True Piraiba size?

[ThePetAddict]

Hello, I was wondering how big can the Piraiba Catfish get in captivity? And how big of a tank/pond do they need for the long term?
(I am aware that they can reach lengths of 10 ft in the wild)

 

[kno4te]

thebiggerthebetter GiantFishKeeper101 Fishman Dave

 

[GiantFishKeeper101]

Taiwan/China's aquarist have 5ft piraiba in his tank. 15 years old or so, can't remember, maybe more than that. Suriname in captive have greater growth, expect anyone with a Suriname could surpass that size in fewer years than that depending on the space

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

Our Suriname is roughly 5-6 years old and 4'. I believe if I housed it better, it would have fed better and grow better.

Our two Peruvians are still about 2' although they are probably around 4 years old.

 

[Fishman Dave]

Think you would be looking somewhere in the region 30ft x 10 ft x 4ft for a true piriaba as a life home in captivity in ideal situation but that's a tropical pond of rare size to find here in the uk.

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

This is a paper argument as we are talking many decades and people's lives and circumstances are always in flux but I'd say a 20-year old 6' or larger piraiba would be cramped in a 30x10. I'd say 30x30 at the very least.

I also acknowledge that Dave and I have somewhat differing views on the max size enclosures and it is quite fine.

But again, to me this is a bit silly, unrealistic dreaming kind of talk as chances are way-way-way heavy against anyone of us not made of money for being able to keep a piraiba for 20 years or even 10. So many things can and do go wrong.

I am of the opinion that we should refrain from projecting for longer than 5 years to keep this realistic and relevant.

Otherwise, we all have seen this argument of "the right enclosure size for life for a blue whale" being at best unproductive and destructive and at worst a spit competition, in any case never tied to reality and never amounting to anything of substantial use or help.

 

[Fishman Dave]

You may note that I don't have a 30x10x4 but did have a piraiba.
hence my answer should have been "ideally"...........

Been reading an article recently in a national fish keeping mag on an esteemed fish keeper who has just upgraded to a 10x4 for his collection which includes a redtail , a Niger cat, a silver arrawana and a gar. When asked his plans - he has none for further expansion. And this is a magazine which hates big fish.
It's a discussion which has NO correct answers.

 

[Luke tomkinson]

You may note that I don't have a 30x10x4 but did have a piraiba.
hence my answer should have been "ideally"...........

Been reading an article recently in a national fish keeping mag on an esteemed fish keeper who has just upgraded to a 10x4 for his collection which includes a redtail , a Niger cat, a silver arrawana and a gar. When asked his plans - he has none for further expansion. And this is a magazine which hates big fish.
It's a discussion which has NO correct answers.

ouch those poor fish in that 10x4

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

... in ideal situation ...

You did say the word.

10x4 is of course tiny for these fish but we don't know how big they are now and how long the person in question plans to hold on to them... but most importantly everyone is free to try this and learn for themselves. People, myself first and foremost, learn the best by 1st hand experience.

I can't fathom that a person who

-- learns,
-- truly loves their pets,
-- is sensitive to their needs,
-- is capable of analyzing their state of being,


could keep an RTC or Niger in a 10x4 when the fish exceed 2'-3'.

And this is just about the tank size. There is no way or how these fish could be kept in adequate water with standard industry filters for this sze tank, which at 2' deep would amount to only 600 gal, at 3' to 900 gal.

 

[Luke tomkinson]

agreed your the best bro love the youtube channel out of intrest ever kept an frt??