Redtailed Catfish Info
TBabes
Can anyone please give me some info on the redtailed catfish? I purchased a
baby (2") three days ago and placed him in my 125 gallon tank with several
large (4"-6") irridescent and bala sharks, six medium (3") tinfoil barbs, and
three medium (3"-4")synodontis and two medium (3"-4") albino channel catfish.
What's the best food to feed such a youngster? I've been putting tiny (less
than 1/4") feeder fish in there every day - come morning they're gone, but I
don't know who's eating them. I know the older red tails will eat just about
anything (including my forementioned tankmates!!) but haven't a clue about the
youngsters. He pretty much stays hidden in a rock formation during the day, so
I haven't observed him eat anything. When I catch him swimming at night, he
looks pretty good. Any suggestions would be welcome! Thanks,
Brian
Beverly Erlebacher
In article <19980112183...@ladder01.news.aol.com>,
TBabes <tba...@aol.com> wrote:
>Can anyone please give me some info on the redtailed catfish? I purchased a
>baby (2") three days ago and placed him in my 125 gallon tank with several
>large (4"-6") irridescent and bala sharks, six medium (3") tinfoil barbs, and
>three medium (3"-4")synodontis and two medium (3"-4") albino channel catfish.
Redtailed catfish grow to 5-6 feet in length. Iridescent sharks (Pangasius
catfish) grow up to 3 feet or more - the reason we get baby ones is that they
are a food fish in southeast Asia, and some farmers breed them for sale to
other farmers to stock their ponds and irrigation canals. Channel catfish
are a cold water species native to the US, and can also grow to 3-6' or more.
>Any suggestions would be welcome!
Your tank will be grossly overstocked in a few months. You should plan
what you are going to do next - build an indoor pond, eat your fish, or
let them die from bad water conditions. Btw, none of these fish are of
interest to public aquaria nor will your LFS be interested in taking them
back, with the possible exception of the tinfoil barbs and the Synodontis,
which may end up becoming catfish food soon anyway.
Dan Rath
The red-tailed catfish can be a wonderful specimen for your aquarium if
given the chance. The red tails I've observed will aggressively chase and
eat feeders, but only when they are hungry (unlikely many cichlids that
will
take chase regardless). With such a big mouth they will typically be able
to consume good size fish. It is important that you don't feed your red
tail every day. I feed mine every other day or every third day. He
should
eat any fish that can fit in his mouth. I also feed mine krill and
chicken
hearts. If you can get a good look at his underside you should easily be
able to tell if he has eaten. Red tails don't need to consume too much
before their stomachs become very round. Sometimes his stomach will be so
large you'll swear he's going to pop. They digest slowly and need to be
given time in-between feedings.
Also, I have noticed that this fish when first put in a tank can seem
to
be very inactive. Mine hardly moved the first month and a half that I
owned
him and rarely ate in front of me. Now, he is very active (even during
the
day), and will eat from my hand. I'm sure you're aware of their potential
size. Depending on what you read, in the wild they can get anywhere from
three to five feet (maybe more). I used to not believe that they could
get
five feet, but then I saw a picture of one caught in the wild and it was
at
least five feet....huge! Don't worry though, in captivity it may not get
any bigger than two feet if you are careful not to feed it too much. It
could get as big as three feet but probably no more than that. Also, you
may hear that the fish grows very fast, but that is not entirely true.
Your
2" will probably grow rapidly until it gets close to 6". Then you may
notice that the growth rate slows considerably. Yours should be okay in
the
125g for many years (you may never need to move it if it doesn't get
bigger
than two feet).
One nice thing about red tails is that generally they are not
aggressive
toward large fish. Most of the time if they are not able to eat the fish
they will ignore it. Sometimes red tails get territorial but for the most
part do well with larger fish. They may be okay with smaller fish if the
fish is extremely fast and agile. When I first got my red tail (ages ago)
I
didn't know much about him. He was 5 or 6 inches and I put him in a tank
with two Oscars a green terror and two Jack Demseys. All of these tank
mates were 2-3 inches. The red tail eventually ate every fish except for
the Jacks. The Jacks were both the smallest fish in the tank but he has
never been able to catch them. They still live with the red tail and
there
has been no problems. However, for tank mates I recommend fish that are
more than half the size of the red tail. Trust me, this fish can and will
eat fish half his own size if he can get his mouth on them.
Like many catfish the red tail will shed its skin from time to
time.
If it seems that the fish is frequently shedding its skin, this usually
means that the water quality is too poor for red tail to tolerate. One
thing to keep in mind with the red tail is that consistent conditions are
more important than with most other fish. This means that small frequent
water changes are better than less frequent large changes. While you can
get away with changing 20% or 30% of the water with most fish, I wouldn't
recommend changing more than 10% of the water at a time with the red tail.
Most books that talk about red tails will report a similar percent for
water
changes. I usually change 10% of my water once a week with my red tail
(30%
with my other tanks).
This fish can live in captivity for a long time. Some books report
that
they can live 20 years in captivity, but I read that one lived 50 years in
a
tank at a zoo. If this is true, you may want to remember to put the fish
in
your will.......
Well, I hope this helps. If you have any more questions, my e-mail is
dr...@sunbird.usd.edu. With as little information as I am able to find
on-line or in books about the red tail, it would be nice to hear what
works
for yours and what doesn't.
Dan
On 12 Jan 1998, TBabes wrote:
> Can anyone please give me some info on the redtailed catfish? I purchased a
> baby (2") three days ago and placed him in my 125 gallon tank with several
> large (4"-6") irridescent and bala sharks, six medium (3") tinfoil barbs, and
> three medium (3"-4")synodontis and two medium (3"-4") albino channel catfish.
> What's the best food to feed such a youngster? I've been putting tiny (less
> than 1/4") feeder fish in there every day - come morning they're gone, but I
> don't know who's eating them. I know the older red tails will eat just about
> anything (including my forementioned tankmates!!) but haven't a clue about the
> youngsters. He pretty much stays hidden in a rock formation during the day, so
> I haven't observed him eat anything. When I catch him swimming at night, he
> looks pretty good. Any suggestions would be welcome! Thanks,
>
> Brian
>
>
Bootzy
TBabes wrote:
>
> Can anyone please give me some info on the redtailed catfish? I purchased a
> baby (2") three days ago and placed him in my 125 gallon tank with several
> large (4"-6") irridescent and bala sharks, six medium (3") tinfoil barbs, and
> three medium (3"-4")synodontis and two medium (3"-4") albino channel catfish.
> What's the best food to feed such a youngster? I've been putting tiny (less
> than 1/4") feeder fish in there every day - come morning they're gone, but I
> don't know who's eating them. I know the older red tails will eat just about
> anything (including my forementioned tankmates!!) but haven't a clue about the
> youngsters. He pretty much stays hidden in a rock formation during the day, so
> I haven't observed him eat anything. When I catch him swimming at night, he
> looks pretty good. Any suggestions would be welcome! Thanks,
>
> Brian
I would suggest temporarily keeping the catfish in a smaller tank. When
I purchase small fishes to go into a large tank with large fishes, I
usually keep the newcomer in a ten gal until it is feeding well and has
the size to keep up with the others. The large size of the tank might
also make the catfish nervous because the redtails I've seen have been
active in the day also - especially when hungry. I doubt that the
redtail is getting much to eat - the other fishes probably finish off
the feeders before it even stirs. Good luck with an amazing fish.
Bootzy
TBabes
Beverly,
Thanks for the info. I know my fish will all grow quite large (I'm
pretty sure it will take a lot longer than a "few months" before my tank
becomes grossly overstocked; regardless, I wouldn't let them die from poor
water conditions. I'm almost insulted that you would suggest such) and the
steps I will need to take to deal with their growth. I'm cycling a 300 gallon
as we speak. Anyway, what I would truly like to know is any experiences you
could share with me in regards to feeding baby red-tailed catfish.
Thanks,
Brian
TBabes
Dan,
Thank you for the load of great info!! I've really searched for info on
the red tail, and it's pretty hard to come by. Anyway, "Spike" is adjusting to
his new home quite nicely. He still doesn't come out of his cave all that
often, but his treks are becoming more frequent and longer as the days go by.
When I check the tank as I leave for work in the morning, the past couple days
he's been cruising around.
As far as my water conditions, PH is 6.8, temp. 78. Good filtration
system, so no problem with amonia & nitrites. I'm keeping a close eye on the
nitrates, as most everything I've heard suggests red tails prefer smaller water
changes. I've been feeding him (well actually the "tank" - it's every fish for
himself in there!) a combination of shrimp pellets, catfish wafers, flake food,
1/4" feeder guppies and earthworms. I haven't had a chance to get a good look
at his belly since I brought him home, but he was "fat" coming out of the fish
store.
I'll keep you posted on my successes and (hopefully not, but if they
happen I'll pass it on) failures with Spike. Thanks again for all the
wonderful information.
Brian
TBabes
"Redtailed catfish grow to 5-6 feet in length. Iridescent sharks (Pangasius
catfish) grow up to 3 feet or more - the reason we get baby ones is that they
are a food fish in southeast Asia, and some farmers breed them for sale to
other farmers to stock their ponds and irrigation canals. Channel catfish are
tank will be grossly overstocked in a few months."
Beverly,
Seriously now, how many 6 foot red tail catfish have you seen? Or 3
foot iridescent sharks? Or 6 foot channel cats? My brother-in-law caught a
four foot channel cat out of the Mississippi River (in Louisianna, where the
catfish grow REAL big!) and they put his picture in the paper! I just don't
think they'll ever get that big in my aquarium, whether it be a 125 gallon or
300 gallon. Granted, what I have in my 125 will be too much for that tank to
handle some day in the future, but more likely (with the exception of the red
tail - spike would just LOVE to stay in the 125 for a long while!) the next
couple years as opposed to the next couple months.
Brian
Dan Rath
On 12 Jan 1998, Beverly Erlebacher wrote:
> In article <19980112183...@ladder01.news.aol.com>,
> TBabes <tba...@aol.com> wrote:
> >Can anyone please give me some info on the redtailed catfish? I purchased a
> >baby (2") three days ago and placed him in my 125 gallon tank with several
> >large (4"-6") irridescent and bala sharks, six medium (3") tinfoil barbs, and
> >three medium (3"-4")synodontis and two medium (3"-4") albino channel catfish.
>
> Redtailed catfish grow to 5-6 feet in length. Iridescent sharks (Pangasiu
Redtails may get that large in the wild or perhaps in a public aquarium,
but will almost never get even half that size in a "home" aquarium.
> catfish) grow up to 3 feet or more - the reason we get baby ones is that they
> are a food fish in southeast Asia, and some farmers breed them for sale to
> other farmers to stock their ponds and irrigation canals. Channel catfish
> are a cold water species native to the US, and can also grow to 3-6' or more.
>
> >Any suggestions would be welcome!
>
> Your tank will be grossly overstocked in a few months. You should plan
> what you are going to do next - build an indoor pond, eat your fish, or
> let them die from bad water conditions. Btw, none of these fish are of
> interest to public aquaria nor will your LFS be interested in taking them
> back, with the possible exception of the tinfoil barbs and the Synodontis,
> which may end up becoming catfish food soon anyway.
You are wrong about public aquariums not being interested at least in the
redtail. Many aquariums are starting to feature fish from the amazon
area. Even the public aquarium in Ohmaha has a hungry redtail swiming
about in their tank.
Richard Pitzeruse
I had a hard time getting mine to eat when I first got him (about 2")
What I finally tried, and he LOVED, was freeze dried tubifex worms.
Once he started eating that he moved on to other dried foods.
-Rich
--
----------------------------------------------
Richard Pitzeruse Respond to e-mail address below
Photo & Imaging Center mailto:rmpi...@mailbox.syr.edu
Syracuse University http://web.syr.edu/~rmpitzer
----------------------------------------------
Beverly Erlebacher
In article <Pine.SOL.3.94.980115210152.25866A-100000@sundance>,
Dan Rath <dr...@sunflowr.usd.edu> wrote:
>
>> Btw, none of these fish are of
>> interest to public aquaria nor will your LFS be interested in taking them
>> back, with the possible exception of the tinfoil barbs and the Synodontis,
>> which may end up becoming catfish food soon anyway.
>
>
>You are wrong about public aquariums not being interested at least in the
>redtail. Many aquariums are starting to feature fish from the amazon
>area. Even the public aquarium in Ohmaha has a hungry redtail swiming
>about in their tank.
I didn't phrase that well. From what I hear, public aquariums are
constantly offered redtail catfish and other large fish that have outgrown
their welcome, but they have space for very few of them, so you can't count
on being able to get rid of your overgrown fish that way. I'll bet that the
Omaha aquarium has been offered more redtails and other large fish but has
had to turn them down.
Steve/Sharon
Who wanted info on the redtail catfish? Please e-mail me, I may be
starting a redtail catfish club.
Sharon
Mainesrus
> Many aquariums are starting to feature fish from the amazon
Yes, the Shedd in Chicago has a nice Amazon display, and an even nicer Indian
display
.>public aquariums are
>constantly offered redtail catfish and other large fish that have outgrown
>their welcome, but they have space for very few of them,
This is VERY true. I am a "member" of the Shedd aquarium, e.g., I send in money
every year, get in free on weekends, and get offers for cool stuff I can't
afford.
Shedd currently has a huge redtail, an even huger shovelnose, an absolutely
enormous "standard" gourami.
The gourami really caught my eye as it is about 3 feet long. Gourami like this
are very desirable food fish in India, btw. Anyway, taking advantage of my
membership priviledges, I started asking one of the caretakers about these
enormous fish: how to care for them, actual water requirements, etc.
It took nearly 5 minutes before I got this guy convinced that I wasn't trying
to unload a huge fish on them, just wanted to know more about 'em.
Shedd does NOT take in fish from private owners at all, btw, tho' there is a
scurrilous rumor circulating that their redtail originally belonged to a
secretary in the fund-raising department.
Best, Reva
LawrenceT5
Actually, the red-tail WAS the secretary for fund raising. (and the best
collector of all).
Larry Tagrin
Writer / Consultant / Instructional Designer
Montgomery Village, MD
Mainesrus
>Actually, the red-tail WAS the secretary for fund raising. (and the best
>collector of all).
>
>
>
>
am...hell, if I sucked my shoulders and stomach in, that cat'd probably be able
to swallow me whole!
Reva