i bought a red tail cat fish about a month ago. one of my buddys talked me into it. but i did not realize how big they get so fast his is around 7 inches. i have it in a 55 gallon tank with a jack dempsey ,frontosa, pictus cat , royal pleco, oscar. how long can they be kept in a 55 gallon before they bust it. or does a small tank stunt its growth mabaye. please give me some advice and stories.
red tail in a 55 gal
- Thread starter ktmmarcus125
- Start date
i had this same problem that i recently took care of. i knew the rtc would grow at a tremendous rate but not THAT tremendous. a 55 gal is just barely enough to house a 3 month old juvie rtc. when mine hit 7 months, he already stretched 14 inches. you have a few options. you can take the easy way out and offer your local pet shop a trade. sometimes they will give a few bucks in store credit. if your rtc is immaculate, they might offer you more. usually around 15-20 bucks. this is the route i took due to cramped quarters in our apartment. another option you have is obviously setting up a larger tank to house him in. probably the most costly option. and when i say larger, not a 125 gal. if you want to fully enjoy your rtc you're going to have to go big. at least a 220 gal. this will ensure another year to raise your cat at home. the last option i know of (a friend of mine did this) is do some searching on the internet and see if you can find a company that makes polyeurothane liquid containers. my buddy has a 400 gal container that he keeps a 2'6" rtc and a 2'3" tsn in. they're well healthy and get along great.
if you're questioning if your tank is big enough when you look at him, it probably isn't. start doing your research and figure out which way is the most cost effective to your lifestyle and make sure it's the best decision for your rtc. parting with a red tail is not easy, but i got rid of mine on friday 8/31/07 with his health and well being in mind.
if you're questioning if your tank is big enough when you look at him, it probably isn't. start doing your research and figure out which way is the most cost effective to your lifestyle and make sure it's the best decision for your rtc. parting with a red tail is not easy, but i got rid of mine on friday 8/31/07 with his health and well being in mind.
rtc's can grow 1-2 inches in a month so be prepared. Space wont stunt the fish but lack of feed and poor water conditions will... Not advised, So if i were you I'd either start planning that pond or trade the fella in after you enjoy watching a few feedings... I don't know how big your other fish are but eventually they could all become dinner...
I would be more concerned about water quality than tank size. Those are some big and messy fish your keeping together. I kept RTC's in 55's for over a year before but that was by themselves. A 55 has no width and thats gonna be the problem.
Time for a bigger tank
bob
Time for a bigger tank
bob
if you want to keep the other fish take the rtc back. and start saving for the bigger tank oure already going to need for them.
Build an indoor pond...or a lake...one of those two...or a river...that SHOULD work...they usually Dont outgrow those...
bgonz looks like you got a nice cat and what size is your tank? and yea my liek 3 1-2 frontosa was eaten for dinner. as soon as i turned off the light it came right out and whent nuts. he has had no problem catching him but the only thing is that it couldnt fit in his mouth . next morning there is no sign of the fish until i looked at the size of its belly. if i was planning to get a bigger tank whta would be a good size thats liek just enought not over kill thats ALOT OF MONEY