Redtail catfish info. .

[Sin]

hey whats up folks...i have a 125 gallon tank which has a redtail catfish who is about 12inches , i have done some reserch on the web about the care of these fishes and found that they had put different PH levels that this fish should live in. . at the present time the PH is 6.4 in my tank .. can someone who has had experience with these fishes please give me their feedback on the care they have used with positive results also what other types of foods they fed the redtail. .the dude i got the redtail from told me his fish never bothered any other fishes as i saw it with my own eyes smaller fishes in the tank and he never botherd them , well i had 6 channel catfishes in the tank that were like 5 - 7 inches.....and when i put the redtail in that tank thinking it would be okay...within a few days that redtail had eaten 4 of them ...i managed to save 2 of them . . i called the dude back who i got the redtail from and he was shocked since he had never bothered any fishes before.....anyways i should have known better! i fed the fish shrimp....but that can get expensive. . .what else can i feed him. .. thanks for any help guys! :22:

[Fishguy2727]

Hikari has a new large size sinking carnivore pellet called massivore pellets. These things grow like crazy under the right care and are very hardy. Your pH should be fine since they are amazonian. Unless you are ready to deal with a 5 foot catfish I would highly suggest getting rid of it before its too big for anyone to take. You can try the local aquarium or zoo, but they are usually overflowing with these types of pets. Do you have any plans for when it outgrows the 125? I find it hard to believe this fish did not bother fish small enough to fit in its mouth unless the guy was really really good about keeping it very well fed.

[Sin]

hey reptileguy thanks for the responce...about the pellet thing..i have some that i fed the catfish.....but i noticed it turned the water cloudy. . im going to have to buy the jumbo shrimps that the dude that had him before was feeding him , its just the fact that they are expensive...and you know what? i believe that guy alwyas kept him fed very well from what he was telling me so im guessing the redtail always had his belly full cuz that dude had other fishes in there with it and no problems...that redtail grew from 3 inches to 12 in less then a year or about a years time...this is my first big fish and i thought it was cool to have catfishes since i had gotten the channel catfishes and i liked them soo i decided on getting the redtail. . .in the tanks they shouldnt reach that HUGE size tho , right ? i think 3 feet or so is normal in a tank. . .i can be wrong also! i cant say selling him didnt cross my mind either

[Fishguy2727]

Usually only low quality pellets or overfeeding will cause the water to get cloudy. High quality pellets fed in the appropriate amounts should not cloud up the water. If a fish does not reach full size at a proper rate in captivity, then we are stuntung it, which is very bad for their health. It leads to a shortened lifespan, weakened immune system, and many other things if it doesn't just flat out die. Not to mention your channels should be hitting about three feet each. It sounds like you need to either make a huge indoor pond, or find other homes for these guys.

[Sin]

yeah dude..i wont lie i have had fishes in the past and they were oridinary fishes like goldfishes and guppies and such...now that i have a bigger setup i went for the big fish .. .i really have thought about selling the redtail....and i probably will get back to the channel catfishes , even two of them seem more manageable then the huge redtail now. altho in the future i will go that pond route and then get the fishes i really want so they can grow as nature intended them to in a warmer climate, but thats neither here nor there right now lol. . thanks for your input. . i do appreciate it

[Sin]

i put an ad online for the redtail this AM...by the evening time someone who has a 200 gallon tank is gonna pick him up tomorrow..its best for the redtail and now i can concentrate on other fishes that wont get as big. . i had to do it . . . the redtail will be company to a shovelnose catfish in a 200 gallon tank:19: i did what was best for him

[phishmin]

Do you have a swimming pool to move your redtail catfish into? They do get about 5 feet long.

[Severus]

He probably already got rid of him. Any success with that guy with the 200gal?

[Sin]

Hey 100GW , that redtail is doing great in his new tank , the person who has him knows alot about fishes so i am not worried as that redtail was a monster , strong animal! , i have since moved on to other fishes like arrowanas and sharks , i will be upgrading in the future to accomodate the fish .. . about that pool idea....i came across a site . . check it out and see the options. . 1000gallons or better would be a perfect pond. . .[Only Registered Users Can See Links.]. .

[jman]

saw some babies yesterday and had to warn some man that was looking to buy that they get huge and become hardy when it comes to eating anything.

[jeffs99dime]

yeah. they will eat just about anything. just like balas

[jman]

yeah. they will eat just about anything. just like balas

we were thinking about 1 for the pond but that takes the fun out of the koi and stuff! so we just got shaboinkins or how ever you spell it and the rest of those fish.lol

[jeffs99dime]

lololololol. yes. i know what you're refering to.

[jman]

i always spell that name wrong so i just say them!!!!!!! lol

[jman]

check out my other post jeff!
it's under dwarf cichlids.

[jeffs99dime]

oki doke!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Sin]

saw some babies yesterday and had to warn some man that was looking to buy that they get huge and become hardy when it comes to eating anything.
hey i seen a huge tank filled with baby redtails. .. they musta have had like 30+ of them in there....next time i went back to the fish store they were all gone , now i doubt all those folks have huge tanks to put them in , yet guess what? there is something about the redtail catfish or any type of catfish really that just are soo intrigueing and something mysterious about them that lures people into them , thats what happened to me....but whats right is right and it isnt fair for them to be housed improperly ......and as far as them eating anything? wow the one i had i seen him swallow the channel cats like nothing. . .one big gulp was all that was needed...atleast he ate good and was fine. . lol :ezpi_wink1:

[Drumachine09]

I like catfish too, but i stick to the more managable upside down catfish, and bumblebee catfish.