RTC (big bad barry) tankmate issue

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matthewkingoftheworld

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jan 21, 2009
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bo'ness scotland
by issues i mean he keeps bloody eating his tank mates.


i have a tank of mini monsters. all bought as babies at around about the same time. plan was to watch them grow into their brilliance with no bullying or fatalities. this was going great untill about two weeks ago. "barry" who is about 8 inch and his growth rate is easily faster than any thing else. in the last two weeks he's eaten a 4 inch fire eel and two 2 inch clown knife fish.

i always knew it was a rule of what fits in the mouth gets eaten but there are other fish that are in the same kinda boat as the dead fish. 2 bichirs at around 5inch 2 reed fish at 6 ish a royal plec at about 2 and a flash plec at two. is it just a case of under feeding him and he's seeking out his own food or is it a case that sooner of later they are next. there are a couple of 3 inch oscars in there as well and i would hate to think the rtc sees everything as barry food.

he's in my 6x2x2. i have an 8x2x2 which he could go in but thats my pacu tank.


has anybody got any advice? i knew the rtc would be a handful but he's chewing up some serious £.
 
with a RTC it's just a matter of time.. you can try feeding him more... but if you want him with other fish they need to be bigger than him... so you would have had to get everything else first as they (RTC) are one of the fastest growers.... goodluck but i imagine something else is going to dissappear shortly
 
This shouldn't be surprising. He will eat all of those fish if given a little more time.
 
rtc eats anything half itz length............
the others are up next....
even if u power feed him, he will eat at least one fish per week, since itz a predator n enjoys killing n eating itz own food
 
Lol to the above! Mate it's not that they enjoy killing their own food it's just in their nature!

Any to the op yep all these fish are gonners unless separated! How big are the pacu in the other tank? If the Rtc can go without being bullied then I would move him.
 
esparonisproud;5099686; said:
Lol to the above! Mate it's not that they enjoy killing their own food it's just in their nature!

Any to the op yep all these fish are gonners unless separated! How big are the pacu in the other tank? If the Rtc can go without being bullied then I would move him.

If the pacus are in a pack, then there is no way newbies won't be bullied.
I got 2 big gold fish that survived comm with channa, and I decided that the pond with pacu should be safer for them, 2 hrs and one of the goldies was floating on the surface with its fins all torn up.
 
IMO
No hope, It'll end up with the rtc alone in the tank with all the other fishs RIP in his bottomless mouth :D
 
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