Fresh From The Amazon To Your Local Walmart.....

[Mynock]

Baby Tiger Shovelnose catfish, tiniest specimen I've ever seen, maybe 2" long. How he ended up in the pet department in Wally World I have no clue.......figured I'd do better by him then any other fool buying fish there. Enjoy the pic. I'm off to build a pond.

20160212_180715.jpg

[kham]

Cool!
How much bigger you think he'll get?

[Mynock]

Wasn't joking about the pond. Seriously don't know what I'm going to do with this guy but figured better me than some dude trying to set up a 10 gallon tank for his kids. If I'm lucky he'll "only" grow to 2 feet.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WoCnBixXT2A

[Fred588]

A man-made pond seems like a reasonable idea, but please don't put it where it could get into natural water bodies. I think it is somewhat tropical, however, so can it survive the winter where you are?

[Boggy Man]

If you create a man-made pond, there are a lot of things to take into account. First, the pond would have to be deep and large enough to sustain the fish, which can grow up to 4 feet in size. Then, there is the water temperature, which would have to be sustained around 72 - 80˚F, which could be a challenge during the winter. There has to be hiding places for the fish to feel comfortable, since it is easily excitable, and needs a place to hide from predators such as cats, herons, and raccoons, which you have to take steps to keep from trying to get at the fish. You have to also make certain it can't jump out of the pond. You can't have gravel in the bottom, or it might swallow it and then wind up with intestinal blockage. Use large rocks and sand. If the rocks aren't smooth, then they may need cushioning, such as geotextile, to protect the liner underneath. You would have to watch the ph (6-7.8) and nitrate levels, have it aerated and filtered. Pond suppliers that specialize in koi ponds can help you out with materials and design, and there is also a fair bit of information and suppliers online.

[Mynock]

I was somewhat familiar with them to start, I've had aquariums for years and they're not totally unheard of in the hobby. Not horribly concerned with max size. Getting one of these guys to 4 feet is about as likely as winning the lottery, you need perfect water, food, genetics, and about 3 decades. They shoot up to 12"-18" in the first two years of their life and then the growth slows way down (key is to feed them sparingly, less food = slower growth). Should do fine in my 120 gallon for years if necessary. Not hard to get a pond liner and build a shallow pond in the basement if all else fails, kind of had this dream about doing that anyway.

[Mynock]

Minnows spent a day in quarantine and then got tossed in there about 3 hours ago......how does 2" long catfish eat (3) 1" long fish? I think I'm naming it Nibbler after that 3-eyed monkey from Futurama.

[Mynock]

i knew he was growing like crazy but didn't realize how crazy.........

Day I brought him home......

Before.jpg

3 weeks and 3 dozen minnows later.....

After.jpg

[Fred588]

i knew he was growing like crazy but didn't realize how crazy.........

Day I brought him home......

Before.jpg

3 weeks and 3 dozen minnows later.....

After.jpg

Now you could invent a mythology about a marine creature that swallows its prey whole, because it has no teeth for biting or chewing, grows very large, and avoids its enemies by hiding in deep mud. Oh, and did I mention its not particular about what it eats.