BlueLineAquaticsSC Posted December 18, 2022 Share Posted December 18, 2022 My 90g has been torn down for about a month and all my fish are in a tote in my shed. I’ve decided to change it up when I set it back up and rehome all my cichlids and do something new. I’ve been debating a community tank or an oddball tank, the latter is currently in the lead hence my post. my LFS just got in a west African filled lungfish that I’m strongly considering picking up. I’ve heard some lung fish will kill anything that loves and some are fairly docile, does anyone have an experience with this particular kind and could it like with a Senegal bichir and a striped Raphael? Also are they picky eaters or will they take prepared food. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Zenzo Posted December 18, 2022 Administrators Share Posted December 18, 2022 I think you meant "Gilled" Lungfish (guessing that your device did an auto-correct when you were typing). These fish get to be around 18", so tank size is probably fine. I would think that it would be fine with a bichir, so long as all of you inhabitants had their own little resting/hiding areas. Also, nothing small enough to fit in its mouth. Foods should be protein-rich. Frozen and live (like earth worms) are probably most preferred, but I have seen them eat pellets before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueLineAquaticsSC Posted December 18, 2022 Author Share Posted December 18, 2022 Thanks for the input, it may have been enough to sell me on the lungfish, now to sell my wife… 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnlyGenusCaps Posted December 19, 2022 Share Posted December 19, 2022 On 12/18/2022 at 5:45 PM, BlueLineAquaticsSC said: now to sell my wife… One of my local LFS has an albino West African lungfish (Protopterus annectens) and if you wanted that one, you might have to not only sell your wife on it, you might have to sell her for it! Joking aside, lungfish are awesome, and if you go that route, please, please update us here! Tag me in it. I don't want to miss it! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biotope Biologist Posted December 19, 2022 Share Posted December 19, 2022 Most lungfish are kind of boring. My LFS also had one and despite living its life in a 500 gallon never left it’s spot except for feeding time. The internet says Protopterus amphibius is a much more active specimen with puppy dog like reverence for the hand that feeds. Seems like that might convince the wife. I would think a bichir could hold its own raphael might not make it. Lungfish have powerful jaws for crushing mollusks and crustaceans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueLineAquaticsSC Posted December 19, 2022 Author Share Posted December 19, 2022 @OnlyGenusCaps I did in fact pick him up today, a little guy (or gal) just barely 2” long. They said he won’t eat any live stuff for them yet, only frozen blood worms, so I threw in some small cherry shrimp and guppy culls to see what happens and a bunch of pin head sized ramshorns made it in there too. I convinced my wife that a Gilled LF for $60 was to good of a steal to pass up so she let me increase the monthly fish budget can’t buy anymore for 3 months though) He is set up in a 20L for now until he is big enough for the 90g. Any suggestions on feeding? I have been wanting to get a colony of live food of some type going for a while, what would this guy like best, maybe scuds? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The endler guy Posted December 19, 2022 Share Posted December 19, 2022 On 12/18/2022 at 6:45 PM, BlueLineAquaticsSC said: Thanks for the input, it may have been enough to sell me on the lungfish, now to sell my wife… dont sell your wife! she loves you I know @Dean’s Fishroom has one Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dean’s Fishroom Posted December 19, 2022 Share Posted December 19, 2022 Only thing I would say is they get big, be prepared for that. Also IMO the South American ones are a far nicer looking and more personable fish. I have one from Peru, you can buy it if you’d like and have a way of transporting it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueLineAquaticsSC Posted December 19, 2022 Author Share Posted December 19, 2022 On 12/19/2022 at 3:47 PM, Dean’s Fishroom said: Only thing I would say is they get big, be prepared for that. Also IMO the South American ones are a far nicer looking and more personable fish. I have one from Peru, you can buy it if you’d like and have a way of transporting it. Don’t tell me you’re selling Lumpy! And no I don’t have a way to transport a fish coast to coast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The endler guy Posted December 19, 2022 Share Posted December 19, 2022 On 12/19/2022 at 3:53 PM, BlueLineAquaticsSC said: Don’t tell me you’re selling Lumpy! And no I don’t have a way to transport a fish coast to coast. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnlyGenusCaps Posted December 20, 2022 Share Posted December 20, 2022 On 12/19/2022 at 2:19 PM, BlueLineAquaticsSC said: did in fact pick him up today, a little guy (or gal) just barely 2” long. Congrats! That's exciting news, and the start of a long relationship with a wet pet! I'm excited to follow your, and his (her) progress! Plus, that species looks a bit like an axolotl, and I am a sucker for amphibians. On 12/19/2022 at 2:19 PM, BlueLineAquaticsSC said: Any suggestions on feeding? I have been wanting to get a colony of live food of some type going for a while, what would this guy like best, maybe scuds? I have never kept anything quite like a LF, but were it me, and it is taking frozen bloodworms (which seems convenient to me, but...), as a first pass I would give live blackworms a try. Perhaps the similar shape + movement would start him down the path to accepting live foods? Just a thought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueLineAquaticsSC Posted December 22, 2022 Author Share Posted December 22, 2022 On 12/20/2022 at 8:11 AM, OnlyGenusCaps said: Congrats! That's exciting news, and the start of a long relationship with a wet pet! I'm excited to follow your, and his (her) progress! Plus, that species looks a bit like an axolotl, and I am a sucker for amphibians. I have never kept anything quite like a LF, but were it me, and it is taking frozen bloodworms (which seems convenient to me, but...), as a first pass I would give live blackworms a try. Perhaps the similar shape + movement would start him down the path to accepting live foods? Just a thought. I definitely want to keep him doing blood worms and hopefully one day pellets, I just want to make sure I give him a good variety in diet, it seems like they’ll eat almost anything though once they get bigger. I’m having a hard time finding much info on Protopterus amphibius, I believe they are the least common in the hobby. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnlyGenusCaps Posted December 22, 2022 Share Posted December 22, 2022 On 12/21/2022 at 8:13 PM, BlueLineAquaticsSC said: I’m having a hard time finding much info on Protopterus amphibius, I believe they are the least common in the hobby. Yes, I think you have something pretty unusual and cool there! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colu Posted December 22, 2022 Share Posted December 22, 2022 Hikari carnivore pellets would be a good choice when you try and get him to take prepared foods 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueLineAquaticsSC Posted December 24, 2022 Author Share Posted December 24, 2022 Some pics of Tambi the LF eating some blood worms. I did put a few cichlid pellets in the other night that are gone, but I don’t know if he ate them, if the snails and shrimp got them, or if they just got moved somewhere I can’t see. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnlyGenusCaps Posted December 24, 2022 Share Posted December 24, 2022 I love it! I would be so tempted to set up an axolotl tank right next to this, just to confuse people. That is an amazing fish! Full stop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueLineAquaticsSC Posted December 24, 2022 Author Share Posted December 24, 2022 On 12/24/2022 at 8:53 AM, OnlyGenusCaps said: I love it! I would be so tempted to set up an axolotl tank right next to this, just to confuse people. That is an amazing fish! Full stop. Haha that’s a great idea, I have always wanted (among a hundred other things) an axol. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnlyGenusCaps Posted December 24, 2022 Share Posted December 24, 2022 I like the new pfp photo! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueLineAquaticsSC Posted December 25, 2022 Author Share Posted December 25, 2022 Thanks, I didn’t get a great pic, but I’ll probably take some more soon. I made an account on the monster fish keep forums to see if I could find anyone who kept this species before and someone showed me monthly pictures of there’s, which went from 5” to 18” in about 6 months, which is a lot faster than I expected. I might make a new post with a growth journal for him (or her, still no idea how to sex them) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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