new owner of a rtc
- Thread starter armyguy24523
- Start date
I'm glad you got a good welcome. Certain members have been attacking newcomers lately, especially when they come here for advice about big fish. Which is what we are here for, so I don't get it. Glad you are getting informed about caring for your RTC.
Congrats on the cat. Ponds are way easy. Horse trough is great for a growout while you save for your big tank. Definitely start thinking in the thousand-gallon range at least for a RTC. Doesn't have to break the bank, though. Feeding the RTC will take care of that.
If you can't heat a room, you're probably stuck buying a couple of huge heaters (shoot for about 3 watts per gallon of water) and heater covers so the catfish doesn't spend all day cooking himself. Then try to cover the pond so it holds in heat. You'll still need to let air circulate, though.
For a filter, I'd buy a big RIO pump and run it through a DIY bucket or tote with mech and bio. Just elevate the filter next to the pond and let the water return by pouring back in on the opposite side from the pump.
That's the most basic indoor pond design I know of and it works for most people most of the time.
Congrats on the cat. Ponds are way easy. Horse trough is great for a growout while you save for your big tank. Definitely start thinking in the thousand-gallon range at least for a RTC. Doesn't have to break the bank, though. Feeding the RTC will take care of that.
If you can't heat a room, you're probably stuck buying a couple of huge heaters (shoot for about 3 watts per gallon of water) and heater covers so the catfish doesn't spend all day cooking himself. Then try to cover the pond so it holds in heat. You'll still need to let air circulate, though.
For a filter, I'd buy a big RIO pump and run it through a DIY bucket or tote with mech and bio. Just elevate the filter next to the pond and let the water return by pouring back in on the opposite side from the pump.
That's the most basic indoor pond design I know of and it works for most people most of the time.
Good points knifegill. For example. my 6' round growout pond complete setup cost me $500. thats 4600gph pump, DIY bio tower, 2" sheet insulation for both top cover and bottom, 500watt heater and plumming. that will last a rtc for a yr really. maybe a little more with the right filtration. its a good starting footprint. Try finding a tank for that price
That's almost exactly my plan for how to run my 370 gallon pond shell if I don't have my giant tank by the time I need it. I'm done upscaling slowly. After buying my 125g, thinking it would be plenty for awhile and finding out within a year that it's just barely a morsel of what my aquatics appetite desires, I'm opening a savings fund as soon as my externship is over and I'm bringing home the bacon again. Going at least into the 750-1000gallon range. Hoping to have a breeding pair of Adonis plecos at some point. *dreams*
I to am done upgrading slowly. I thought my pond would last awhile...I was wrong so this weekend im building a 1500....building modularly so I can expand it from 12x6x3 to 12x12x3 in like 1 day. AND THATS IT! no more shall dreams of larger tanks cross my mind. lol
congrats on your new purchase, and welcome!
At such a small size you could consider:
bloodworm cubes,beefheart cubes, and frozen krill
hand broken to small sizes,
You will see this guy touch one foot at around 6 months of age,
best of luck, and welcome again
At such a small size you could consider:
bloodworm cubes,beefheart cubes, and frozen krill
hand broken to small sizes,
You will see this guy touch one foot at around 6 months of age,
best of luck, and welcome again
