New baby red tail owner. Need advice, please

[Batmans]

Good Morning - There's a lot of mixed info online about what to feed and how much (feed every day, every other day, 1x week). I have a baby red tail and was hoping you could steer me in the right direction, so I don't overfeed and get a mixed variety. Thank you

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

Welcome to the MFK! How big is your baby RTC? Usually they take pellets well when young. It'd be good to offer quality carnivore/omnivore pellets and thawed fish pieces.

 

[Batmans]

Welcome to the MFK! How big is your baby RTC? Usually they take pellets well when young. It'd be good to offer quality carnivore/omnivore pellets and thawed fish pieces.

Thank you! My kiddo is 2". I have all types of high quality food (Omega One catfish pellets, Algae wafers, Cobalt seafood pellets, Frozen cubes of krill, mysis shrimp, plankton, bloodworms, etc). Do you have any recommendations? Wasn't sure when its safe to offer raw/frozen food and how much. I've been watching a lot of YouTube videos and searching online trying to find the right feeding schedule, and how much. I heard overfeeding is the number killer.

Here's the Cobalt food



This is the Omega One I'm using for my Channels.



I have this too for my plecos.

 

[jjohnwm]

Your cat will likely eat any and all of those now, along with just about any other food you offer. At 2 inches, he might be just a bit small to tackle a full-size Massivore or Northfin Carnivore pellet successfully, but by the time he hits 3 inches...probably around next Friday or so...he will take those easily as well.

The fish is going to grow at an astonishing pace; when still tiny, daily feedings are probably best, maybe just enough to get a slight tummy bulge. As size increases, frequency of feedings can decrease to a couple times a week. Really, the only feeding problems normally associated with RTC revolve around the cost of getting enough food for one, the maintenance required to keep water parameters healthy as they will degrade rapidly, and of course keeping the dang fish from eating pebbles, suction cups, all his tankmates, etc.

RTC are really too attractive and too cool for their own good. Very, very few people can provide them the space they deserve and require, they grow huge and fast, and there are so many folks looking to rehome their now-cramped monster RTC's that they are hard to sell and command low prices.

 

[Exotic$4me]

RTC are really too attractive and too cool for their own good. Very, very few people can provide them the space they deserve and require, they grow huge and fast, and there are so many folks looking to rehome their now-cramped monster RTC's that they are hard to sell and command low prices.

I recommend finding a public aquarium; a zoo that houses big fish, or a fish rescue organization such as the one in Ohio to donate your RTC if you are not able to keep any of your fish.

 

[jjohnwm]

I recommend finding a public aquarium; a zoo that houses big fish, or a fish rescue organization such as the one in Ohio to donate your RTC if you are not able to keep any of your fish.

I think that if you inquire you will find that zoos and public aquariums do not accept "donations" of rescue fish, reptiles or other animals...at least, certainly nothing as common as a RTC...and have not done so for many years. If they did, there would be a moat full of 4-foot RTC's in every zoo in the land.

Don't know about places like Ohio Fish Rescue or Viktor's enterprise ( thebiggerthebetter ) but the plight of this species is really highlighted by the fact that we are discussing how to find somebody to rescue this fish...and it's only 2 inches long, indicating that the owner literally just got it!

Yeah...they grow that fast! Sorry, OP, I understand the appeal, but...unfortunately, for most people, the best possible advice regarding RTC ownership is...don't get one.

 

[Batmans]

Thank you, everyone for the advice. It's a long and HUGE commitment to own one. I appreciate you all taking the time for advice. What are your feelings on the Boswell pond tanks? I'm currently looking for an awesome pond ideas for my Channel cats indoors.

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

I'd give it the good quality pellets of the size it can swallow first and foremost. Everything else is not so important and can wait or be given in moderate amounts, or as supplements (if accepted by the fish).

The amount of feed is judged by the stomach. Feed until it is bulging. Wait until flat. Feed again. Very simple, no racking brain.

Overfeeding is bad for any fish and for any RTC but especially for large RTCs, subadults and adults.

It's good to see that the homework is being done. I'd not be the one to discourage you, besides you are not asking about this aspect.

Boswell ponds with a transparent side have come out relatively recently. I've not heard of problems with them but again, I doubt there is good long term data out there. I know a few peers who got them. I think it's a good compromise. Now RTC and channels have sharp spines and I personally would fear they pierce your soft wall pond, so I'd have patches on hand to repair, it's not hard, but if a puncture lands on a seam, the pond is toast.

 

[Batmans]

I'd give it the good quality pellets of the size it can swallow first and foremost. Everything else is not so important and can wait or be given in moderate amounts, or as supplements (if accepted by the fish).

The amount of feed is judged by the stomach. Feed until it is bulging. Wait until flat. Feed again. Very simple, no racking brain.

Overfeeding is bad for any fish and for any RTC but especially for large RTCs, subadults and adults.

It's good to see that the homework is being done. I'd not be the one to discourage you, besides you are not asking about this aspect.

Boswell ponds with a transparent side have come out relatively recently. I've not heard of problems with them but again, I doubt there is good long term data out there. I know a few peers who got them. I think it's a good compromise. Now RTC and channels have sharp spines and I personally would fear they pierce your soft wall pond, so I'd have patches on hand to repair, it's not hard, but if a puncture lands on a seam, the pond is toast.

Thank you so much for taking the time to write this. After doing lots of research, it seems the best way may be to build one with wood and use a pond liner? Any recommendations on a solid brand liner?.

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

The industry and hobby standard is EDPM rubber 45 mil, any brand seems fine, Firestone is the original brand. Spiny and toothy fish can puncture this liner too in theory, in practice you'd have to be really unlucky for this to happen.

By the same token, you can throw the liner into any above-ground pool, which is what is often done by peers.