Pangasius Catfish

[newfishguy]

Hey everyone, just have a quick question. I went to petsmart yesterday and bought 3 pangasius catfish. At the store it said that it only grew to 12 inches max. Then I go home and figure out it grows to be a monster. I only have a 55 gal tank at the moment but am planning to build a 180 gal real soon. What would you recomend me do? I havent checked back to the store to see if they will take it back. But they are really cool fish, so energetic little buggers. They are 1.5 - 2 inches at the current moment.

[Carp37]

I doubt if 180 gallons would be anywhere near big enough long-term for three of them; I've never kept them but they've got a reputation of being really nervous as they get bigger, crashing into the sides of the tank at the least disturbance. Having three might quieten them down a bit but they do get SERIOUSLY big- there's a campaign in the UK to stop them being imported due to their size.

[wataugachicken]

http://aqualandpetsplus.com/Catfish,%20Pangassius.htm

The only thing i don't agree with here is the average size and the preference for stunting these fish although i understand why it is an issue. . . obviously you can see that they easily get bigger and you can read other people's experiences with their fish

[carlyleigh]

I have 2 of this cuties and have done for around 1.5 years they are currently around 4.5 inches and are fab fish..... I am aware they can get very large but some dont.... I have mine in a 55 Uk Gallon and are very happy but when/if they grow I will go large (tank that is)

By the way are fab fish avoid sharp objects in your tank with lots of planting to avoid damage... I haven't had any injuries touch wood but they do batter around like demons.... Good Luck with yours...

[newfishguy]

Ya I've already noticed that they just act like pin balls. They are so cool to watch swim. What do you feed them btw? Ive been giving mine tropical flakes and brine shrimp.

[carlyleigh]

Aint they just...LOL My guys will eat just about anything.... Fish Flakes, Brine Shrimps, Bloodworms they adore, Catfish Pellets, Cucumber , Peas god do they like them....

Anything and at feeding time it is like a pirhana attack very funny....they also now take stuff out of my hand especially chunks of tubiflex that my AFC's love....

I added a piccie of one of my boys aint he a cutie....LOL

[newfishguy]

Sweet fish. You had him for 1.5 years and hes still only 4.5 inches? Well that eases my discomfert about them getting big fast. How do you prepair the cucumber and peas for the little guys?

[BigFishKeeper]

You could probalby keep them for 2 years because there slow growers.

[newfishguy]

How big of a tank would I need to house them when they get adult size?

[Lupin]

How big of a tank would I need to house them when they get adult size?
For a fish that grows to 3 feet and requiring company, a 600g would be the minimum. That fish is hardly an aquarium fish and should be banned fvrom the trade IMO.

[carlyleigh]

With the peas' I give them processed peas which are softer and easier to shell...... The cucumber I do 2 ways... Let some float as they like to chase it around and catch it.... (Sliced thinly)

The other ways is sliced quite thinly but held down with a fork till they eat it.....

Regarding growth mine were fairly small for a while then took a little growth spurt but it seems to me the more they eat the quicker they grow....(I know some might think that obvious)..... Not saying starve them just incase anyone is worried... wouldn't do that but just dont overfeed ......

[newfishguy]

What your supposed to feed your fish? LOL
Just kidding by the way =P. I want these little guys to grow. Im gonna try and give them some peas later today.

[carlyleigh]

Just make sure you squish them up a bit if your fish are small you don't want them to choke as they as you are most probably aware greedy little critters..... Also be careful how much as left over processed peas can make your tank really mucky and cloudy... Not a good look.... LOL

[newfishguy]

How long does it take them to realize that cucumbers are food and not something scary? They just look at it and swim away all speedy like.

[carlyleigh]

Mine kinda went at it right away.... I think at first they thought it was a toy then they cottoned on..... Have you tried any veggies at all with them......?

[newfishguy]

No I havent tried any veggies yet just the cucumber. Maybe they just have to get used to it. Who knows, maybe they are just scardy fish. Or just scared cuz they are small still.

[ITHURTZ]

These fish are NOT slow growers. ARE NOT. They should easily top over 12" the first year. The guy with a 1.5yr old and its 4.5" you screwed up. I have a 4month old and he is little over 5". My other guy is around 3"

MY 5"
http://img176.imageshack.us/img176/4011/bigcatfo3.jpg

MY 3"
http://img176.imageshack.us/img176/3443/smallcatld4.jpg

A 10x4x4 will be the min tank to house these guys, or just give them back.

P.S. in the 4 months Iv had my guys they have more than doubled their size.

[BigFishKeeper]

The ones that I had grew slow.

[Dwarf Puffers]

I have 2 of this cuties and have done for around 1.5 years they are currently around 4.5 inches and are fab fish..... I am aware they can get very large but some dont.... I have mine in a 55 Uk Gallon and are very happy but when/if they grow I will go large (tank that is)

All fish should grow to the common adult size, unless they have a visible defect, like spinal difficulties, etc. There should be no "if they grow large". A normal iridescent shark will grow between 3' and 4'. :iagree: with ITHURTZ on the size of tank, 10'x4'x4' minimum, and that will give them barely enough room to turn around and limited swimming room. These fish should only be for sale to people with many thousand gallon tanks or tropical ponds, IMHO.

[carlyleigh]

Wait a Mo..... There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to fish growth rate... My two have absolutely no diformites. I bought them August 2006 when they were around 2 inches long approx..... They live in 40 gallon tank and are extremely happy...

If they get too large for me too keep I have a friend who owns a specialist tank which contains already a 3 feet Paroon..... I have been a successful fish owner for many years and would never do anything to harm any of my fish...

I am a realist and would not intentionally harm any creature.....

I have not screwed up my fish are kept in a pristine tank and fed on a daily basis.... where is the screw up in that...... (does the paroon pic above show a sick fish, i think not).

Thanks bigfishkeeper for backing me up here..... how big and old are yours...

[Danyal]

while a lot of factors like temp, water conditons and diet affect growth, there is such a thing as average growth.

[carlyleigh]

Yes I agree with average growth but to say that someone has screwed up is just wrong especially if others have the same slow growth experience.....

[ITHURTZ]

1.5years @ 4.5" is messed up. These cats put on size quick, there is no reason at all why these cats shouldnt put on 1/4" a month, and thats being very modest. Mine average .625" a month and thats not stuffing there bellies every night.

[carlyleigh]

I found this for those who are interested......

http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=32232

go down to ID Shark Descriptions talks about growth rate etc...(Among lots of interesting information)

[ITHURTZ]

I dont get it. SO because it doesnt grow like a rtc your saying your no growth in 1.5 years is fine? Goldfish grow quick and these puppies should out grow a goldfish.

[carlyleigh]

What you mean no growth..... I got them at about 1.5 inches they were teeny maybe even smaller than that....

It is only in the last few months that they have started to really get bigger.... They are now around 4.5 - 5 inches..... Speaking to a friend of mine who has one at 3 foot this type of growth pattern can be entirely normal..... His guy has taken 18 years to get to that size.... next time I go to his store I shall try to get pics....

[newfishguy]

ITHURTZ, man take a chill pill man. Just because your fish grew fast doesnt mean that your fish is the normal. Doesnt humans grow at different times? Then why cant fish too? And that is also rude that saying Carlyleigh is doing something wrong.

[ITHURTZ]

start packing there guts full. I expect mine to hit 18-24 by end of 09

[Danyal]

i've got to agree w/ ithurtz, i'd have expected them to get much larger by now, most of the monster cats get pretty big fairly quickly

[rbdazza]

i had mine for a year and it grew to just shy of a foot!
at about 6 inches it cleared up all my neon's and other lil fish too!!

[tattoobaz]

ime they grow at a decent rate i had two albinos bought them at 1.5 inch and grew to 3 in less than a month. whatever their growth rate they need a huge tank, they need something a lot bigger than 40 gallon thats for sure.

[carlyleigh]

I am aware they get large.... I have a spare 125 gallon to move them into when they get bigger.... When they get too big for that I have a friend who owns his own store who has an enormous display tank that holds some serious fish who is gonna take them should that ever be necessary.....

[ITHURTZ]

How big if your friends display tank? That for sure would be a awesome site walking into a store.

[carlyleigh]

The tank was purpose built for large fish..... He already has a 3 foot pangasius in there which is an amazing sight..... I have asked him this question and I think if memory serves that it is 14 x 14 x 8 all feet.... I shall be there most likely on Sunday I shall take some pics.... The pangasius is not the biggest of his fish...... It is indeed an amazing sight.... He tends to keep the fish that grow out of other peoples tanks..... He does however have lots of large displays all around his store which is amazing and has one of the most amazing SW displays I have ever seen..... I will get pics for you guys to see.....

[ITHURTZ]

Sweet pics will be awesome. Why cant I have stores like this near me!

[Yoemen]

Well, not saying anyone is doing anything wrong, but considering catfish are some of the most effecient metabolizers of food into size, I would expect a faster growth rate. I believe the American Yellow Cat, pratically has a 1.5 to 1 lb of feed to lb of growth ration.

Compare that to Chickens-the most effecient warm blooded animal- has a growth effecieny rate of 3.5 lbs to 1 lb. We pay a high price to be warm blooded.

[newfishguy]

Alright, my little guys dont really eat that well. The only food that they get is the food that sinks down in front of them. I read somewhere that if I dont feed them for a day or two that they will eat anything that goes in the tank. Should I try that or is that just another way of animal cruilty?

[ITHURTZ]

I manually drop crisps down a copper tube to the side of the tank they hang out on, they usually find it. If I dont feed them for a day or so they will rush after the crisps falling down. They never get alot that way because of the other pigs so I keep manually doing it.

[newfishguy]

Ok, ill try doing that. Do you feed them anything else? I would like to try and feed them cucumbers but would like to start at least with flakes or crisps. They also like brine shrimp.

[Bnoble]

nothing is wrong with anyones growth! but (CATFISH) consume alot of food thats there nature and this leads to rapid growth!

[BigFishKeeper]

Catfish are monsters!

[ITHURTZ]

Ok, ill try doing that. Do you feed them anything else? I would like to try and feed them cucumbers but would like to start at least with flakes or crisps. They also like brine shrimp.

mine wont touch anything else, "sometimes" I get lucky with algae wafers broke into tiny pieces but that hasnt happened in months. Wardleys shrimp pellets they used to eat, but after I switched to top fin they dont like it. Im hopin when they get bigger they will eat anything in front of them no matter what it is.

[newfishguy]

How big are they Ithurtz?

[ITHURTZ]

Last time I measured 5" and 3". Id safely add 1/2" to them now. They are 4.5months old. Ill get a final measurement in mid/late may when the temp tank is build and everyone gets transfered over.

[Dwarf Puffers]

Can't wait for pics of the monster tank.


Catfish are monsters!

Say that to my cories, pleco, otos and kuhlis ;)