Redtail Catfish 4-5cm

R250.00

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SKU: Red-Tail-CatFish Tags: ,

R250.00

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The Redtail Catfish is a large predator catfish that requires a very large tank and usually kept in tanks or ponds with a few similarly sized fish.  Recommended for Advanced Aquarists.

The Redtail Catfish belongs to the genus Phractocephalus and is the only known species left. It is also known as the flat-nosed catfish, antenna catfish and banana catfish.  It originated from the South American and Amazonian rivers, and can be found in Brazil, Peru, Venezuela, Colombia and other neighboring countries.  They have a long lifespan and can live in excess of 15 years if cared for correctly.  The largest recorded Redtail Catfish was found in the Amazon River in 2010, and was 160 cm in length and weighed 56kg.

Behaviour

A juvenile Red Tail can be very shy. Some suggestions to help them overcome their shyness include: providing cave areas for them to hide out in (make sure they’re not small enough to eat) and keeping the tank in an area where you spend plenty of time so they get use to interacting with you.  They can be trained to accept food from their owner’s hands.  Ideally you should house Redtail Catfish on their own.

Tank Conditions

This fish will literally eat anything that will fit in its mouth, so therefore they require very sparse tanks. Avoid decorations, gravel and loose parts in your tank.  There is a lot of debate around the size of an acceptable tank size for them.  An adult will need at least a 4000 litre tank or an indoor pond.  These fish can easily grow a couple centimeters a week when they’re young; most of them reach 60 cm within a year.

Compatibility

Red Tail’s are natural predators and will attack and eat smaller fish, so any fish that are smaller than them are not suitable tank mates. Tank mates should be a similar size; appropriate fish include: Gars, Stingrays and Datnoids. It’s also best to house them all together from a young age.

Ideally you should house Redtail Catfish on their own.  If you really want a tank mate, make sure that whatever you put in with it can’t fit into their mouth.

They can easily eat anything that is half their size and will even try to eat things that are bigger than that – which can be fatal from choking.

Feeding

Redtail Catfish are not picky eaters. In fact, they’ll eat anything that fits into their mouth.  They are omnivorous, but prefer meaty foods. Ideally, their diet should consist of sinking carnivore pellets, cut fish and meat, shrimp, crayfish and worms.

Overfeeding is a common issue amongst this species.  These fish become very sluggish after each feed and require time to digest their food properly. Juveniles should be fed every other day, but as they mature they will only require one large meal per week.  Once you get to know your fish, you can watch for signs when they are sluggish. You’ll notice when they become active again and will get to know when to feed them.  They can be trained to accept food from their owner’s hands.  When we say they will eat anything that fits in their mouth – we mean that literally. They will eat gravel, stones, filter parts, basically any loose parts.

Care

As typical of all catfish, Redtails cannot tolerate salt or brackish water but they are not picky about their aquarium conditions. Little maintenance has to be done to keep them in good condition. Regular siphoning of the gravel is recommended to remove waste and keep the tank in a clean state. The recommended water change is 10 – 15% every other week to keep up with the bio-load.  High nitrate levels can cause catfish to develop infected barbels; this makes it difficult for them to navigate and eat normally. It is recommended to maintain nitrate levels below 20 ppm.

Because they are a scaleless fish, catfish can be treated with API pimafix or API melafix but should not be treated with potassium permanganate or copper based medications. Malachite green or Seachem ParaGuard can be used at one half to one fourth the recommended dosage. All medications should be used with caution.

Click for Fish Disease Diagnosis and Treatment at Rebel Pets.

Category Rating
Adult Size:  1.2 – 1.8 meters
Aquarist Experience Level: Advanced due to size and temperament
Minimum Tank Size: 120 litres, +20 litres/add. fish
Temperament: Natural Predator
Tank Level: Mid dweller
Diet: Omnivore, eats most foods
Aquarium Hardiness: Hardy
Lifespan: 15+ Years
Water Flow: Moderate
Temperature: 20 to 26°C
pH: 6.0 – 7.5
Hardness:  n/a

Shipping Countries: South Africa


Shipping States: Gauteng (South Africa)


Specification: Redtail Catfish 4-5cm

Color

Dimensions
Weight 0.75 kg

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