My monster is a baby?

[Demo]

lol this thread is funny. Demo, if you need something big and cheap buy a kiddie pool to hold you over till you make some plans.

Is there any way to keep a pond hot enough for him (maybe them?) I know that there is a pond heater, but if i recall, they are only meant for keeping a hole in the ice, not a pond, hot. Winters get cold here in NJ, we also get snow. I ask this, because outside i could go wild with no real size limitations.

 

[fishbum]

It would not be cheap to keep a tropical fish outdoors during the winter in NJ. You would be better off with a kiddie pool for now,inside. Cheap and easy. You could make your own filter for one out of plastic 3 drawer storage bins.

 

[Demo]

Back on topic? How can i tell how "stunted" he is (if he is?) I know fish in captivity grow less than in the wild, and the hormones in the water tell them to slow down their growth, but is there any chance i can figure out a way to get a ballpark figure on how big he will be, aside from the generic up to 5 feet, Id like to assume this poor guy was in a 30 from birth (or close to it) Do they stop growing once they end fish "puberty" By this i mean that in my life i reached 5-11, i may live to 100, but ill always be 5-11. This work with fish?

 

[Dark Jester]

Back on topic? How can i tell how "stunted" he is (if he is?) I know fish in captivity grow less than in the wild, and the hormones in the water tell them to slow down their growth, but is there any chance i can figure out a way to get a ballpark figure on how big he will be, aside from the generic up to 5 feet, Id like to assume this poor guy was in a 30 from birth (or close to it) Do they stop growing once they end fish "puberty" By this i mean that in my life i reached 5-11, i may live to 100, but ill always be 5-11. This work with fish?

Hard to tell if it is stunted if you don't know the age of the fish. I assume that's impossible to determine at this point. Fish will continue to grow throughout their lives though, so if conditions improve, even a stunted fish should resume growing. It just might be a bit behind others of the same age.

 

[jclyde13]

Back on topic? How can i tell how "stunted" he is (if he is?) I know fish in captivity grow less than in the wild, and the hormones in the water tell them to slow down their growth, but is there any chance i can figure out a way to get a ballpark figure on how big he will be, aside from the generic up to 5 feet, Id like to assume this poor guy was in a 30 from birth (or close to it) Do they stop growing once they end fish "puberty" By this i mean that in my life i reached 5-11, i may live to 100, but ill always be 5-11. This work with fish?

It's hard to tell without knowing how long it has been at the store. Assuming the fish hasn't been in there for more than 5-6 months, it should still be capable of reaching at least 40". Unlike humans, fish actually do not stop growing. They will continue growing until the day they die, but at some point in their lifetime, their growth will slow down drastically, and whatever size that happens at is usually considered "maximum size" since they usually will not get much larger than that size.

As long as it hasn't been in there for multiple years, then even if it is severely stunted, you may be able to bring it back to healthy if you consistantly keep your water clean and provide plenty of aeration and adequate space.

 

[Tanks of Steel]

I've gone through this before. He was raised on pelleted foods. Give him a few days more and his instincts will take over.

 

[Juxtaroberto]

Okay, this has gotten out of hand.

The bottom line is this: the OP knows his tank is too small, and got the fish anyways. That's fine, you can always buy a bigger tank. However, his idea of a big enough tank for the fish to live the rest of its days is a 250, and that isn't enough by a long shot. So, my recommendation to the OP is the same I made in my very first post, which was not at all intended to be snarky or condescending, but if it came across that way, I am sorry. But I will not simply pat the OP on the back and congratulate him on his purchase when I believe something is amiss. After all, we're all here for the fish and their well being.

So, OP, consider getting a much bigger tank (or a cattle trough, or a kiddie pool, anything that the catfish can live in for life and that won't suck your wallet dry). I personally like the troughs at Gempler's, although the biggest one there is only 400 gallons. It's got a 6.5 foot diameter, which isn't really enough for the RTCxTSN. If that isn't an option, sell to someone here on MFK whom you know will be able to take good care of that fish.

Glück.

 

[jclyde13]

Okay, this has gotten out of hand.

The bottom line is this: the OP knows his tank is too small, and got the fish anyways. That's fine, you can always buy a bigger tank. However, his idea of a big enough tank for the fish to live the rest of its days is a 250, and that isn't enough by a long shot. So, my recommendation to the OP is the same I made in my very first post, which was not at all intended to be snarky or condescending, but if it came across that way, I am sorry. But I will not simply pat the OP on the back and congratulate him on his purchase when I believe something is amiss. After all, we're all here for the fish and their well being.

So, OP, consider getting a much bigger tank (or a cattle trough, or a kiddie pool, anything that the catfish can live in for life and that won't suck your wallet dry). I personally like the troughs at Gempler's, although the biggest one there is only 400 gallons. It's got a 6.5 foot diameter, which isn't really enough for the RTCxTSN. If that isn't an option, sell to someone here on MFK whom you know will be able to take good care of that fish.

Glück.

+1

 

[JT.]

I stoped reading this at page 6.....




The important its to be ready to give him a bigger tank as fast as possible, I saw the picture of the tank and by the moment its not that bad ( I have seen lots of fish in worse conditions in LFS).

I think not all the people would be as contious as you are when buying this kind of fish. Honestly there are more possibilities of being buyed for somebody with less care about their fish. (Man you entered a fish forum and that saids a lot of you).

Just be ready to get ride of the fish if you cant handle the growth rate.

 

[insanity0x1]

Demo, looking into a smaller pond would be a great idea, seeing how you said outside perimiters wernt really an issue,getting a pond liner at home depot for like 100 bucks can get you a long way! then just get a pond pump for it and youre ready to go! so for a couple benjamins you could hav a larggge fish. this isnt counting heating..that may be another 100 or so..but...do some pricing if youre interested! good luck, and have fun!