RTC long term growth..

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
M

mmurry

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jan 22, 2012
51
0
6
salt lake city, utah
Hi all... before I ask my question, please dont flame me... I know a RTC is best left for ponds and institutional aquariums... in fact I have tried to find bigger accomodations for this guy and have been quite unsuccessful... even tried to donate him to the local aquarium... anyway in light of this fact, I have resolved myself to care for him the best I can as long as I can... his tank is 230... 6 foot long 2 feet wide... he is already nearly 24 inches long and seems to have plenty of space for now... but my question is as he grows and becomes somewhat tank bound, will his growth slow down? will the whole "only grow to the size of the aquarium" come into play??? really just wondering how big he will get in this tank...
I am sure if it came down to being euthanized or living in a tank that is smaller than optimum he would chose to live whereever he could...

I love him... rescued him when he was only 6 inches long... awesome eater and always very active... he eats anything I put into the tank, but mostly lives on a diet of frozen smelt or anchovys from the local asian market... I am going to work on a bigger tank in the future but am not certain I can make it work...
thanks in advance
mike
 
Nice post. Chances are he will still top out at 3.5', maybe 4'. If he is as long as the tank's wide, he has outgrown it already. I wish I could help you, mate, but I am too far away.

Some ideas for a larger accomodation - it can be quite inexpensive:

--- http://www.planetcatfish.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=30901&hilit=+trough

--- 2nd page, from the top http://www.planetcatfish.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=33968&hilit=+blues&start=20

--- MFK DIY section, e.g., I find this an excellent resource - takes a long time to read but it is a thoroughly described step-by-step procedure http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/f...toCAD-Design-turned-reality&highlight=366+gal
 
I've seen redtails break out of tanks as they out grow them. Yes, the growth will slow - but when it does it means you are not properly caring for the fish and causing internal problems.
 
thanks guys I really appreciate the insight....My tank used to be a fancy reef tank and I still have the 90 gal sump functioning with 2 filter bags, 18 inches by 18 inches full of bio balls... it has a RO automatic top off and I do big water changes every other week... being in there a lone his tank is always sparkly clean... guess as he gets bigger he will put more of a load on the filtration..
I wish I lived in a warmer climate... an outdoor pond of some sort would be just the ticket... I do have a pond but even with a horse trough heater in it all winter it gets pretty dang cold... He could probably spend summers out there but I would worry that he would get sick... not to mention he would eat all the koi even the big ones..
 
If haven't already, you could post on MFK Marketplace (can repeat on Planet Catfish too) that you offer him for free. The complication is making sure he goes into the right home and hands.
 
I put him on our local classifieds and actually got quite a few inquiries... however, even though I put his length as 24 inches, most of the folks that inquired had tanks less than 24 inches wide... 3 people called that had 90 gal tanks... really thinking about maybe a livestock 4x4 tub just not 100 % sure about the filtration...
 
+1 an above ground pool that fits in your garage could be just the ticket. They don't need the height, just the footprint. My lfs has a full grown RTC in a 600 gallon tank that everyone feels bad for. If all else fails you could always buy a ticket for 2 to brazil.


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