here's a small wels - this fish took a bait on a 3/0 circle hook that weighed pretty much half of the cats weight.
Having kept wels in aquaria ... wels can and will eat prey items the same size as themselves - especially if a similar shape - first had experience of a wels eating a bowfin of the same lenght (exactly as it's self) - took 2 days to swallow completely, but left alone the cat did fine - and went on to grow to 3ft.
With regard to growth - I have no idea how on earth you could hope to achieve a length of even approaching 6ft, let alone 10ft - growth slows significantly after reaching about 4ft. Also the sheer volumes of food that you would have to feed it would be incomprehensible - maybe after 30 years - good average growth in UK waters (and you're going to put it in a pond) is 4lb - there have been instances of 10lb, but this is rare ... even in the balmy waters of the ebro (which is full of 10lb carp for the cats to eat) growth is only about 10lb - 15lb per year.
Wels are incredibly territorial - therefore - tank mates that occupy the same space are not adviseable.
If your cat is active - then there is something wrong with it - possibly temperature related - wels are a sedentary fish - give it some hidy holes, tunnels and tubes - the swimming is probably a reaction to stress.
Wels look far more attractive in aqauria at sizes of less than 3ft (just my opinion).
carl
Having kept wels in aquaria ... wels can and will eat prey items the same size as themselves - especially if a similar shape - first had experience of a wels eating a bowfin of the same lenght (exactly as it's self) - took 2 days to swallow completely, but left alone the cat did fine - and went on to grow to 3ft.
With regard to growth - I have no idea how on earth you could hope to achieve a length of even approaching 6ft, let alone 10ft - growth slows significantly after reaching about 4ft. Also the sheer volumes of food that you would have to feed it would be incomprehensible - maybe after 30 years - good average growth in UK waters (and you're going to put it in a pond) is 4lb - there have been instances of 10lb, but this is rare ... even in the balmy waters of the ebro (which is full of 10lb carp for the cats to eat) growth is only about 10lb - 15lb per year.
Wels are incredibly territorial - therefore - tank mates that occupy the same space are not adviseable.
If your cat is active - then there is something wrong with it - possibly temperature related - wels are a sedentary fish - give it some hidy holes, tunnels and tubes - the swimming is probably a reaction to stress.
Wels look far more attractive in aqauria at sizes of less than 3ft (just my opinion).
carl
