Have you seen the young fry of Phractocephalus Hemioliopterus, commonly known as the Red Tail Catfish?
You probably remember seeing them in the local fish shop.
The ones that you seen in the local fish shop are just one or two inches.
It is beyond your imagination to imagine the Red Tail Catfish growing to the full size of five feet and weighs more than a hundred pounds.
Can you imagine having a fish of 114 pounds at home? That is not to scare you. It is to inform you that is the current record for Phractocephalus Hemioliopterus, the Red Tail Catfish.
Why do people
want to buy the Red Tail Catfish?For one thing, the juvenile fish looks very cute. We do not call it the fry of the Phractocephalus Hemioliopterus. We call it the kitten.
In many ways, the kitten does look very cute. It is very small, active and curious. Many hobbyists like the way it eats and grows.
Watching a hungry fish eating happily away is one of the happiest moment in life.
However, before you commit to the purchase of the Red Tail Catfish, there are a few things you have to consider.
1 Tank
How big is your current tank? Do you have a tank of at least 2000 gallons?
If you intend to keep a pair for breeding purpose, you must have at least a tank of 4000 gallons. Up till now, nobody is successfully with breeding the Red Tail Catfish in an aquarium setting.
2. Pond
If you have a pond of sizeable size, that is great.
However, the optimum temperature for the Red Tail Catfish is 21.0-26.0°C or 69.8-78.8°F. Can you maintain the temperature when winter comes?
It will take a lot to heat up the water in such a big pond.
3. Cost
The cost of buying a kitten, the juvenile Phractocephalus Hemioliopterus, is not such a big deal.
The real cost comes from the caring of the fish and the feeding of the fish.
You need very efficient and powerful filtration to maintain the cleanliness of the water.
You have to make partial water change regularly.
The annoying thing about the Red Tail Catfish is that it will swallow everything out of curiosity, and then regurgitate everything that it cannot digest.
That means your dear
pet is capable even of swallowing the pump and the filter in the tank.The water becomes polluted as a result.
Now let us talk about the cost of feeding.
A young kitten grows very fast. It practically doubles its size every few weeks.
It is true that you can use pellets or sticks to feed the young fry. This will save cost. However, when the Red Tail Catfish reaches the full length of five feet, how are you going to save cost of food?
A mature Red Tail Catfish does not need to eat every day. You can get away with feeding it once a week. Some hobbyists even witness this monster fish eating a tank mate which is nearly two feet long.
Red Tail Catfish prefers live feed even though it takes fruits, insects and frozen food as well.
The lifespan of this fish is about 20 years. If you are keeping two in the hope of breeding them, the cost of feeding these two fellows may wipe clean your bank account.
Having say that, there is no doubt that Phractocephalus Hemioliopterus is a great pet. It can recognize you as its owner, and will endear itself to you, especially when feeding time comes.
About me:
Scheng1 is a passionate blogger from Singapore. Rich in every sense reveals my deep desire in enjoying life, and be rich in every possible ways. Personal Finance is about money, from making money to investing money. Retirement in Asia contains resources on retirement planning.
