Friday evening, I was contacted by a friend about a large Niger catfish in a shop, that need rehoming.
The story I was told by the shop owner, was the catfish had broken the 7x3 aquarium it was housed in and was then dumped in the shop. The only thing he had to put it in was a 45"x45"x2ft cube. The fish is around 39.5-40". He said he'd phone a load of local zoos and public aquariums to try to rehouse it and had no look. Upon hearing this story and being a sucker for large doradides. I offered to take the fish on.
Upon arriving to the shop, which was over 3 hours away. I couldn't quite beilive what I was looking at. In this little cube was the following.
Rtc 16"
Giant snake head 14"
African marble lung fish 14"
Clarrius catfish 8"
Sailfin plecos of various sizes
Synodontis catfish if various sizes.
Mostlikely other stuff aswell, the water was horrendous. It was also litter with left over prawns and muscles. I don't mean a few. I mean several handfuls. Obviously the fish wasn't eatting due to the water quality. The filteration on this was a single Fulval 306 and one 100w heater to heat the small "pond".
As the shop owner explained. She had only been there a few days. But the lung fish had been attacking the catfish, but he had no where for her to go. (He could have easily removed the lung fish).
The bloke was clueless in all fairness. Trying to convince me a L160 was a water melon plec. I was thinking to myself. I own both types and had to correct him on his ID of the fish.
I removed the fish and got her back and in to my tank. That when I saw the state of it. It face and mouth area had been destroyed by this lung fish, the fish is also covered in ammonia burns.
And of course the bulk of this fish is huge! Oddly enough, I was offered this exact fish around 6 months ago. But I turned it down.
After posting up on social media. I was contacted again. By the old owner of the fish. Asking about it.
Turn out. The "shop owner" had told him he had a large tropical pond and removed this fish from a 9x4x3 fibreglass tank with viewing window. As the bloke though he was doing the right thing rehousing her. Due to the size she had become and she was kicking his ray pups around with her tail, he gladly let her go to this amazing sounding large tropical pond. Which in fact, was a 45" cube, with poor filteration and hugely overstocked. The fish had infact been in this idiots care for over 2 months. The original owner is heart broken, angry and upset about what's happened to her. As I'm sure any of us would be. He thought he was doing right letting her go to a large home. which was in fact nearly her death. I personally think, a few more days in that little tub would have finished her off. The shop need shutting down, just a little back street shop - mambos aquatics - Darlington. A Compleate idiot and has made this fish suffer so badly
I actually didn't think she would make the trip back. She's was very weak for two days bearly moved. The water he kept her in was 19c. I had to stop at the service station on my way home and get them to boil the kettle to warm her back up. I weighted the fish before realising her into the tank, she went 37lb 7oz on the scales.
Now she's healing well after a good salt treatment and good water. (Been a challenge keeping it perfect I must add with the amount of waste coming off her)
Now. I was left with the delmore of having this huge 40" fish what was more towards 40lb. I was thinking to myself. I have to get her out of this tank. One kick of the tail and it's all over.
So I frantically searched online for the best thing I could find. I came across a large koi vat. 10ft x 4.5 x 3 at a good price, it was the largest thing I found online aswell without spending thousands at such short notice. Rang the chap, brought it. I've just got back from a 8 hour around trip and 500 odd milles to collect it. Unfortunately, the bloke had misread the measurements. So it actually didn't fit in my large van. The vat is actually 10 x 5.5 x 3. Least it was bigger than smaller.
Has luck has it, the bloke owns a haulage company and has agreed to have it dropped up in the morning, free of charge cause if the traveling we had done and it was his cock up. After I explained the situation with the large niger. What a great guy!
So i shall be removing the fish around late afternoon in to a temporary vat. Removing the large tank. And installing the vat into the fish room.
The vats well over 1000g I figured the original meausrents out to be 1009.9 gallons so I need to add another foot on the width and refigure it out.
I don't think I've done to bad in 3 days to sort it all. The fish should be in the vat by Friday if all goes to plan. I will update. Once it's all sorted.
But check out this monster! She's huge! Notice what she had been kept in when he "rehomed her" a awful and cruel bloke. The damage to her mouth. Which has healed up quite fast I might add. Although I have noticed, she has almost forgotten how to swim almost from being cramped up in that little area. I'm sure she'll figure it out again. She's improved over the last few days.
I just can't imagine why you would take this fish out of a large enclosure and drop it into a bucket in effect. So you can have a big fish? And then lie through your teeth to rehome her. I've also seen the messages from the bkkke offering to rehouse her. Saying he had a Large tropical pond. Im really annoyed about the whole situation, it could of been avoid. The fish could of either stopped where it originally was or been rehouse properly and I wouldn't if had to go out and spent a small fortune making sure I can house it properly. All because of some idiot.
But I was due an upgrade. And I must admit she had grown on me.
I hope I haven't ranted to much and I hope it all makes senses I'm tired from all the driving today.
Also. Check the 20" male meglodoras next to her!
The story I was told by the shop owner, was the catfish had broken the 7x3 aquarium it was housed in and was then dumped in the shop. The only thing he had to put it in was a 45"x45"x2ft cube. The fish is around 39.5-40". He said he'd phone a load of local zoos and public aquariums to try to rehouse it and had no look. Upon hearing this story and being a sucker for large doradides. I offered to take the fish on.
Upon arriving to the shop, which was over 3 hours away. I couldn't quite beilive what I was looking at. In this little cube was the following.
Rtc 16"
Giant snake head 14"
African marble lung fish 14"
Clarrius catfish 8"
Sailfin plecos of various sizes
Synodontis catfish if various sizes.
Mostlikely other stuff aswell, the water was horrendous. It was also litter with left over prawns and muscles. I don't mean a few. I mean several handfuls. Obviously the fish wasn't eatting due to the water quality. The filteration on this was a single Fulval 306 and one 100w heater to heat the small "pond".
As the shop owner explained. She had only been there a few days. But the lung fish had been attacking the catfish, but he had no where for her to go. (He could have easily removed the lung fish).
The bloke was clueless in all fairness. Trying to convince me a L160 was a water melon plec. I was thinking to myself. I own both types and had to correct him on his ID of the fish.
I removed the fish and got her back and in to my tank. That when I saw the state of it. It face and mouth area had been destroyed by this lung fish, the fish is also covered in ammonia burns.
And of course the bulk of this fish is huge! Oddly enough, I was offered this exact fish around 6 months ago. But I turned it down.
After posting up on social media. I was contacted again. By the old owner of the fish. Asking about it.
Turn out. The "shop owner" had told him he had a large tropical pond and removed this fish from a 9x4x3 fibreglass tank with viewing window. As the bloke though he was doing the right thing rehousing her. Due to the size she had become and she was kicking his ray pups around with her tail, he gladly let her go to this amazing sounding large tropical pond. Which in fact, was a 45" cube, with poor filteration and hugely overstocked. The fish had infact been in this idiots care for over 2 months. The original owner is heart broken, angry and upset about what's happened to her. As I'm sure any of us would be. He thought he was doing right letting her go to a large home. which was in fact nearly her death. I personally think, a few more days in that little tub would have finished her off. The shop need shutting down, just a little back street shop - mambos aquatics - Darlington. A Compleate idiot and has made this fish suffer so badly
I actually didn't think she would make the trip back. She's was very weak for two days bearly moved. The water he kept her in was 19c. I had to stop at the service station on my way home and get them to boil the kettle to warm her back up. I weighted the fish before realising her into the tank, she went 37lb 7oz on the scales.
Now she's healing well after a good salt treatment and good water. (Been a challenge keeping it perfect I must add with the amount of waste coming off her)
Now. I was left with the delmore of having this huge 40" fish what was more towards 40lb. I was thinking to myself. I have to get her out of this tank. One kick of the tail and it's all over.
So I frantically searched online for the best thing I could find. I came across a large koi vat. 10ft x 4.5 x 3 at a good price, it was the largest thing I found online aswell without spending thousands at such short notice. Rang the chap, brought it. I've just got back from a 8 hour around trip and 500 odd milles to collect it. Unfortunately, the bloke had misread the measurements. So it actually didn't fit in my large van. The vat is actually 10 x 5.5 x 3. Least it was bigger than smaller.
Has luck has it, the bloke owns a haulage company and has agreed to have it dropped up in the morning, free of charge cause if the traveling we had done and it was his cock up. After I explained the situation with the large niger. What a great guy!
So i shall be removing the fish around late afternoon in to a temporary vat. Removing the large tank. And installing the vat into the fish room.
The vats well over 1000g I figured the original meausrents out to be 1009.9 gallons so I need to add another foot on the width and refigure it out.
I don't think I've done to bad in 3 days to sort it all. The fish should be in the vat by Friday if all goes to plan. I will update. Once it's all sorted.
But check out this monster! She's huge! Notice what she had been kept in when he "rehomed her" a awful and cruel bloke. The damage to her mouth. Which has healed up quite fast I might add. Although I have noticed, she has almost forgotten how to swim almost from being cramped up in that little area. I'm sure she'll figure it out again. She's improved over the last few days.
I just can't imagine why you would take this fish out of a large enclosure and drop it into a bucket in effect. So you can have a big fish? And then lie through your teeth to rehome her. I've also seen the messages from the bkkke offering to rehouse her. Saying he had a Large tropical pond. Im really annoyed about the whole situation, it could of been avoid. The fish could of either stopped where it originally was or been rehouse properly and I wouldn't if had to go out and spent a small fortune making sure I can house it properly. All because of some idiot.
But I was due an upgrade. And I must admit she had grown on me.
I hope I haven't ranted to much and I hope it all makes senses I'm tired from all the driving today.
Also. Check the 20" male meglodoras next to her!
