Am i just as bad????

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C

cdr5y7

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Apr 17, 2009
6
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Columbia, mo
So for the past 8 months i have been doing my research and trying to figure out the best catshark for my 240g. Iv read numerous forums about everyones opinion. so one day i was wondering into my LFS and saw he had a Cat Shark, Black Banded (Chiloscyllium punctatum).

yes i know they can get up to 42" and i know i would need a min of 400 plus. thats not what im looking for. read on please

the owner has had the shark for 4 years, its bands are pretty much gone, slight hint they were there and the shark is only 18in long.
the real kicker is the owner has been keeping this shark in a 125g along with a large grouper.

So my delema and question is, would i be just as bad given the shark, the age, and size to try to give him a better life in my 240g.
 
No offense, but yes. You know how big tank this fish needs.
 
that good that you actually took the time to sit down and think about it. allot of people would have just bought and threw it in their tank by now. if i was in ur dilema, since the cat is old, and needs a larger tank, i would pass this one up, and go get a baby cat. good luck
 
thats all im asking. i just felt bad for the shark and didnt know if i could give her a better life or would be doing the same thing to her.

also wasnt sure based on age if she would do a lot of growing still or what?
 
Any change would be positive for the fish, however, you have to think long term health and well being, which in this case, as you correctly deduced, cannot be attained in your 240g.
 
You could get it and try and find a new home for it. At least that way while you are trying to rehome it it is in a larger tank.:)
 
Is it possible that at such a small tank in a way stunted her growth. being that she is close to 4 and about 18in? and at what age do they typically reach maturity and full size?
 
If someone is on the side of the road starving... is it acceptable to buy them a big mac even though it is not an "ideal" meal? I would think so...

If you can offer it a better environment, even though it is not ideal... the fish will be better off...

Now consider the effect it will have on you…

It will serve the purpose you are looking for it to serve short tern just wonderfully. In the long term it "might" outgrow your tank. Is 42" the species average... or is that how big a huge male might get after a long life in an open river? I personally do not know the answer to that question but all too often the "species max" is thrown around as if every specimen of that species is expected to attain that size.

Then, as you mentioned, there is a strong chance the fish is stunted. Many catfish will live for many years and therefore mature more slowly than the Cichlids we are used to, so 4 years old isn't nearly as old to a catfish as it would be to a Cichlid. But it still "might” be stunted.

Personally, I would consider getting it... it's not ideal for you or the fish... but it improves the situation for both you and the fish...

PS - I also commend you for thinking over the idea as opposed to falling victim to spontaneity.
 
thats one thing iv always in a way disagreed with, yes i know the banded catshark can have a max of 42" but wouldnt the size depend on the environment that its in?

Cant the size of a tank or lack there of have an affect on the potential size of the shark?
 
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