African Tiger Fish

[Derpeder]

Has anyone kept an african tiger fish. I saw one at my local LFS to the tune of $150, but man was it sweet. I understand that they get 2.5 to 3 FEET so They would need a LARGE home. But does anyone have any information on them? Water type? Temp? Hardness? PH? Food? ETC

I was wondering how long I could keep one in a 100 Gallon? and what size would they eventually need?

Any websites or info would be great.

They fed this fish 2 feeder guppies and the guppies didn't even flip their tales once before BOTH were eaten up. It was AWESOME!!!!

 

[africantigerfish7]

If you look under the fish index under characins, you'll find a lot of information from CFC. I keep mine in a 60gallon (despite what people say), with exodons. He never misses his targets and is very active. I've had him since April and he's definitely the boss of the tank. He hasn't grown, perhaps he's gotten plumper, but my uncle had one for four years and it only grew to six inches. Mine is about 3 1/2 inches right now. He might be doing well because the filtration in my tank was meant for a 200 gallon, but I'm still saving up for my 360g. By far the most awesome predator I've ever kept. Considering I've kept, gars, barracudas, and leopard sharks, it's saying quite a lot.
What species did you see? I have a goliath, and he was only $80. $150 sounds a bit pricey.
I keep mine at 82 and the ph at 7.
I feed him flakes and brine shrimp(It's actually meant for the exodons, but he eats it anyway), and every other day I put either 3 goldfish, or 5 guppies for him to eat.

 

[jayjay]

Perhaps it's a different species or you stunted it, I reccommend no smaller than a 6'x2'x2' personally, if not longer. They don't grow as big in captivity but should get around 18" I believe. Also don't feed it goldfish, they are one of the worst if not the worst feeders there are, also I hope the quarintine them.

 

[nmonks]

Agreed.

And, if they're taking dead food, the health of your fish will be so much better if you just stick to a varied diet of frozen or dried foods. Flake is, seriously, the best all-round food for any fish; the problem is not all will eat it. Terrestrial insect larvae, like mealworms, are a good live food, being 100% parasite-free making them much, MUCH safer than, say, goldfish. Earthworms and river shrimps are almost as good.

Cheers,

Neale

Also don't feed it goldfish, they are one of teh worst if not the worst feeders there are, also I hope the quarintine them.

 

[Derpeder]

SO it sounds like I can keep it in an 80 to 100 gallon just fine.....at least for a few years.

I have a cichlid tank right now and they breed like rabbits. I was thinking I could raise the cichlids as food. See any issues with that?

I love to watch fish hunt and eat live foods. Preditors intrigue me, so I thought it would be a sweet fish to own.

Barracuda...where did you buy yours for $80. and how the heck did you keep a barracuda thats the sweetest thing I've ever heard.

 

[africantigerfish7]

Got mine at Sixth Avenue aquarium in SF.
Back when I had a 200g, I used to keep a saltwater barracuda. I kept him until he got about 15 inches long, and then traded him in for credit. The african tiger is much more fun to keep, because it is a tireless swimmer, and rips its prey apart, unlike barracudas and gars which just swallow their food whole.

As for the goldfish and guppies, I have a 4-5 gallon tanks that I use to keep them in after buying and feed them after a week.

Stunting is not what's going on. Some people who keep these fish in a 50 gallon have them grow to about 10" and then transfer them to a larger tank. I'm still saving for a larger tank.

If you're wondering I sold the 200g when I moved, not a very happy moment for me .

This is definitely a goliath, it's a lot more pinkish than the vittatus.

He only gets about 2-3 of the goldfish or guppies, and the exodons and catfish finish off the rest. Mostly awesome to see him dash straight through plants and other fish to grab his prey !

 

[pica_nuttalli]

actually, i hear that goldfish are bad even if you raise them yourself--something about enzymes, fat content, and vitamin issues.

have you considered convict cichlid babies?

 

[nmonks]

That is indeed correct; certain fish (including goldfish and rosy-red minnows) contain thiaminase, which breaks down Vitamin B1, a.k.a. thiamin. Over time, this leads to nerve and muscle damage. Such fish should be used as feeders only rarely: I'd suggest that out of every ten similar-sized feeders used, only one be a goldfish or minnow. Livebearers are much safer, as are cichlid fry, though cichlids are spiny, and not all fish know how to deal with that.

We have a pinned topic on feeders, by the way. It outlines the arguments both ways, and suggests the safest and healthiest techniques to use.

But, if your fish is taking dead food, sticking with dead food is by far the best approach. Professional aquarists, like those at zoos keeping sharks, only ever use dead food, so it's not the "soft" option.

Cheers,

Neale

actually, i hear that goldfish are bad even if you raise them yourself--something about enzymes, fat content, and vitamin issues.

 

[Derpeder]

Well all i know is that the fish seems pretty sweet to keep. I am going to pick up a 75 gallon to start with and see if I can upgrade when he gets to big. As long as I can talk my wife into letting me get it. I'm in.

in my LFS it is about 4 inches long. How long do you think I could keep the fish in the 75 before it gets to big? or does it all just depend on the fish, water quality diet? I probably jsut answered my own question but anyone have any more input.

peace

 

[africantigerfish7]

actually, i hear that goldfish are bad even if you raise them yourself--something about enzymes, fat content, and vitamin issues.

have you considered convict cichlid babies?

I do get a lot of livebearer fry, and they're free, so I'll see if he eats those. Thanks for the info guys!

 

[nmonks]

Cool. That's the way to go. I know it's annoying to hear people say "don't feed live food", but there really is a risk and too many aquarists ignore it. If you want to go live feeder fish, then you may as well do it properly, and raise quality fish. Fatten them up on veggies before using them. Very important this: predators depend on the gut-contents of prey for essential, plant-only vitamins; that's why your cat eats the guts in mice and birds and not the muscles.

You also want to at least get some variation in the diet, whether mealworms, earthworms, shrimps, or whatever. In the wild, predators take dozens of species. That's how they balance their diet. Even lions eat lizards, birds, and beetles, not just wildebeest.

Cheers,

Neale

I do get a lot of livebearer fry, and they're free, so I'll see if he eats those. Thanks for the info guys!