I knew this thread was going to be trouble when I first saw it and I knew this guy was going to get put down by the size of his tank. People on this site keep monster fish and are well aware of the size of a tank an rtc needs. They only want the best for monster fish so when they see a guy keeping a 16" rtc in a 75g tank you know all hell will break loose.
RTC bouncing off the walls..literally
- Thread starter fetto
- Start date
X2..... I have 2 RTC's and a RTCxTSN and everything he has said to help you understand the issues is correct. These fish need pristine water conditions and in that size tank it is nearly impossible to maintain that level with regular tank maintenance. You need to separate the oscar from the catfish. the RTC can & will eat it. Mine ate every cichlid that was in the tank with him in a night after living peacefully for months! I at the time thought the cichlids being almost adult sized were too big for my catfish to eat them.. hope this helps and i wish you all the luck with your fish.
My lfs had two rtc in a 750 gallon tank and this actually seemed kinda smal for them. These fish are massive and produce massive amounts of waste. I know you don't want to hear it but you will not be ready for a RTC for quite awhile, check out some of the smaller cats which are just as cool and there are sooooooooo many of them. I have been in this hobby for 40 years and had just about every kind of freshwater fish at one time or another. My favorite catfish now are little 3 inch oil cats.
I think my 1500gal is small for my single 3' RTC....everyone is here to help Op. a 75 is what I used for a grow out...he out grew it in 4 months. at 9 months mine was 22" and over 2' at his first yr. Thats proper growth. If you can I would sell your rtc while he is still kinda small, because it doesnt sound like you have the means to take care of him.
great idea, but unfortunately space is the key issue with a rtc. He doesn't need hiding spots. He unfortunately needs a pond. While your advice is good for most situations, this one really requires space first and foremost. This is an enormous fish at adult size and they grow rapidly.........way faster than most can handle without having a future game plan in place, and can adapt, as fast as this fish can potentially grow. Cover(hiding spots) is how most of my communities have flourished, but an Oscar and an RTC in a 75 is just plain bad fish keeping IME. I'm no expert and have made my fair share of mistakes, but never when given the amount of advice this thread has given.........hopefully, he'll rehouse the fish
yes he does need to rehouse it I'm just saying to calm the fish a little till the new tank is available for the fish
i had to stop after the first page n a half, this thread has ruined my night, i hate ignorant people who keep such large beautiful fish and have no idea what the hell they are doing. & then when people tell him he argues with them about it.. jesus..a RTC even a baby should never be in a 40 gallon. please donate the fish to a LFS or on the forums.. it needs to find a better suited home.
