Hello I have been wanting to buy a 2 inch or 3 inch redtail catfish to grow out i have a 55 gal to start him off then plan on a 75 and then a 300 to next year this time i should have the plywood aquarium 2000 gallon setup and running as well as a 50,000 pool pond like ohio fish rescue. Why? because i love fish. but the ponds and plywood will be about a year from now could i still keep a redtail?
Keeping redtail catfish
- Thread starter Cestra04
- Start date
i have the 300 my bad i see how that looks like i said i dont. and yes it is cycled just my silver aro and 2 bichir in there
The 300 gallon will be temporary and another concern for me is when the Redtail Catfish gets larger the Bichir they may very well become expensive meals for the Redtail.
I'm tempted to say go for it, if all these new homes come to fruition. But occasionally life has a nasty habit of throwing curve balls at you. Personally I wouldn't go down the road of getting such a beast as an RTC unless I had its final home firmly in place.
The question is, how confident are you that everything is going to go according to plan?
The question is, how confident are you that everything is going to go according to plan?
I'm sure this won't be a popular opinion here on MFK...but even a 300-gallon tank is woefully inadequate for a RTC more than a year or two old. There, I said it. Back in the day I had that exact fish in a 360 and it did not take very long for the fish to take on a very sad, pathetic aspect as it shuffled around in that relatively small area. Bear in mind that you can practically see those guys growing. I don't use the term "happy" to describe fish...but if I did, that fish was not happy. Neither was I.
Sure, the pond is a great idea. I had the very same plan when I was in my 20's, along with a lot of other grandiose schemes. Some of them came to fruition; a lot didn't. This pond sounds good on paper and in theory. It's the cost, the execution and the required space that are the sticking points.
Buck the trend. Break the mold. Instead of being just another keeper with a too-big fish in a too-small tank...buy/build/set-up that forever home for it before you get the fish. Buying a tiny redtail now and sticking it into a 50, or a 300, is like pulling the pin on a hand-grenade before you quite figure out where you are going to throw the dang thing; it very quickly develops into an "uh-oh...now what?" moment.
Edited to add: What Esox said! Jeez...everybody types faster than I do...
Sure, the pond is a great idea. I had the very same plan when I was in my 20's, along with a lot of other grandiose schemes. Some of them came to fruition; a lot didn't. This pond sounds good on paper and in theory. It's the cost, the execution and the required space that are the sticking points.
Buck the trend. Break the mold. Instead of being just another keeper with a too-big fish in a too-small tank...buy/build/set-up that forever home for it before you get the fish. Buying a tiny redtail now and sticking it into a 50, or a 300, is like pulling the pin on a hand-grenade before you quite figure out where you are going to throw the dang thing; it very quickly develops into an "uh-oh...now what?" moment.
Edited to add: What Esox said! Jeez...everybody types faster than I do...
If you feel the need to post here and ask for guidance or to seek validation, then the answer is a big, solid NO. When the 2000 gallon plywood is built, holding water, and cycled, then you get the fish.
don’t redtails grow around 24” in the first year? I honestly think it would be fine in the 300g for one year… but the bichirs may get eaten if they are too small. But ensure that everything goes to plan first before buying ye
It will be fine for a year...and at the end of the year, when/if the promised mega-tank isn't quite ready, it'll be fine for another few months...and probably okay for a few more...and then pretty cramped...and then stressed due to poor water conditions caused by such a massive bioload in a small tank. At that point the owner is getting stressed, is spending a lot of time changing water...and the mega-tank remains elusive. Wannabe mega-tank owners are like wannabe waitress/actresses or labourers/rockstars; it seems like you can't spit without hitting one, but how many actually make it?
This scenario happens a lot. The RTC is probably one of the most frequent victims, partly because it's inexpensive, readily available at tiny sizes, easy to keep at first...and partly because it grows at an astronomical pace. A 2-inch Redtail is so cute it's almost irresistible.
Resist it...for its sake and yours.
This scenario happens a lot. The RTC is probably one of the most frequent victims, partly because it's inexpensive, readily available at tiny sizes, easy to keep at first...and partly because it grows at an astronomical pace. A 2-inch Redtail is so cute it's almost irresistible.
Resist it...for its sake and yours.