Long overdue update lol. The leeri looks nice in there, can't wait to see it put on some size. And you know the compliment on the zz is coming
lol they're nice as always. Wonder what the pecking order is like in this tank. Some of those rtc look massive, what would you guess your largest one at?
I am sorry I am late with my assignment
Please, give me a "B" at least.
Leerii is a bit of a good surprise in that it's done ok in there so far. It's been there for about half a year. It looks like it's smart enough to never go down and rest or swim at the bottom level. It is always mid water. Always. Maybe it's its nature, IDK. In 240 gal it wouldn't do that all that much but in 4500 gal it does only that - it only stays mid water. They are not called helicopter catfish for nothing but IDK if it's that exclusively off-bottom of a catfish. Looks like it knows better to stay away from all the bottom-greedy, patrolling brutes and it knows it can fit in the mouth of many of its tank mates, especially the largest RTCs.
The leerii has a "nemo" defect in that it lacks right pelvic fin altogether. Sometimes it has a ripped fin or a smallish piece of a fin removed, looks like by a pacu but no large bite marks from other cats.
I placed leerii in that 4500 gal at the same time with an about the same sized 20"-21" piraiba that I got from Wes. The piraiba only lived on the bottom. After 3-4 months of peaceful coexistence, the piraiba got viciously attacked overnight. I found it in the morning barely alive and barely swimming away from other catfish, RTC, TSN, TSNxRTC mouthing its behind and trying to swallow it tail first. It's been in 240 gal for a couple of months and now in the other "peaceful" community 4500 gal. It has grown its skin on the hind third, most of which was missing, and most of its tail, which too was missing almost altogether.
Both jaus have officially broke 2.5' mark and have been eating a LOT of fish, which is not like them. They are usually mostly pellet kind of fish. I suspect they will try to spawn again like last year, which unfortunately I missed what it all culminated in anyway.
The RTC I call alpha is a male that's between 2.5' and 3'. Nothing too impressive but coupled with its enormous width, it looks bigger in person. Now that I have had 10 of them for a while, it's easy to tell male from female. The classic trait observed in catfish works here too. Wide and flat head = male. Narrower and more sloping head = female.
Jaus rule the tank for sure. When they fight, everyone scatters. 8-Year old and slightly bigger ZeeZee (I suspect the female) is the dominant one, Zazula (I suspect the male) takes second place. After ZeeZee's whooping (Zazula too gives only a bit less then it takes), Zazula takes it out on everybody else in the tank, swimming all over and snapping its mouth loudly. Once in a while both of them feel the need to clear their personal space a bit from all the RTCs and hybrids. I saw alpha RTC challenge Zazula a few times, which didn't go well for alpha, despite alpha's definite size advantage. I've never seen anyone challenge ZeeZee to a side-smashing, pectoral fin-poking, and biting match.
Paroons have their hierarchy, which is enforced violently, which I believe was the cause behind my losing two paroons out of the original 6. Other than that, they flee from everyone else's aggression.
TSNs are rather mellow. The middle-sized one called Cigaren is the main TSN. The smaller runt stays out of everyone's way. The biggest newcomer submits to Cigaren, who can be moody.
TSNxRTC hybrids differ. One is assertive and gets it from the jaus, especially Zazula. The other is a deformed duck-bill kind and is sheepish and hence almost always intact. Both eat like there is no tomorrow. In every feeding they want it all to themselves, often stealing, harassing, and cheating, lingering right in my face.
Distichodus sexfasciatum chases around the pacus which are 3-4 times its size in weight. Kind of funny to see. Pacus get on its nerves since its introduction. Pacus always try to bite off fins and barbels of any fish that'd let them, that'd not fight back, like IDS and channel catfish. Newcomer Disti hence took a dislike to the pacus from the giddy-up. But thanks goodness the chasing is one or two laps and not too vicious. It's funny to see an almost 2' round pacu flying full speed around a 4500 gal.
No one messes with barramundi now that it has got good size. Except during the feeding...
I must note that every RTC and hybrid though messes with everyone during feeding if the other fish has got, say, a 20" mullet half-sticking out of their mouth, then it's a fair target for "gimme-gimme-gimme, it's mine-mine-mine, me wants, me wants, me wants, feed me, feed me, feed me, why are you running away from me, do you really think I can't catch yah, don't you dare turning away while I am talking to yah".
Pima has its fins damaged once in a while. I've not caught who does it. I tend to blame pacu but can't be sure.
TSNxMarbled Pim props up its ego from bossing over Marbled Pim. The former is somewhere in the middle in the overall rating, judging by an occasional minor skin abrasion, etc. The latter is pretty low, runs away from all other catfish if they show any sign of aggression.
I did rehome silver aros and a pbass into the other 4500 gal after my only female aro Kinky was killed by the big cats.
Awesome video Viktor!!! Love the schooling Paroons!
Thanks, Vincent! I could only wish they were more at peace with each other. The one with bitten off dorsal fin is the challenger to the biggest one.
Incredible group there TBTB. Nice monsters especially that barramundi.
It's a character, like all perches
Shameless beggar but the one who learned to be cautious in that rambunctious crowd. Also, can beg and beg and beg and then ignore the food I throw in his face, as if testing its spell power over me "hahaha, but I still got it, if I do this enough, he will do that!".
so awesome. How big are the RTC x TSN's? I always hear about them being capable of getting to 4 feet, but yours are the closest I've seen to that mark.
Thanks, mate. There is no reason for the hybrids not to reach 3.5'-4' eventually, I agree but mine are still between 2' and 2.5', perhaps close to 2.5'. Nothing too impressive yet. Necrocanis used to have a 3'-er. TLkm's was about the same size or bigger. Those are the biggest I am aware.
