Brachyplatystoma Filamentosum

[cichlidmaster]

New to my collection is a Brachyplatystoma filamentosum AKA sulton cat.

 

[severum boy]

Ohhhhhhhhh rare!
Looking good, you going to put in a different tank later?

 

[cichlidmaster]

It is 4" currently. It will spend another few weeks in this tank then move on to a 48 x 18 tank. It will growout there for several months then move to a 72 x 24 tank. From there I will have my indoor pond done (15' x 8' x 3') and it will reside in there.

 

[CFC]

Youre a brave man taking on a filamentosum!! They make tankbusters look like keeping minows

 

[cichlidmaster]

CFC,

When I was still in business I had brought a few in and decided to keep one. Grew it out from 4" to 12" before selling the business and sold it with the business.

Been looking for them for the last few years, but they seemed to have disappeared.......until recently!!

Just had to have another!!

 

[severum boy]

What are their charecters like? Fairly similar to other Brachys?

 

[cichlidmaster]

Actually........the one I had previously was quite skiddish!!

had to be very cautious when doing water changes and such as it would dart around the tank banging into the glass.

I am trying to train this one to deal with my hands in it's tank.

Other than this....they are pretty much the same....voracious eaters not to be trusted with fish it can fit in it's mouth....in this case that would be pretty much any fish (once the Brachy is full grown) except SHAMU!!!!

 

[cane76]

looks nice
some close up pics would be good

 

[cichlidmaster]

some close up pics would be good

I'll see what I can do!!

 

[darknirvana217]

I must know what size tank you'll put this guy into when he gets 110 inches. Talk about a tank buster, this species seems more suited for its own pond.

 

[cichlidmaster]

must know what size tank you'll put this guy into when he gets 110 inches. Talk about a tank buster, this species seems more suited for its own pond.

I will be starting my indoor pond this spring. It will be 15' x 8' x 3'. Although the filamentosum has an adult size of 9', it will take many years for it to grow this big.

Most (if not all) large cats grow quickly their first few years, but then growth rate slows way down after that.

 

[CFC]

Most large fish dont reach their maximium recorded size in captivity either, in the wild this fish can eat whenever they like and at times when prey fish are pleantifull can eat close to their own weight in food each week so they grow faster and larger. In captivity they dont get anything like that ammount of food and to even try and replicate it would most likely result in the fish dying so their growth becomes stretched out over a longer period. I wouldnt expect the fish to exceed much more than 5 feet in captivity.

 

[cichlidmaster]

Very good point, CFC!!!

As for the filamentosum reaching only 5ft....this will still take many years. However....my goal from the start is to get it to at least 6'!!!!

 

[CFC]

I'm trying to think what on earth you would feed a 6 foot long catfish, i feed my 2 foot Liearius pictus whole fillets of pollock twice a week so something that size is going to be needing a whole salmon or similar at least once a week

You might want to get some VERY long tongs for feeding time too, either that or a strong rope to tie around your waste so your wife can pull you out if it grabs you

 

[cichlidmaster]

Just curious as to why this thread was moved to predatory fish??

Granted....this catfish is predatory, but it is first and foremost a "Catfish"!!!!!

Just curious.

Larry