RTC

[GarNiac]

just pickup a juvenile RTC, about 4", few questions,
are they aggressive?
do you mix them with other cat fish? plecos?
what do you feed them?would floating or sinking pellets be good for them?
sorry but I'm so desperate about this one
cheers

 

[I<3fish]

just pickup a juvenile RTC, about 4", few questions,
are they aggressive? They can be.
do you mix them with other cat fish? plecos? You can, but they grow extremely fast.
what do you feed them?would floating or sinking pellets be good for them?Sinking pellets, they are catfish. I suggest hikari massivore delight.
sorry but I'm so desperate about this one I hope you know that these cats grow upwards of 5 feet and need at minimum a 1000 gallon fish tank.
cheers

Answers in red.

 

[MaverickG13]

most captive RTC only grow to be 3 - 4 feet. Still you would need a pretty big tank or a pond for that.

I hand feed all my fish because the RTCs get pretty agressive during feeding time. I always have to shoo the biggest one away when the small ones try to eat. Well I have to do this or else the small ones will end up starved and cannibalize on other fish. When I was just dropping food in, the small ones would get bullied hardcore if they got to the food before the big one did. This resulted in one losing a whisker.

 

[GarNiac]

thanks for the reply
I have a very large pond in my backyard, but it is full with koi, and my parents will kill me if I put my RTC in there once it gets bigger; but I really like this fish already; soon I will build a 200 galls tank to keep my bichirs, I though the RTC would go in there too, maybe not.
I have a 700 galls tank but its no where near me now, would it be enough to keep the rtc in there for life?

 

[tscharf]

nope, youd need a bigger tank than 700. if the koi are bigger than your rtc you should be ok, ive heard of people doing it before. my RTC is docile and never bullies the other fish, hes weird, he'll even let me small tsn eat first and then he'll eat after the tsn is full

 

[Noddy]

If any fish fits in his mouth he will eat it.
Koi no exception.
And that mouth gets big!!!!!

 

[sbuse]

it will get to big for the tanks you mentioned, as stated in the bichir post bichir + rtc= rtc eatting spigetti...then need heavy filtration 10x per hr. change over is recomended for most if not all big cats...if you can't provide a proper house for it as you need it, in the best interrest of the fish you should rehome it...i don't know the temp range ware you are but that koi pond(if you tryed to put it in there) would problibly need a heater...koi can live in cold water were the rtc can not...and if it does go in there expect the koi pop. to drop....

 

[tscharf]

haha yea what he said

 

[basslover34]

just pickup a juvenile RTC, about 4", few questions,
are they aggressive?
do you mix them with other cat fish? plecos?
what do you feed them?would floating or sinking pellets be good for them?
sorry but I'm so desperate about this one
cheers

Some are more aggressive than others...but all are aggressive enough to eat their tank mates, there is a quote which has been made famous around here with some of the "old guys" it goes "RTC's don't have tankmates... they have snacks that they are saving for later"

most captive RTC only grow to be 3 - 4 feet. Still you would need a pretty big tank or a pond for that.

Most will never see bigger due to a few reasons... none of which are due to the inability of the fish to get that big, the biggest reason is of course water parameters due to the small tanks that most people keep these guys in the params are harder than hell to keep straight on a large predator fish like this in a small volume of water... the other is that most people is end up killing the fish before it ever has the chance to attain this size.. consider the fact that these guys need 30+ years to get that big... most people can't keep their regular pets alive that long let alone one with special needs like an RTC

I have a 700 galls tank but its no where near me now, would it be enough to keep the rtc in there for life?

You will get a bunch of years out of a tank that size... the most important thing is the foot print of the tank though... RTC's don't need super deep tanks just long and wide as they spend most of their lives on the bottom of the tank anyway. If your filtration is good and your willing to do the water changes needed you could use that for 10 years if the foot print suits.

nope, youd need a bigger tank than 700. if the koi are bigger than your rtc you should be ok, ive heard of people doing it before. my RTC is docile and never bullies the other fish, hes weird, he'll even let me small tsn eat first and then he'll eat after the tsn is full

Everything in a tank becomes food for an RTC mark my words you will see it happen... once they realize that they can eat it... they will eat it!

If any fish fits in his mouth he will eat it.
Koi no exception.
And that mouth gets big!!!!!

it will get to big for the tanks you mentioned, as stated in the bichir post bichir + rtc= rtc eatting spigetti...then need heavy filtration 10x per hr. change over is recomended for most if not all big cats...if you can't provide a proper house for it as you need it, in the best interrest of the fish you should rehome it...i don't know the temp range ware you are but that koi pond(if you tryed to put it in there) would problibly need a heater...koi can live in cold water were the rtc can not...and if it does go in there expect the koi pop. to drop....

I'm not sure which school of filtration you are quoting here but turn over rates don't necessarily make better filtration also I would be behind anyone that is able to provide a 700 Gallon tank to a fish ... it's more than most of the jokers out there have ... or will ever have for that matter and they are buying RTC's left right and center. I only advise that should the need come up to be ready to go larger... it doesn't have to be pretty ... just a box with a liner will do but make sure you are prepared for the situation should it happen... hell if your busting out of 700 Gallons and need a home there are zoos all over the place that would take a big boy like that!

 

[GarNiac]

thanks alot basslover34, nice writing, previously in the lfs I saw a couple RTC being stunned in a much smaller tank with lots of oscar in it. There were 2 RTC around 16" in a 150 galls tank, and the rest of are 5" oscar, lots of them. Very sad to see that, I hope someone would pick up those RTC soon.