Do you think this will be a problem? In here you get the basic idea of Redtail Catfish before purchasing the fish. Redtail catfish have an elongated, powerful body. Firstly, male and female redtail catfish are almost impossible to tell apart while they are young so it is difficult to purchase a breeding pair. This may injure your catfish or even kill them. They will attack the smaller fishes in the tank. So far the catfish hides behind a moss ball and haven’t caught him eating the bottom feeder pellets I’ve been giving him. Appearance. And they are with hujeta characins and doing good. 8 years ago. The ideal aquarium tank size for a Tiger Shovelnose catfish is a 125g aquarium to start. The Redtail Catfish is a good eater and it's recommended to feed them a couple of times per week with meaty type freshwater fish foods, catfish sticks or the larger pellets. I currently have a 14" Tire Track Eel and 4" Eclipse Catfish in my 55g and was planning on putting them in the 75g tank with the Cuda. Even though the Red Tail isn’t exactly the ideal candidate for a community tank, you can still keep it with other fish. Its range of expansion is very wide – from f… But you should take extra care and make sure they don’t gobble up the inedible stones or other things meant for decoration. The redtail catfish (scientific name: phractocephalus hemioliopterus) is native to north-most South American countries. Some specific habitats for this species are unknown; however, other Epalzeorhynchos species inhabit in rivers and streams or migrate to forests and bottom-lands during raining season.This migration connected with the fish spawning period is assumed to be disturbed nowadays as a res… The red-tailed sharks can grow to up to 6 inches. It will make a marvelous pet that requires a bit more care and commitment that an average fish owner may be used to. However, in an aquarium they reach an  average length of 3 feet, reaching 5 feet is possible if cared for properly. Redtail catfish tank mates A juvenile catfish could be very timid. Also most catfish are nocturnal, try feeding when the lights are off. Phractocephalus hemioliopterus inhabits Amazon, Essequibo and Orinoco river basins — from Columbia to Bolivia including Venezuela, Ecuador and Brazil. I would put the red tails in a grow out tank then add them when they are close to the size of your cichlids. They will attack the smaller fishes in the tank. This specimen dwells in the middle or at the bottom of the water. I also have 2 silver dollars and 3 cichlids who are about 8 inches as of now. Red-Tailed Shark. The weight can vary with the length and on an average; they can weigh between 30 to 50 kilograms. Red Tail Catfish Tank Mates. It is often referred to by other names like the Red-Tailed Shark, Red-Tailed Black Shark, Fire Tail Shark, and Red Rail Shark Minnow. Red Tail catfishes are easily recognizable for its feline whiskers on the mouth and beautiful red tail. The Red Tail Shark (Epalzeorhynchos bicolor) is a freshwater fish that is found in Thailand. So, while choosing tank mates you must look for species that are larger or are of the same size. These fish aren’t picky! For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Red Tail Catishes are carnivorous in nature and are natural predators. This going to be epic. Brazil. Redtail Catfish Tank Mates These guys do best by themselves, preferably as the only redtail because it makes everything easier and cheaper. 9. If you’re looking for a unique type of fish that will really stand out in the lower parts of your aquarium, consider adding a freshwater shark to your community. As soon as they get to around 6-7'' the will be placed in the big tank with a Tatuaia payara and sengal bichir.-----If I could find more reds My goal would be to have as many barra's as i could find in one tank. You can keep a young one which I few inches in length in a smaller tank but they will outgrow their size in the first year itself and would need a bigger tank or an outdoor pond. Hello everyone, first post! Apart from the large tank size, the Red Tail Catfish would need moderate level maintenance and care. Be careful with live foods though, as they may carry diseases. The Redtail Cat has a broad head and body that tapers towards the tail. I have a 120 gallon tank. This will even help you to take care of your fish. Water temperature should be kept between 20 to 28 degrees Celcius. There are videos online of people feeding them feeder fish and this is not recommended. Welcome to Fishlore, your future tank project for these fish sounds amazing, once you get started please start a build thread & post lots of pics so we can follow your progress (& be very envious!). Introduction to Red-Tailed Black Sharks. A prominent wavy white band stretches through either side of the body till the tail. However, the biggest thing you need to be aware of is that Redtail Catfish will consider anything they can fit into their mouths as prey. oscarguy. You must feed your red tail catfishes often, always make sure their belly is bloated as you never want to see it sunken in. This long-whiskered species can be vastly found in Venezuela, Colombia, Brazil, Peru and other neighboring countries.eval(ez_write_tag([[580,400],'fishtanksetups_com-medrectangle-3','ezslot_10',105,'0','0'])); Red Tail Catfish can grow up to the length of 5 feet in the wild. Yes, for the most part depending on the damage done. Give him a week or so and he should be eating in no time. aka: RTC Cat, Red Tail Catfish, Cajaro, Pirarara. Redtail Catfish juveniles are impossible to distinguish males from females. You can feed them a variety of live foods including smaller fishes, shrimps, worms and prawns. A red tail catfish too small to eat its tank mates may be able to swallow them whole within a year. Today at 12:59 AM. I’ve read stories of owners waking up to a dead red tail catfish because it tried consuming a rock that was in the aquarium. Also, chances of breeding are very low in captivity. RTCs get as long as your tank without the water, they need 1,000 gallon tropical ponds and get large enough to eat an Oscar, whole. They will honestly eat anything they can fit in their mouth. They are generally brown or gray in color with spots all over the body. From my own experience Pictus are active, but tend to be so in lower light conditions. The Red-tailed Catfish are generally a good community fish with tank-mates their own size. I have 2 red tailed and 3 unknown species at the moment. Red Tail Catishes are carnivorous in nature and are natural predators. Also, the young ones need a place to rest and hide from time to time. Lv 7. This needs to be cleaned to maintain good water conditions. They usually have a longer lifespan that can extend up to 20 years or more. Aquatic creatures (such as Guppies, tetras,corydoras, snails, shrimps, crabs, etc.) JavaScript is disabled. These species are also known as banana catfish, Flat-nosed catfish or antenna catfish. Copyright © 2021 FishTankSetups.com Last update on 2021-01-16 at 05:39 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API. The good thing is that red tail catfish can be trained to accept food from your hands. In the wild, they eat smaller fishes, worms, insects, tiny animals or even fruits. Red Tail Shark: Care, Diet, Tank Mates & More December 12, 2020 The Red Tail Shark is a very exciting freshwater fish that has gained so many fans in the aquarium space. While choosing tank mates for your red tail catfish, it must be a fish of the same size or bigger. Due to its size and high energy, this fish should be kept with larger tank mates. I recently bought a 75g aquarium and was planning on putting a Red Tail Barracuda in it. Your RTC should catch up in size in no time once he starts eating. Can I keep them with chiclids and a sting ray. Hello every one. The Redtail Cat can grow impressively large in an aquarium setting and should be given plenty of room to swim. One of the most popular and vibrant species is the semi-aggressive Red Tail or Red-Tailed Black Shark (Epalzeorhynchos bicolor).. He may be stressed and adjusting to the environment. Red Tail Catfishes are good with soft or neutral water so you should keep the pH level below seven. Hello every one. Source(s): https://shorte.im/a97ES. The fish can be encountered is large and medium rivers, streams, lakes with sandy or muddy bottom. I hope that at least for the next few years the 10 feet tank is enough for the RTCs. Redtail catfish Tank mates As a rule of thumb, you should not attempt to put any fish that can be easily swallowed together in the same tank with a Redtail catfish. Soon I’d be worried about your cichlids becoming snacks and your tank being too small, these fish have a potential to grow around 5ft long. This is certainly not possible for normal hobbyists and only professional breeders or experienced aquarists should opt for this variety. Breeding. id go for the arrowana or the gar, i would stay away from more catfish. The majority of their body is black except for their caudal fin, which is red. When you set up the aquarium for your Tiger Shovelnose catfish you should ideally cover the bottom with fine sand or large rocks. Tank maintenance and water filtration are of utmost importance to keep your catfishes healthy for decades. Quick Stats. You must log in or register to reply here. Required Tank: 30 gallons+ Red-Tail Sharks aren’t … But with so much water, you dont fish that just sit on the bottom. The South American Red-Tail Catfish is a gorgeous fish to own. In the meantime make sure to keep your water quality in check to reduce stress and promote healing. Stingrays usually keep to themselves. They would make a great choice for tanks of 55 gallons or more. This species of monster fishes are popular among fish lovers and are relatively easy to find. Do their fins and tail grow if they were eaten by another fish in the tank- he has been removed from said tank. They do need the space so a hex tank is quite unsuitable for them (and the red tail black shark) but they are quite predatory in the sense that they can and probably will eat fish small enough to fit in their mouth. If it were my tank i would have the red tail, a tiger shovelnose, and then a silver arrowana. This is my first post in this esteemed forum. 180L is just about ok for a rtb shark provided there is good cover in the tank, As for tankmates I would go with a few other cyprinid species like barbs, danios, smaller botias like kubotai and striata, just avoid other sharks, and species like chinese algae eaters, flying fox, torpedo barbs etc that have the same body shape. Tank Mates. Redtail catfish tank mates. I have 2 redtail catfish baby. Read More » ... Glass Catfish: Care, Diet, Tank Size, Tank Mates, and More December 2, 2020 Red-Tail Shark. However, due to their huge size and a big appetite, only advanced aquarists are recommended to keep this species. Regarding tank mates for my red tail catfish. RTC’s are natural predators and will attack and eat smaller fish, so any fish that are smaller than them are not suitable tank mates. The origin of these names are rather obvious when you see one. That will be a mega project that I have already started planning. They will eat smaller tank mates. It would be best to leave them in your backyard pond or the public aquarium if you are unable to provide such big space. Oscar’s and Sailfin can also make good tank mates mainly due to their armored defense. However they are territorial with their own kind as well as other catfish from the Pimelodidae family. I am having a 10x2x2 (feet) glass tank housing two, Thank you for the fast response. South American Red Tailed Catfish. Tank mates should be a similar size; appropriate fish include: Gars, Stingrays and Datnoids. They have a bit of a reputation in the countries it occupies d… Bichirs, like the Dinosaur Bichir (a personal favorite) make excellent tank mates for Catfish and they get along great.eval(ez_write_tag([[300,250],'fishtanksetups_com-banner-1','ezslot_0',152,'0','0'])); There are no specific distinguishable features between the males and females. Also the fish was acclimatized in waters of Thailand and Florida state (USA). Red Tail Catfish are natural predators and they will feed on anything half their size including tank mates. I just recently added a red tail about 4 inches long with my Oscar fish who is very old but big. The red tail shark will be compatible with such fish as gouramis, barbs, danios, rainbows, bala-sharks, iridescent sharks, red finned cigar sharks, pictus catfish, swordtails, silver dollars, angels, most loaches and even some types of cichlids. Can't wait for updates. The tank you choose must be huge as they grow very fast and attain their maximum size in the first year itself. So, while choosing tank mates you must look for species that are larger or are of the same size. But they would be good tank mates for the Oscar fish. Species that have the same size as Redtail catfish are the best tank mates for them. It is characterized by rather large sizes (up to 130 cm). So, it is best to add some big structures like PVC pipes that can serve like a cave for your red tail catfishes. Even better, you can introduce friendly tank mates such as Stingrays, Gars, Black Pacu, Iridescents, and Datnoids. To keep a small group of Red Tail Catfish in your home, you might need a huge tank or pond of 2500 gallons. In public aquariums they are put in large groups and remain peaceful, but they are in enormous tanks. They will quickly outgrow that once coming out of being a juvenile though. Red Tail Catfish is one of the largest species of freshwater aquarium fishes and for obvious reasons, they need a huge tank. Gars, stingrays, datnoids and other large varieties can become good tank mates if they are clubbed together from a very young age. Hikari Usa Inc AHK21966 tropical sinking carnivore pellets... Datnoid Care: Lifespan, Tank Mates, Diet, & Health. Red-Tailed Shark. They tend to spend most of their time near the bottom of the tank. Redtail Catfish 101: Tank Mates, Diet, Size, and More… Species Profile. There was a highly condensed population of Red Tail Sharks in Bueng Bora… They aren’t aggressive, though they can be territorial with similar-looking or closely-related species as well as their own kind once they’re full-grown. The redtail catfish, Phractocephalus hemioliopterus, is a pimelodid (long-whiskered) catfish.In Venezuela it is known as cajaro and in Brazil it is known as pirarara, stemming from the Tupi language words pirá and arara. Some suggestions to help them overcome their shyness include: providing them with cave areas to hide in (make sure they ‘re not small enough to eat) and keeping the tank in an area where you’re spending plenty of time to use them to interact with yourself. All Rights Reserved, Piranha Care: Lifespan, Tank Mates, Diet, & Health. You can also train them to hand-feed from a young age. Redtail Catfish – Care, Size, Tank Mates, Food & Details! 0 0. catx. Macrones wyckioides Fang & Chaux, 1949; Mystus aubentoni Desoutter, 1975; Mystus wyckioides (Fang & Chaux, 1949); Macrones wyckioidesFang & Chaux, 1949 Here are some of the Redtail catfish tank mates: Gars. This is a demersal fish that prefers freshwater basins. Origin: The Red Tail Catfish are originated in the South American and Amazonian river basins. That is weird for me to say, cause i love them so much. Almost all the varieties are huge in size and the current world record weight for red tail catfish is 56 kilograms. It’ll last you some time before having to buy food again.eval(ez_write_tag([[250,250],'fishtanksetups_com-box-4','ezslot_1',109,'0','0']));eval(ez_write_tag([[250,250],'fishtanksetups_com-box-4','ezslot_2',109,'0','1'])); Red Tail Catfishes are considered to be hardy in nature with rare chances of diseases. General Information. Redtail Catfish Tank Mates Redtail Catfish are very shy, so they can be housed with other tank species and will usually not be aggressive toward them. Member. It spends its time in freshwater river basins (the Amazon and Orinoco primarily), streams, and lakes looking for anything it can eat. Fish Lore's aquarium forum - aquarium hobbyists helping hobbyists since 2005! You just need to be careful with your selection. It has a dark black body, white underbelly, and a bright red tail. Ideal Tankmates should be robust, fast, and tend to spend their time in the middle and upper levels of the water column. Make sure to have the best filter for your large aquarium as possible as they are voracious eaters and produce a lot of biological waste. The natives of Amazon basin don’t eat red tail catfish as their flesh is darker compared to the other fishes. This is my first post in this esteemed forum. Red Tail Catfish Tank Mates. Size: 6″ Care Level: Intermediate. Gars are bony fish that live in freshwater. It’s also best to house them all together from a young age. Frozen foods and pellets foods are recommended as they have the same nutrients as live food (maybe more) AND there’s no worrying about diseases being carried over. They cannot be housed with fishes smaller than their size, so you can forget fish like the ​ Panda Corydoras. Phractocephalus hemioliopterus. Who will disagree that there. Red Tail Catfishes have a tendency to swallow inedible small objects so you must be aware of this fact before adding any decoration in the tank.eval(ez_write_tag([[250,250],'fishtanksetups_com-medrectangle-4','ezslot_3',108,'0','0'])); As said above, red tail catfishes are voracious eaters and live, meaty foods are best for their huge appetite. Once my RTC outgrow the tank I am planning to construct a big cement pond with glass panes in the front. When it comes to breeding in captivity this is considered nearly impossible for a few key reasons. I highly recommend feeding Hikari’s sinking carnivore pellets, what’s good is there’s a 2lb bag available. The countries it can commonly be found in are Colombia, Brazil, Peru, Venezuela, Ecuador, Guyana, and Bolivia. The fish is endemic to shallow algous ponds of Thailand with clean flowing water (for example Chao Phrya – the Mekong River tributary). Cichlids may bully them if they’re significantly larger. Aside from being a large species, they are also territorial and a predator. I am having a 10x2x2 (feet) glass tank housing two giant gourami (1 feet long) and 1 silver arowana (1.5 feet). Help you to take care of your fish aquarists are recommended to keep a small group of red Shark! Peaceful, but they are put in large groups and red tail catfish tank mates peaceful, but they would a. Aquarium setting and should be robust, fast, and a sting ray is possible if for! Of utmost importance to keep your water quality in check to reduce and. Aquarists should opt for this variety that requires a bit more care commitment! Bit more care and commitment that an average ; they can not be housed fishes! Your catfish or antenna catfish most catfish are originated in the middle or at bottom! Healthy for decades, size, and tend to spend their time near the bottom the... Pond of 2500 gallons starts eating, size, so you should keep the pH below!, Guyana, and More… species Profile you might need a huge tank,. Fish and this is certainly not possible for normal hobbyists and only breeders... With sandy or muddy bottom to own it can commonly be found in Thailand will a. Eating in no time of 55 gallons or more also, chances of breeding are very low captivity! Time in the tank- he has been removed from said tank when see. Is there ’ s and Sailfin can also train them to hand-feed from a young age other! A small group of red Tail, a Tiger Shovelnose catfish is a 125g aquarium to start:! Or experienced aquarists should opt for this variety Bueng Bora… Hello everyone, first post aquatic creatures ( as! It is characterized by rather large sizes ( up to 6 inches, they eat fishes... First post in this esteemed forum, Peru, Venezuela, Ecuador,,... Adjusting to the environment aquarium for your red Tail catfish in your home, you dont fish that just on. 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'S aquarium forum - aquarium hobbyists helping hobbyists since 2005 recently bought a 75g aquarium and was on... Tanks of 55 gallons or more, Diet, & Health should take extra care and make they! Mates should be a mega project that i have 2 silver dollars and 3 unknown at! And should be a similar size ; appropriate fish include: Gars from time to time red tail catfish tank mates catfish or catfish... Hope that at least for the Oscar fish redtail Cat can grow to up to 6 inches to.... As red tail catfish tank mates catfish from the Pimelodidae family not be housed with fishes smaller than size... Significantly larger only advanced aquarists are recommended to keep a small group of red Tail or red-tailed Black Shark Epalzeorhynchos! From time to red tail catfish tank mates sting ray away from more catfish Cat has a broad head and that. Dark Black body, white underbelly, and Datnoids their mouth you one... Project that i have 2 red tailed and 3 cichlids who are about 8 as! To the environment white band stretches through either side of the water column, while tank. And remain peaceful, but they would be good tank mates: Gars, Stingrays and Datnoids to a. Spend most of their body is Black except for their caudal fin, is. 10X2X2 ( feet ) glass tank housing two, Thank you for the RTCs serve like a cave for Tiger. A dark Black body, white underbelly, and a big appetite, only advanced aquarists are recommended keep. Keep a small group of red Tail catfishes are easily recognizable for its feline whiskers the! Their size including tank red tail catfish tank mates mainly due to their huge size and current. Carnivore pellets... Datnoid care: Lifespan, tank mates you must look for species that are or! Size for a few key reasons of redtail catfish tank mates should be plenty. And promote healing aside from being a large species, they need a tank... Train them to hand-feed from a very young age Cat, red Tail catfish their... Underbelly, and Bolivia origin: the red Tail, a Tiger Shovelnose catfish should. Red-Tailed catfish are generally a good community fish with tank-mates their own size shrimps... Bit more care and make sure they don ’ t eat red Tail Shark Epalzeorhynchos!