New Asian Red-Tailed Catfish!!!

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
I have 2 asian red tails..one baby hes probably around 6 inches..and i have buhbba whos about 11 inches, got em both for free.
 
Sarahsaavedra26;2282436; said:
I have 2 asian red tails..one baby hes probably around 6 inches..and i have buhbba whos about 11 inches, got em both for free.
pics???
 
My favorite cat! I got mine about a year and a half ago at about 2.5 inches, he is now over 18". He lived with tankmates pretty successfully until about 11-12". The only losses I attribute to him were 3 scomb paraya that he ate while I was out of town for the weekend. My ARTC is now over 18" long and lives a solitary lifestyle. He's too mean for anything else. Since March his primary food is Hikari Massivore. As a smaller fish I fed him bloodworms and a lot of cichlid sinking pellets. He loved live feeders when they were available, but as I mentioned was for the most part well behaved with tankmates until the 11" mark, even tankmates that would have been easy meals. ARTC have amazing personalities and are a very personable fish. I always said mine was terperamental, that is he may not react right away, but if he is not happy you'll find out later when the lights go out.
Another problem I encountered was that they love to clear their substrate at a larger size. When small they just dug pits to get comfortable, but when larger he would clear the subsrate to the ends of the tank. This is one fish that I will keep no matter how big he gets or how large of a home he requires, a true fish for life. Again, they lounge a lot during the day and are most active at night. Mine never has a light on now in the tank he is in, Just ambiant light from the other tanks. Here's a recent pic.

img2264pk5.jpg



The pic may be deceiving, The tank is 18" from front to back and his tail is touching the back even with his body turned. And from tip to tip his longest whiskers are probably over 16" long combined.
 
i would like to try these guys but not quite ready for a species only tank. When i do a species only of these ill do a species only electric cat tank.
 
  • Like
Reactions: monkeybike
I've read, but not attempted, that you can mix several varieties of Syno's with electric cats.

ALSO, ARTC is not a species only fish, he is a specimen only fish. JUST ONE. If you have two, it will become just one.
 
i have an albino asian redtail cat. i have had him for just over 1 year. he has grown from a 3" unknown cat i fell in love with at a lfs to an 8" monster that i wouldnt trade for much anything.i wanted to get rid of him at one point but i have grown too attached. these are such great fish. i really wish i could acquire another one, but unfortunately as already stated, these fish cannot be kept with anything else. as is, my aartc has frequent battles with my crenicichla and my hybrid cichlid.
 
That catfish is better off left alone with no other fishes..It will kill other fishes for no reason..When you see like dead fishes in your tank and you dont know why and you have an ARTC in there, that is probably the reason.
 
i know what you mean about digging pits to feel comfortable as mine has made an expansion to the entrance of the pot he calls home. In his tank now, his only tank mates are giant danios which i expect to become lunch, he is much more comfortable now, coming out when the light is on and such. and once he outgrows all the tanks i have here at home, he has a reserved home at the New England Aquarium!!
 
MonsterFishKeepers.com