HEY GUYS IM TRYING TO GET AS MUSH INFO ON RED TAIL CATFISH. WHATS THE BEST TANK MATES TO HAVE AND WHAT TO AVOID. THE MORE INFO THE BETTER. LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU GUYS KNOW ABOUT THEM.
Best tank mates for rtc and what to avoid
- Thread starter sharkboy2k
- Start date
First, STOP TYPING IN CAPS!!!!!!!!! Caps=Yelling.
I've addressed multiple posts over your RTCs. How about filling us in on the tank size and filtration you're keeping these bruisers in before any recommendations of tankmates?
I've addressed multiple posts over your RTCs. How about filling us in on the tank size and filtration you're keeping these bruisers in before any recommendations of tankmates?
ok first sorry about the caps new to this.
ok im from the uk and the size of tank is 6ft x 2.5ft wide
ive got one rtc only 14" but looking after another 18" from saturday until i can shift it when it starts to grow.
ok im from the uk and the size of tank is 6ft x 2.5ft wide
ive got one rtc only 14" but looking after another 18" from saturday until i can shift it when it starts to grow.
whatever u put in there with them it has to be bigger than their mouth 2 or 3 times over and be able to grow as fast as they do try oscers pacu gars and the real mean cichlids dovii devil butti umbee jag as long as they are bigger than the mouth. lol
With RTCs, No long, thin, or cigar shaped fish. MUST be at least a third taller than the cat's mouth is wide. It's easy to underestimate these cat's eating capabilites. We recently had a member post that his 2.5ft RTC ate a foot-long (carapace length) pond turtle. It digested every part of the turtle(owner found no trace in the filter or pond floor). At 18", I fed my RTCs whole market trout and they took them down like candy.
Here are a couple of pics where the owners have stated; "But, it was the same size as the RTC".
Here are a couple of pics where the owners have stated; "But, it was the same size as the RTC".
those are painful pics reminds me of my first rtc experince sharkboy 2k i should have said dont put anything in there u care about it will be food.
Hi and 
As always Oddball offers great advice but as he said what is your filtration? Theses fish require good filtration and good water and can eat huge amounts, then decide to throw it up. 2 of theses fish at that size in your tank could be utter disaster if you have not got the filtration to cope with it theses big cats are not deliberately predatory they just eat what they can when they can one of our members found this out to his cost when his Tiger shovel nose ate his tiger shovel nose (29” eats 19”
. Does this help?
As always Oddball offers great advice but as he said what is your filtration? Theses fish require good filtration and good water and can eat huge amounts, then decide to throw it up. 2 of theses fish at that size in your tank could be utter disaster if you have not got the filtration to cope with it theses big cats are not deliberately predatory they just eat what they can when they can one of our members found this out to his cost when his Tiger shovel nose ate his tiger shovel nose (29” eats 19”. Does this help?Some food pelletts got on one of my 12" plastic plants and my intelligent RTC ate the whole plant, I wish I had pics of this. I played doctor and removed plant with long reach pliers that have a long handle and small jaws that open and close. Fish survived the ordeal. Right now RTC shares his quarters with a very large Pacu, Giant gourami, Pseudodoras Niger Cat, and very large Leiarius Pictus Cat. Over the years my Redtails have eaten >> silver dollars, Lima shovelnose (3/4 size of RTC ), small striped bass, and a few cichlids. Aside from all that, if you can provide large living space, extreme filterization, and willing to do weekly 30% water changes. Go for it, they are a great fish, with great personality, mine eats from my hand!