Who has Red tailed x Tiger Shovelnose hybrids?

[Bimmerboy12]

I am wondering who all on this wonderful site have them, and maybe start a chat session about what works and doesn't with ours.

Thanks,
Kevin

[Redtailrob]

Hi Kevin

There are 17 registered keepers on here so hopefully you'll get some feedback although not everyone can post on a regular basis.

I'm the proud owner of one of these splendid fish.
Picked mine up as a very cheap Bargain - didnt intend to buy one because of their final size but was offered to me by a mailorder outlet that I use as it had a deformed / undersized left pectoral fin.
Was a 3 " cutey & is now a 14" -16" whopper but obviously still has allot of growing to do yet.

Easy to keep providing you give them plenty of space & maintain good water quality but in fairness that's the hard part. (Money & space required)
Mine readily hand feeds & also takes floating pellets of the surface which is always great to watch - you should hear the slurping noises!

Quite territorial though - much more so than RTC or TSN , gets on fine with my other Big cats but will not tolerate my TSN Corruscans/Punticefer so much so that I had to move the TSN C out & that's at least 18-20"

Details on yours?
Rob

[Viktor Jarikov]

Dear Bimmerboy12, I offered some info at your prior post http://www.planetcatfish.com/forum/view ... =7&t=30205 ...

...and received no reaction, did you not find it useful or just feel that a new post will get you more attention?

My experience echoes what Rob just wrote except all three of mine (two 1.5-2' and one ~6") get along fine with everybody, including the two big ones that are together (with ~20 others) in the indoor pond. They even were good together in a 150 gal quarantine tank for 10 days with no food!

A small development since my reply to your previous post is that one of the big hybrids appears to have started eating some pellets (yeah, slurping!) but not nearly with as much enthusiasm as he gulps down anything meaty...

-- Viktor

[Bimmerboy12]

Hi, sorry I really have not taken the time to thouroughly look through this site to notice your other topics.
Here is what I have to say about mine.

Got him June 16, 2010 at 3" currently now pushing a little over 4" on July 1, 2010...growth seems abit slow to me, what do you guys think? He is eating a good diet of earthworms and frozen tilapia...can't seem to get him on pellets yet. Mine is the one who gets bullied generally, by his Red tailed Catfish tankmate...almost 4" with a good 1" wide head...a true beast in the making.

Some questions I still have are:

-His growth seem very slow to me...is this normal for him to just grow a little over an inch in 16 days?

-What other foods would be a good diet for him?

and lastly

-Should I stop trying pellets until he is over 6", I was told that is a good time to try when he is over 6" total length.


Thank you,
Kevin

[Redtailrob]

Hi Kevin.

Growth rate is fine, do not worry.
Can i ask why you are worried/ concerned about his growth rate?

Provided the water quality suits his requirements, he is happy in his environment i.e. Plenty of swimming space, Rocks & Bogwood to hide, some shade etc & you are feeding a good diet he will grow fast enough believe me!

Don't be tempted to feed too much too often.
All my Cats are feed at intervals literally only a few times a week & even less as they get larger.
Unless they are actively swimming around especially near the surface they do not get fed!
Other food items to consider are Prawns, pieces of Non oily fish, squid, Mussels etc
Also I've read your post regarding Pellets elsewhere & providing its a readily acceptable & good quality pellet both your RTC & Hybrid will take them - PROVIDED THEY'RE HUNGRY enough!
The RTC especially.
My big Cats have been known to eat Lettuce, grapes, segments of fruit etc intended for the Gourami's & Barbs before, basically if they're Hungry enough & happy enough they eat anything!!

[Viktor Jarikov]

Kevin, I am talking about your post, not my other topics - I do not expect people to know my posts, that's be pretty arrogant and unreasonable.

My small hybrid was about 3" when I got him 1/2 a year ago. Today he is only 5". If you call it slow, fine. Relative to how my RTC's and Marbled Pims (Leiarius Marmoratus) are growing, this is very slow indeed. But maybe smth is wrong with my keeping it or with my specimen. As I said, I've got two 1.5-2' hybrids in the pond. Had them for a month. Will see how they grow.

Mine do not hide much, just rest on the bottom, on top of rocks, or in loose plants. If mine hide --> they are bullied.

Wow, Rob, good advice on feeding. I usually feed mine every night (the small ones; the pond fish get fed 1-2 a week). Maybe I am overfeeding? Rarely do they cruise around and even when they do that, it does not impress me as a hungry prowl but a stretch and exercise. All my tanks and the pond are a very diverse community of cats in both kinds and sizes plus some odds and ends - I am just afraid they will start attacking smaller/weaker tankmates if I let them develop a serious hunger.

Yep, RTC's take pellets all right. My TSN's never. The hybrids - not easily. I did not notice size dependence for any.

[Bimmerboy12]

I am not worried about the growth rate, I am just shocked that in the beginning he was growning 1/4" a day, and then he slowed right now, and is getting more girthy than anything. Currently they are all in a 125 ("all" includes 1x RTC, the hybrid, and 2x Asian Upsidedown cats) all which are about 4". When I get my graduation money I am building a 8-9'x3'x2' "pond" for all of them, until they get bigger....and I am out of my parents home. I feed them all twice daily, earthworms in the morning, then when the ligts go out a few small pieces of cut up thawed Tilapia. I will have to pick up some shrimp and prawns for them to try. Suprisingly my RTC does not take pellets....yet!

[Viktor Jarikov]

K: I am not worried about the growth rate, I am just shocked that in the beginning he was growning 1/4" a day, and then he slowed right now, and is getting more girthy than anything.
**VJ: not sure about QUANTITATIVE comparison, but QUALITATIVELY my small hybrid did the same thing! Grew well the first couple of months, like from 3" to 4.5" but the following 4 months brought about barely 0.5" if that much but his body is getting robuster, not fast either but little by little. At this point, I have NO IDEA when he will grow to be like the two big ones in my pond - at this rate it may take longer than an average American male lives for

The funny thing, once in a while I let him just flat out pig out, just feed him as much as he wants. He eats like tomorrow is Armageddon and until he looks 18 months pregnant ... and .... and .... and .... and still does not add length or weight after taking 3-4 days to get himself in some sort of more or less publicly acceptable shape.


K: Currently they are all in a 125 ("all" includes 1x RTC, the hybrid, and 2x Asian Upsidedown cats) all which are about 4".
**VJ: I commend your restraint and self-control: 16" of fish for 125 gal is very, very conservative. Looks like you really think ahead about their growth and also looks like you will not be getting a bigger tank or multiple tanks. Good job! I too have two 6-7" TL Asian upsidedowns in my 55 gal - they fought pretty good the first day but now just occupy different sides of the tank - as far away from each other as possible.

K: When I get my graduation money I am building a 8-9'x3'x2' "pond" for all of them, until they get bigger....and I am out of my parents home.
**VJ: splendid plan.

K: I feed them all twice daily, earthworms in the morning, then when the ligts go out a few small pieces of cut up thawed Tilapia. I will have to pick up some shrimp and prawns for them to try. Suprisingly my RTC does not take pellets....yet!
**VJ: with so much yummy meat, who would? If you did not have him initially on pellets, he will refuse them in favor of meat. Starve him, as Rob said, and see then... The amounts per fish per feeding are unclear but the amount of food MAY sound excessive. Even when small, fish benefit from small 1-2 day fasts every now and then, I think.

[Bimmerboy12]

Thanks for the info Viktor! I will try fasting them for a couple days and see what happens.

[Viktor Jarikov]

K: I am not worried about the growth rate, I am just shocked that in the beginning he was growning 1/4" a day, and then he slowed right now, and is getting more girthy than anything.
**VJ: not sure about QUANTITATIVE comparison, but QUALITATIVELY my small hybrid did the same thing! Grew well the first couple of months, like from 3" to 4.5" but the following 4 months brought about barely 0.5" if that much but his body is getting robuster, not fast either but little by little. At this point, I have NO IDEA when he will grow to be like the two big ones in my pond - at this rate it may take longer than an average American male lives for

As if my small hybrid was hurt by my accusations and complains, he just put on an inch in one month!! I guess he grows by spurts!

[TheFishGuy]

Fasting is a must. My big cats were fed every five to six days. I had three TSN, Three RTC and one hybrid RTC/TSN. They were all rescues and right around 3'. The hybrid ate pellet food, along with fish fillets and whole bluegill by hand. Twas a very interesting fish, always active and cruising the tank...

[Viktor Jarikov]

Forgot to mention that one of my big hybrids, the bigger one, now eats pellets (koi, catfish, and game fish) readily and actually goes after them. He is also very active and cruises a lot too all around the 19-foot pond section. The other 2-footer is for some reason very shy, he never gets bullied but still stays under cover, rarely comes out, and does not always come to feedings.

[TheFishGuy]

How big is your bigger one? Do you have any full shots of their holding tank?

[Viktor Jarikov]

Hi Jonathan! The bigger one is called Evans. The smaller one is called Lobach. They are both ~2 feet TL, give or take. The size difference is in girth: Evans is ~1.5 times thicker - he is the top predator in the pond. Curiously, the shape of their heads differs: Evans' is flat while Lobach has a high, sloped "forehead" sort of - he is very pretty but somewhat guffy-looking. Can give you more details if you wish. The pond (and lots of other stuff, sorry) is here

http://www.planetcatfish.com/forum/view ... 25&t=29488

it is only 3 pages though and hopefully you can easily find Evans and Lobach in the photos (please, pay attention to captions, either at the top of each group of three or so pics or at the bottom of each pic).

[TheFishGuy]

Ha! I remember you now! LOL I'm such a doof... LOL

I might have a ton of fish for you! Three giant gouramis, 8" 18" and 25" and a couple of catfish! Check out "my cats"

[Viktor Jarikov]

I am derailing Kevin's thread but quickly: It's all right. Rather, I'm a doof as I was supposed to come out and meet you months ago. Saw you plea for help. Will try to help with a small input. $4000 is a big deficit. Hope and pray your Monster Fish Rescue stays afloat. Pls, let me know if I can provide non-monetary help too.

[TheFishGuy]

LOL Come take all my fish.... LOL