PTERODORAS GRANULOSUS Growth Rate?

All posts regarding the care and breeding of these catfishes from South America.
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Joshuakahan
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PTERODORAS GRANULOSUS Growth Rate?

Post by Joshuakahan »

I bought one of these about 4” long. I know it will get huge and too big for me eventually, but I already know where I can rehome it at that point. So I’m just wondering what the growth rate is. I can probably keep it to about 16-18” then I’ll have to rehome it.
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medaka
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Re: PTERODORAS GRANULOSUS Growth Rate?

Post by medaka »

A hard question that can not be answered with any degree of certainty.
These catfish eat a variety of things and are an omnivore. From shell fish to seeds and the like. It may well be that as migratory fish their diet may change depending on season and activity. In the dry seasons it can be assumed that they are in the river channels eating meaty foods such as mussels, clams and other shellfish along with a small fish or two. Whilst in the rainy seasons they migrate up stream travelling in excess of 200km and entering the flooded forests where they feed on seeds and fallen or submersed fruits.

It may well be that they are a fast growing catfish putting on size eating a diet high in animal protein whilst in the river channels, whilst eating vegetable matter in the flooded forest may help conditioning them prior to reproduction when they reach their upstream breeding grounds. Water quality is also a factor; and the more oxygenated the water is, is also a factor that has to be taken into account when considering growth rates. Saying all this it may also be a case they have a slow growth rate spending a few years reaching maturity whilst living in the river channels. In truth growth rate is subjective and no real study has been done on this or their life cycles.
Sorry I can't be more positive.
Needless to say I do like these and the Doradidae species Oxydoras all are my favourite large catfish :)
I ‘Doc I can’t stop singing The Green, Green Grass of Home’
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