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The listed sizes on P C are put there as a benchmark for AQUARIST USE. That means that one can expect, under optimal conditions in an aquarium, for said fish to grow to 14.4", as you say. They will not reach that size in a 75 gallon because they become stunted, even in such a minute degree, they are still stunted. If you want to house a fish and not provide it with optimal conditions, be my guest.

Last edited by Cup_of_Lifenoodles at 05-Jul-2005 19:02

If it has 3 more inches to turn, I do not see a problem.

For fish large than 7" or so, it is generally advised to keep them in tanks at least x1.5 their length. A thick fish such as a clarias, when turning in the midst of even mediocre ornamentation, will not be a happy camper.

They are eel like, I'm sure there won't be a problem.

Believe me, I work with clariids quite often (well, mainly one species, as we do not get the rarer ones in stock). They are actually quite heavily built and would definitely appreciate a wider tank. I have seen them at nearly full size; they will not enjoy only 3" of wiggle room. With ornaments, as previously said, the fish will have quite a tough time navigating, especially due to its girth.

Last edited by Cup_of_Lifenoodles at 05-Jul-2005 19:22

Justin- Im sorry but I have to agree with Cup Of Lifenoodles.
He is right.
Hes not saying that to hurt your feelings
or make you unhappy or angry.
For the exact same reason I took my Bala Sharks
out of my 75g tank, is the exact reason that
Clarias cat needs to go.
A fish 14 inches or larger does not even begin to
be able to enjoy a life in a tank only a couple inches wider than itself.
Dont say they are eel like- because when these guys
mature, they are big, clumsy, and thick as heck.
One of the LFS near me has a show Clarias in a 350G tank,
and that catfish makes that tank look too small for it
when he gets movin.
They are one of those fish that should not even be in the aquarium trade, and in their native lands are considered
a prized Food fish because of their sheer size.
Any fish that is prized for food because of its size,
is probably too big to be in an aquarium.
Do the catfish a favor, find him a home with 300G or more where he will be happy, and wont stunt and die at an early age.
Find a fish much more suited to a 75g tank.
There are plenty of big cats that would be fine in that
tank for their whole lives, and in my opinion are much
better looking and more interesting.
Also, the Clarias you think it is, I have seen going for 125 CAD here as a "dwarf" variety, and the stores still label them as 16 Inches+ max size.
The regular clarias can easily exceed 24 inches and in the wild have been caught at lengths way over 3 feet.



Come Play Yahtzee With Me!
http://games.atari.com
Http://www.myleague.com/yahtgames

How about not taking any fish out of the wild? I'm sure a guppy would feel cramped in even a 300 gal. I'm sure your angelfish which can reach a size of 8" are not happy in your 25 gal.

Last edited by JustinL at 05-Jul-2005 19:31

Last edited by JustinL at 05-Jul-2005 19:34

"How about not taking any fish out of the wild? I'm sure a guppy would feel cramped in even a 300 gal. I'm sure your angelfish which can reach a size of 8" are not happy in your 25 gal."

How could a guppy feel cramped in a 300 gal? Its only a few inches long and the 300 gal would give it room to swim and turn around, unlike this catfish. Thats a pretty weak arguemment.

I have seen pics of sneaky_petes angels and in my opinion they are healthy and very pretty. If he felt they were at all cramped (i.e only having 3 inches to turn around) he would move them. Funny how he tried to be nice and explain that no one is attacking you and you snark at him

I'll do graffiti,
If you sing to me in French.

Thanks Katie.
"She" though.
My angels are a breeding pair,
and the tank of 25g is definetly sufficient, as they are, with the exception of some corys, the only fish in the tank.
Like katie said, if they grow larger, and are unhappy at all,
I WILL get them a larger tank. I love my angels and if I suspected for 1 minute that they were unhappy or would not live out their full lives of 15 years or more, then I would upgrade their tank instantly.
Also your comment about a guppy is interesting.
You are comparing a 2 inch fish, with a 20+ inch fish.
Quite a difference I think, and your comparison leaves something to be desired both in the sarcasm department, and in the kindness department.
We are only trying to help this person with the Clarias catfish answer his question about his tank stocking.
Everyone is entitled to differing opinions, but research should be done before assuming a 20 inch fish is ok in a tank 18 inches wide.
Thank you.


Come Play Yahtzee With Me!
http://games.atari.com
Http://www.myleague.com/yahtgames

Do you think guppies live in 300 gallons of water in the wild. Try millions of gallons instead. Moving a fish from millions of gallons of water to only 300 gallons would make it feel cramped. The guy with the 350 gal tank should seriously upgrade to a tank in the thousands or give them away to a public aquarium or move them into a large pond. The fish he is talking about does not reach 20 inches, but instead 14 inches with 4 extra inches of turining room. This may seem like cramped quarters to you, but it is sufficient to a 14" fish.

Last edited by JustinL at 05-Jul-2005 20:00

Do you really think that guppies realize that they have millions of gallons in the first place. The only time they will feel cramped is if they cannot turn around or are constantly hitting things, etc. Putting an 18" fish in a 20" wide tank is like putting a 2" guppy in a 4" wide tank.


"Moving a fish from millions of gallons of water to only 300 gallons would make it feel cramped."

Kind of like if I lived all by myself in an 8 million dollar mansion sitting on 20 acres of land and i had to move to a 3 million dollar mansion with 8 acres of land. Yes, i would feel very cramped indeed.


Last edited by katieb at 05-Jul-2005 20:09

I'll do graffiti,
If you sing to me in French.

More like taking a person from a 4000000000000000 square foot home and placing them in a 1400 square foot home. what are fish supposed to do all day long? Just swim and eat, look at the same decor over and over again? Think of how boring it must be to be a fish in an aquarium.