Looking for a RTC

festaedan

festaedan

potamotrygon fan
Sorry to hear! Congressional has babies and beltway almost always has big ones, if not little ones
 
jonclark96

jonclark96

Past CCA President
While this sounds like I'm being a jerk, I'd look for a different fish to replace your RTC. Unless you have a 10,000 gallon pond, you don't have the ability to keep a RTC for life. They get to be the size of a suitcase and I'm not really sure why they are available in the hobby. There are other cool catfish that can be kept comfortably in the home aquarium that would be a better choice.


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lkelly

lkelly

Members
jonclark96 said:
While this sounds like I'm being a jerk, I'd look for a different fish to replace your RTC. Unless you have a 10,000 gallon pond, you don't have the ability to keep a RTC for life. They get to be the size of a suitcase and I'm not really sure why they are available in the hobby. There are other cool catfish that can be kept comfortably in the home aquarium that would be a better choice.
Click to expand...

Now I really, really want to see Matt catch an adult one on a collecting trip and try to bring it back in his suitcase.
 
dogofwar

dogofwar

CCA Members
No RTC in Uruguay :)

We caught a baby Luciopimelodus pati (http://www.planetcatfish.com/common/species.php?species_id=269) maybe 2". I had planned to bring it back (I was drunk and/or delirious in the heat) but it somehow got mixed into a group of Pimelodella gracils (max size 6" or so: http://www.planetcatfish.com/common/species.php?species_id=1220) that another guy bought back...

Wonder how big it is now!

Matt

lkelly said:
Now I really, really want to see Matt catch an adult one on a collecting trip and try to bring it back in his suitcase.
Click to expand...
 
JLW

JLW

CCA Members
Matt, I don't think you're being a jerk at all. While I sympathise with anyone who recently lost a fish, especially a fish that is a "pet" like RTC can become, I personally strongly believe that these animals should be illegal to bring into the US without a permit. They share much of their range with piranha, but guess which one parents warn their children about swimming with? RTC have been known to eat small children (wait, wait, wait, I'm trying to come up with reasons NOT to keep them.... Where is Grace anyhow?)

This is a fish that gets far and beyond the maximum reasonable size of any aquarist to keep. While I would guess that Robin knows how big they get, I've seen a lot of people put them in tanks with fish that are either edible or will be shortly. They reach six feet or so in length, and can weigh up to 200 pounds. They'll eat anything that they can shove in their mouths, and need a lot of food. They'll eat fish larger than they. They are also kinda stupid, and will eat things that aren't food, which they'll sometimes spit back up. Both swallowing and regurgitating these things can hurt the fish (and they're know always able to rid themselves of it. I saw one once -- no kidding -- with a square lump about 6" x 3". It had swallowed a brick. The owner told me he's done that a couple of time, and it stays in there a few days, then ... barf.) In the wild, or in the aquarium, they'll eat medium mammals, water fowl (ducks), fish, and lots and lots of carrion.

Since they eat so much, they also produce a lot of waste, and require a lot of filtration. Otherwise, you're keeping them in really polluted waters. Virtually all of the time -- and I'm not saying Robin isn't the tiny minority -- they'll wind up in a tank that is far too small, in foul water, and just suffering. Given their maximum size of six feet, you're hard pressed to find a tank that can house them -- swimming pool? It's a fish that is doomed to die a slow, tortuous death in our aquaria.

They're beautiful, and their large size and appetites make them appealing to a lot of people -- but, leave them in the stores. Stores shouldn't carry them -- I won't. I can get them in, easily, but I simply won't carry them (nor will I carry Pacu, Irridescent or Bala Sharks, and a handful of other such fish).

I'd go with something like a Lima Shovelnose. It's big, but it's manageable.
 
dogofwar

dogofwar

CCA Members
I agree, although Jon's the "jerk" :)

Matt

JLW said:
Matt, I don't think you're being a jerk at all. While I sympathise with anyone who recently lost a fish, especially a fish that is a "pet" like RTC can become, I personally strongly believe that these animals should be illegal to bring into the US without a permit. They share much of their range with piranha, but guess which one parents warn their children about swimming with? RTC have been known to eat small children (wait, wait, wait, I'm trying to come up with reasons NOT to keep them.... Where is Grace anyhow?)

This is a fish that gets far and beyond the maximum reasonable size of any aquarist to keep. While I would guess that Robin knows how big they get, I've seen a lot of people put them in tanks with fish that are either edible or will be shortly. They reach six feet or so in length, and can weigh up to 200 pounds. They'll eat anything that they can shove in their mouths, and need a lot of food. They'll eat fish larger than they. They are also kinda stupid, and will eat things that aren't food, which they'll sometimes spit back up. Both swallowing and regurgitating these things can hurt the fish (and they're know always able to rid themselves of it. I saw one once -- no kidding -- with a square lump about 6" x 3". It had swallowed a brick. The owner told me he's done that a couple of time, and it stays in there a few days, then ... barf.) In the wild, or in the aquarium, they'll eat medium mammals, water fowl (ducks), fish, and lots and lots of carrion.

Since they eat so much, they also produce a lot of waste, and require a lot of filtration. Otherwise, you're keeping them in really polluted waters. Virtually all of the time -- and I'm not saying Robin isn't the tiny minority -- they'll wind up in a tank that is far too small, in foul water, and just suffering. Given their maximum size of six feet, you're hard pressed to find a tank that can house them -- swimming pool? It's a fish that is doomed to die a slow, tortuous death in our aquaria.

They're beautiful, and their large size and appetites make them appealing to a lot of people -- but, leave them in the stores. Stores shouldn't carry them -- I won't. I can get them in, easily, but I simply won't carry them (nor will I carry Pacu, Irridescent or Bala Sharks, and a handful of other such fish).

I'd go with something like a Lima Shovelnose. It's big, but it's manageable.
Click to expand...
 
JLW

JLW

CCA Members
Sorry, I somehow get you two confused when Jon's username is something weird and ambiguous, like "JonClark96." :-D
 
SportyG1rl

SportyG1rl

Members
I am well aware of how big they can get and how much they can eat. My RTC was a rescue. He was a little over 12 in when I got him. He lived happily with an alligator gar in a 125 gal for a couple of years. Thanks for the advice and recommendations. I have the one at beltway many times. Not so sure Richard wants to part with it.7
 
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