Just so everyone knows when I say I am strapped for space I mean that I am at my limit for my current setups. I set up a new 55 gal just for these babies. I also set up another 10 gal for the baby limas. They are all just growout tanks, and the plan is to have the wooden monstrosity in my garage complete by the end of this summer. Until then there is the 250 gal pond, the 100 gal pond, and the 1100 gal pond. In all I have 2 ten gal tanks, 1 30 gal, 1 45 gal, 1 55 gal, 1 90 gal, the 100 gal pond, the 350 gal pond, and the 1100 gal pond, along with several 30 gal, and 50 gal emergency tanks. I always use extra filtration so that I will have a spare filter should I ever need to set up one of the emergency tanks. I know I have a ton of huge fish, and potentially huge fish, but it's all part of the master plan. The tank I am building now will even be temporary until my wife gets her settlement and we build our dream house. The plan then is a 25,000 gal catfish tank. There are only several more species that I am looking for, and I am done. I plan to house these cats for life, and do whatever it takes to keep them healthy. I've had to perform surgery on my fish, and yes I have lost fish, but it wasn't for a lack of trying. Once I am out of the military I should be better off in the fish category as I won't have to leave them with the wife and others. Catfish are not my life, but they are my passion. I plan on making a catfish website (details released later), and have started the process of setting up a catfish fund, to help with research, and species protection. I've been taking classes for some time on fish biology, and my professors are kind enough to let me study catfish almost exclusively. Most of my studies in class are on internal anatomy, and phisiology.
Alright so I know I am long winded. I feel that anyone who is concerned about fish is ok in my books. I get irked at PC and others at times for making ridiculous claims, but in all fairness they are looking after what they love. I'm sure many of them keep the fish that they tell others not to, and do it because they want to preserve what they love. I would like to thank bgonz for being concerned. I would have answered before, but I was tending to my new babies, and getting ready for work. I would hope that no one thinks I am getting in over my head, but maybe it's good to get a reality check every now and then. Many members on here have helped me out in the past including bgonz. I would never try to pretend that I know more than any other person on here, but instead would say that I am overly concerned when it comes to the care of catfish. When these piraiba became available I knew I would get one, and I was hoping that some other people would also. I just hope that they have a plan for them in the future. I've been in touch with a member who has one at 60", and his is doing fine in a tropical pond. He has tons of other catfish in with it. I've kept many species of catfish together successfully that many other people have said would never work out. I'm sure the cats I have, are going to have a fufilled life, and I intend to make it all happen. I'll have to take the rita rita off the list as they didn't come in.
Oh the final count is 4 limas, 3 angeneiosus sp., 1 filamentosum, 1 jurense, 1 jau, 1 rtc,
3 tsn, 1 rtc x tsn, 1 mrtc, 1 black bullhead, 2 irridescent sharks, and 3 common plecos. I actually don't know that I will get any others unless they are rescues for a long time. I have two of the three most wanted by me. The other I want is a planiceps. If I get that one it's the last one. All of my tsn are rescues, I actually talked pet stores into calling me if they came in accidentally. So far 3 have in the past 2 years. I tried to talk one guy who had one at 24" in a 30 gal tank into giving me his, and he said no that the fish was fine. Is what I am doing better? Not sure, but I think it is.
, but thats OK. I was there once myself 
There is life after TOTAL Catfish addiction 
