I have a problem I have grown a few redtail cats at different times from the size of a half dollar but soon as they get about 15 inches or so I lose them. Any ideas or suggestions?
Red tail question
- Thread starter jsodwi
- Start date
Most likely a tank size and/or water quality issue. Perhaps you are getting amonia spikes as the fish eats more and poops more once it gets large? If the tank is not big enough or the water changed more frequently, you could be looking at long term nitrate poisoning which finally catches up to the RTC.
My first RTC was fed daily (didn't know any better 30 years ago). He died the same as you describe. I didn't get another RTC until I could afford to set up a 300gal for it. I kept him for 4 years, feeding it only three times a week, until he started showing lip scarring from turning in a 30" wide tank (he was 39" then). I gave him to someone with a 2500gal indoor pond. I recently got another RTC and keep it in a 450 with a 1200 gal bead filter. I also feed it only 2 or 3 times a week and am still amazed at its growth rate. In 3 months he's grown from 15" to 18+".
Thanks for the info the tank is a 150 with 2 eheim canister filters but I was only cleaning it once a month and feeing him once a week
I have 4 all diff sizes as we speak, ive fed all 4 every other dy untill they get to 1.5ft then i start feeding them weekly (lots) they have all gone up through the diff sizes of tanks starting in a 4ft. Never had any probs with any off them apart from a disease outbreak which Lupin very kindly helped me with. Tank size and filteration is a big factor with these fish as they grow fast, eat lots and crap more than they eat. I would seriously consider a large tank setup and running aswell as the grow out tank for when you 1st buy them. I also found out that any kind of substrate isnt really needed with these guys, although it looks nice it just causes alot of unwanted problems over the months, Nitrate and Nitrite spikes is a main factor hiding in the substrate. The water changes should take place atleast once a week with a 30%-50% change each time.
Sorry to here that you keep loosing them, they are beautifull fish to watch grow and to play with, hope it all works out for you and hope this helped you in some way
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Good luck for any further cats you may decide to get
Sorry to here that you keep loosing them, they are beautifull fish to watch grow and to play with, hope it all works out for you and hope this helped you in some way
.Good luck for any further cats you may decide to get
