years and this is an example im referring to on how to identify a "not facitatum". Sounds crazy but both my oddball tsn have taken 4 yrs to push over 20" where as the others blew up within 12-18 months in the same conditions. Its a shame mine are in a pond and I cant get some definitive pics to share my knowledge better with this debate as it comes up a lot. When my new tank is done i'll shine some more lite on the debate when we can all see them behind glass. A lot of the inbreeding and deformities make it hard to tell them apart also. I've thought I had something different many many times until they all just change into the facitatium. sorry to rant! hah
 
wednesday13 said:
Theres another thread where a tsn is only 12" in two years and this is an example im referring to on how to identify a "not facitatum". ....
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You probably mean these two or are there more?

-- Tiffany's from ~3.5" to ~7.5" in 1.5 years http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/f...wner-of-Lima-and-Tiger-Shovelnose-(7-Viewing)

-- Shane's from ~3.5" to ~8.5" in 1.5 years http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?529856-TSN-I-d-help&highlight=TSN


wednesday13 said:
.... sorry to rant! hah
Click to expand...

Are you kidding? You have just given me (us) so much valuable info obtained first hand. I've always held your remarkable and unique TSN experience high and continue learning from you and others on here. And you managed to stay on topic... like a rope walker.
 
Yup lol from ur help aswell tigrinum is my i.d....they both kinda resemble oneanother. Crazy part is the pattern didnt change into a big noticable difference until around 18-22" at 3-4 yrs of age. I can remember thinking mine looked odd when i picked it up but still took me a long time to decipher as it morphed. I have a suspected reticulatium (not sure on that spelling hah) i aquired at 18-20" . he remained that size for almost 3 yrs and recently grew to 30-33" in the past year outta nowhere. At 18" he looked like a acharaxtsn hybrid. Completly brown with many black spots and a diff head shape.

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Again, very interesting facts and observations that I have never seen but my TSN experience is 1/10th of yours.

Well, one day, you, my friend, owe it to yourself and all to make a thread echoing Rob's "On the difficulty of identifying goonch species" but TSN species in your case with nice photos, descriptions etc. so that we all get on the same page as to your experience and further perfect it together. Just a thought. I know you are incredibly busy and this is a tall order but one (me) can't help being selfish and hoping it will all be served to them on a silver platter :)
 
thebiggerthebetter said:
Again, very interesting facts and observations that I have never seen but my TSN experience is 1/10th of yours.

Well, one day, you, my friend, owe it to yourself and all to make a thread echoing Rob's "On the difficulty of identifying goonch species" but TSN species in your case with nice photos, descriptions etc. so that we all get on the same page as to your experience and further perfect it together. Just a thought. I know you are incredibly busy and this is a tall order but one (me) can't help being selfish and hoping it will all be served to them on a silver platter :)
Click to expand...

Nothing makes me happier than when people like urself appreciate what i do...so my hats off to u sir. Im just "that guy" crazy enough to have kept that many TSN in 8 yrs haha...im getting real anxious to finish my build just so we can all see my cats again. Its going on 2 yrs since theyve been behind glass. Also irritates me that i cant get a good pic of them in the pool to better explain my examples. I was close to netting a couple out just for u lol

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Thanks but I am no one important, really :) Just a lowly hobbyist like you.

Nah, don't stress them for us. Yes, I do read your 3000 build thread and I know you have your own labor-intensive welding business and you keep nearly 30 tanks and maintenance alone sometimes tires you, a man in his prime young years, out. I am surprised you find strength and time to punch keys at all :) So the above was a wishful thinking, really, is all. If you needed that small kick, there you have it. If you didn't, let it run off of you like water off of a goose :)

As for pics (again, don't read anything into this), one could opt to find pics (and actually even be wise to supplement their own pics) on the internet that reflect what they see in person on their fishes, from babies, to juvies, to sub-adults, to adults. When properly acknowledged and used for educational purposes, people will not object much if at all. Copyright is a real issue but asking for a permission for all the pics one finds can quickly become tedious and ruin the desire to even start the whole project. Rob can say how he went about his pic collection in his thread.

Amy, I duly note that we are still on topic :) I think you will say I use this phrase more loosely than not :)
 
Agreed...sorry to hijack ur thread lol...i moved this topic to the "sticky" with some pics of my stock for example. Monstermini...i also posted a pic of a 1yr oldish facitatum sporting some light colors that resembles urs :) prob around the same age im guessing.

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I think you are on topic. This thread is about Amy's TSN ID. We are trying to figure out how to help her in that exact task.
 
thebiggerthebetter said:
I think you are on topic. This thread is about Amy's TSN ID. We are trying to figure out how to help her in that exact task.
Click to expand...

Ok then lol...heres a lightly colored facitatum that resembles urs amy.
View attachment 962869
uploadfromtaptalk1383922746314.jpg
30" 2-3 yr old facitatum
View attachment 962871
2 facitatum next to recticulatum for comparison
View attachment 962872
Facitatum above tigrinum for comparison
View attachment 962873
Tigrinum :) my personal favorite just for fun lol...
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