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Oh wow. That catfish pic ... now that is a BIIIG catfish

By the way Shini, I have a photo on its way to you via E-Mail if you stop by & read this thread ... another "fish to avoid", this time Hoplias lacerdae from my Erythrinidae thread ... and when you see that gin trap of a mouth, you'll see why

Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

Actually, it probably would be in the best interest of certain individuals to add goldfish to the list (or at least be a point of note), simply due to the enormous sizes that most people don't normally attribute them to.

On an unrelated note; has anyone here ever kept a sturgeon before?

On another completely unrelated note---Thailand Giant Mekong Catfish

http://www.kidzworld.com/img/upload/article/a2024i0_bsc.jpg

Well the Wolf Fish are indeed fish to avoid, but with those big teeth and usually large sale size, it may just look intimidating enough to keep most people away.:%)

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The aquarist is one who must learn the ways of the biologist, the chemist, and the veterinarian.

They have sturgeon for sale as pondfish in Holland, they are ODD!

For animals, the entire universe has been neatly divided into things to (a) mate with, (b) eat, (c) run away from, and (d) rocks. - Terry Pratchett

So when do you become a "specialist?" I don't know too much about the advanced science topics (trace element chelation), but I know how to take good care of my fish tanks. It's basically maintenance, and then more maintenance. You just gotta learn how to maintain and fish tank (sometimes needing proper equipment and testing supplies), and then do it on a regular basis. For example, for Discus you'll need an RO system with lots of plants that Discus like and subdued lighting; just keep up with the water maintenance, maybe even daily, and you'll be fine.

I think "specialist" in this article means that their care requirements may be quite specific for that kind of fish compared to the "average" care of many other types of fish.

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The aquarist is one who must learn the ways of the biologist, the chemist, and the veterinarian.

I suppose the quick answer to that is [1] when you've mastered enough of the basics to risk something more out of the ordinary that you've set your heart on, and [2] you go out and do just that successfully!

If you branch out into something such as Discus, and do so successfully, after cutting your teeth on something less demanding, then give yourself a HUGE pat on the back and several merit stars, and more importantly, come and tell the rest of us how you did it!

[span class="edited"][Edited by Calilasseia 2004-07-13 09:19][/span]

Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

The idea of specialist is more relegated to just study, study, and study. None of us will say that you can't keep Knifefish or Puffers without years of experience, just be prepared for the specialist care instructions that go along with them. We care that no one gets discouraged (by having Irridescent Sharks continually dying in their ten-gallon because an LFS told them they'd be fine) and that the fish that are out there being sold receive the best care and life that they can. If you think you have the ability to provide that, then I wish you luck and will be waiting with bated breath to either answer any questions you have or listen to any success stories you can provide...

PM/email/msg me if you have any questions/comments regarding me or my knowledge or if you want me to read a thread.

Great article! Wish I had read something like that before we got into fish-keeping... fortunately we started out with platies because my toddler (13 mos at the time) was fascinated with them. What a way to pick our first fish! Anyways, thanks for writing this one... we're thinking about a 4th tank but with a busy little one I can't spend all my time on maintenance. So I'll be avoiding the fish on the list...

-Beth

Red Tailed Catfish and other Big Pims - I've already said that an adult Red Tailed Catfish is big enough to tow a rowing boat.

Yes I *did* mention it ...

Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

Yes add DOjOs cause of all the things the golden dOjO said!all so another reason is they can jump one of my little guys jumped up and hit they cieling!!

Dude, your description of the Loach is pretty much the same as that of the Goldfish. Mind as well add them too, eh? :%)

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The aquarist is one who must learn the ways of the biologist, the chemist, and the veterinarian.

Someboady add Dojo loaches to that list. Commonly growing 8 to 10 inches, with the potential to grow to 15" inches, plus the uprooting of live plants and agression towards crustaecens, not including the fact that they like water as low as 59 degrees Farenheit...

[span class="edited"][Edited by TheGoldenDojo 2004-06-22 22:00][/span]

Yes, 12' would be a length in the wild. I suppose 9' would be one in captivity. Because of it's large size, the Piraiba (Brachyplatysoma filamentosum) is a popular Amazonian sports fish, and arguably one of the toughest fighting freshwater fish in the world, according to some. And yes indeed, if you try to go fishing for one of these, you may find your boat being pulled along with a fish this massive!

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The aquarist is one who must learn the ways of the biologist, the chemist, and the veterinarian.

Ah yes. That's the one I meant. Brachyplatystoma filamentosum. That's the one that's listed as reaching 9 feet on planetcatfish.com.

You say it can hit 12 feet Shini? Wow. I'd LOVE to see a 12 foot one. That thing could tow a small ferry, let alone a rowing boat

Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

I had two chainstore lyretail mollies that expired soon after coming home, but the tank they came from was horrendous, so I wasn't so surprised. Of course, this lyretail dalmation molly that I have now currently has the entire 30 gallon to itself.

true i do need to think about when he gets big!! but is 10 inches really that big??

never knew the tiger shovelnose grows to 9 ft... something I really want! but probably won't get =P

I haven't found any info that suggests this, though Cali has way more resources available than I do. I think he may be thinking of Brachyplatysoma filamentosum, a Pimelodid of a different genus that not only grows 9' long, but even gets 12' long in it's natural habitat.

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The aquarist is one who must learn the ways of the biologist, the chemist, and the veterinarian.

Demosthenes, I *did* have the really exotic 'fancy' strains in mind, which do occasionally find their way into the sales chain. And expire soon after.

There are fancy strains that will survive in something less demanding than an intensive care unit, but you have to be careful and choose your fancy srtrains accordingly. If you alight upon something like a lavender Cambodian double-tail Betta that's been line-bred for 200 generations to be twice the size of its natural ancestors, then you'll find it's a bit delicate

Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

Shinigami - I did say options... not all of them. =) I have been looking around for the perfect "big" fish for an indoor pond I plan to build in the future. As of this moment, it's just a dream, actually more of a goal.

School of huge pacus.... =P
a few arowannas...
a lung fish.

never knew the tiger shovelnose grows to 9 ft... something I really want! but probably won't get =P

most likely a center showpiece, like the lungfish or something i find that is equally as large.