My first expirience with rtc, was that of most novice fishkeepers. I was looking at fish in a lfs one day, and saw it. Bam it struck me. This was a South American Catfish that I had been reading about for years in the catfish books that I had accumilated. I studied catfish for a long time before I ever started keeping them, but more on an anatomical level than on a fish keeping level. I knew how big they could get, but I didn't know anything about water params, or catfish husbantry. So it was about 6" long already, and I asked the clerk how much. She said $25. I said I'll take it. I went home set up a cooler with a 150 gph filter I had just bought and stuck the catfish in there. I did at least dechlorinate the water. I saved for two weeks and the catfish seemed fine. I bought my first tank a 55 gal. I got it half price to includ a Penguin 300 filter the stank, heater, gravel, lights tank, costed me around $150. My brother smoked a big joint with the store owner. Drugs are not my thing, but for the owner and my brother it was good I guess. He sold it to me half price lol. So I put the catfish in there with the filter he already had and the new biowheel filter. I also purchased a spotted gar that day. lol. The rtc was in the 55 for about 6 months, and I did weekly water changes even though I knew nothing about water chemistry the fish lived. I saved and bought a 125 gal. I moved before I could set it up and had to keep the rtc in the 55 for a long time till I got the stand built, and everything in the new place. He was in the 55 gal for about 10 months and was around 18" long when I moved him into the 125 gal. lol. Man was I ignorant. I kept him in there another year, and he was around 26" long after 2 years and living in the 125 gal. He ate several oscars, tons of bluegill, snakes, and generally whatever I could get him to eat. Sadly my filtration crashed cause he outgrew it, and he and my pacu, and pleco all died. I broke down the tank, and went into the military. I took my 30 gal with me, and kept only small catfish everywhere I went, and when I got to montana I knew my journies were over. So I started to upsize. Having the internet while traveling the world I focused on learning as much about water chemistry, and catfish husbantry as possible so that when I could upgrade I would be able to do it the right way. It's much easier when you have knowledge about their anatomy, phisiology, phylogeny, and a working knowledge of water chemistry. I can't believe how dumb I was back then. All in all I've been keeping generally catfish for 12 years now. The last 3.5 years I have been in Montana have allowed me to reach a level never dreamed of by me, and finding MFK around the same time allowed me to greatly expand my knowledge. As soon as I saw my first article on indoor ponds I knew I had to try monster fish again, and boy am I glad I did. My current rtc is 19" long, and I've had him a year from only 1" long. He's not my favorite, but he's a close third. Lumpy is first, then the big hybrid, then fat albert the rtc. I will always remember my first one as the one that got me started in all of this. I just wish I would have researched water params more. I was planning on upgrading to a larger tank, but 911 interfered with that.
Great thread. Can't wait till next week. What's it gonna be TSN? hehehe
Great thread. Can't wait till next week. What's it gonna be TSN? hehehe
Thanx Basslover34.