Perfect stocking

[Paul_MTS]

no fair i think there about £20 over here.

 

[Black_Ghost_Guy]

Perfect stocking around a tigrinus = nothing. 

They truely deserve and should really have a specialised tank of their own, they are not really a fish to hang out in expensive community tanks.

Of your list  the arowana, ornate bichir, oscar, sevs and rays will be safe from a full grown tigrinus, the smaller Polypterus will easily become food.

I think that's a bit harsh. They are generally alright with fish that are not competitors for food, because that is where the problems usually arise. Also, I very much doubt that even a fully grown tig could or would eat even a senegal bichir (at full size, of course). However, I would not suggest one for your tank, it would very likely be out-competed for food.

24" tigrinus and a 12" senegal bichir, thats got lunch written all over it, if a 14 inch lima can take down and swallow a 7 inch bala shark as happened to another member here then a slim bodied bottom dwelling fish like a bichir has no chance against a even larger cat.

The reason that i said a tig should have no tankmates is that very few aquarium fish will enjoy the specialised needs of a tigrinus, being a fast water fish found in rapids the tank should be fitted with at least two large powerheads to simulate the current they enjoy and surely with such a expensive fish we should be doing our best to make it happy? Fish like rays, arowanas and bichirs just wont like fast currents like that as they come from slower flowing rivers or swamp like waters.
If you can grow them to a decent size a couple of payara would love the same conditions though and would look awesome.

There are quite a few fish that would do well in fast flowing waters, including some rays species, tetras, and a load of other species. Also, I can't imagine a 24" tig downing a 12" senegal. Also, in the case with the lima, smaller bichirs are much less bulky than larger ones, and thus easier to swallow. It is not very reasonable to compare something like that on a smaller ratio. Also, tigs are different than limas in several respects that would influence that, including temperment. They do not need a high water flow rate, but they do indeed do much better with one. However, that is no reason to suggest keeping them singly.

 

[Paul_MTS]

I can't imagine a 24" tig downing a 12" senegal

I can't see any problems with my senegal being a snack. I'm worried about my 8" BGK being eaten by my 10" TSN at the moment, he's only a small fillet!!

Maybe you don't realise the size difference?? and with bichirs being long and slim (compared to others) they would be eaten like spagetti.

But back on track now....

when i was at shotgates i almost got a P enderichi enderichi(i know thats a crap spelling!!) but i was worried that being a much bigger species than say my senegal he would eat him along with my palmas. should i be concerned about this, or stick to the smaller polyterus species??

 

[Black_Ghost_Guy]

Once again, BGK are VERY different than bichirs, they not only long, but not very bulky. You may think that it could become a snack, but the last thing that I'll say on this issue is: It's not going to happen, that's all that there is to it. Tigs are peaceful, and furthermore, have smaller mouths than TSN, again making that an unfair comparison. Anyway, I would advise against the P. endlicheri, they get to about 30", and have relatively huge mouths... it would be able to down a senegal, and I'm surprised that you'd think that it wouldn't considering your oppinion on tigs (they are also not as peaceful as tigs, and will not hesitate to go after fish even considerably too large for them to eat).

 

[Paul_MTS]

they are different but i still don't think there's any doubt that a tig would take a sengal down!!

i was unsure as some people seem to have all the birchirs under the sun in the same tank with no problems. i didn't buy it at the time as i reakoned it would eat everything.

 

[Black_Ghost_Guy]

Have you ever kept a tig? They are quite peaceful... and are not aggressive feeders whatsoever. Even if it could down a senegal, it would not even consider going after it, unless you bought an extremly aggressive individual, which I have never heard of. Is there a particular reason why you feel strongly that a tig would decimate your tank? Anyway, either way, a tig would not be a good choice for your tank, so lets let that be the end of that. Perhaps you could a giraffe cat, they do not grow horribly large, and are quite peaceful. Or maybe an Oxydoras niger? I forgot what tank size it is that we're talking about. But if it is a larger tank (I would say an 8' X 4' tank should be quite large enough for O. niger), the ripsaw cat would be a great choice.

 

[Paul_MTS]

for some reason 2ft predactory catfish screams to me it's going to eat anything aorund 1 ft!!.

I might have to go for one then if it becomes troublesome i can always sell for a very high price and tidy profit!!

the original question was my tank stocking around a tig, but then moved onto general tank stocking for me.

my tank is 5x2.5(wide)x2(high). with a 20 gallon sump.

oh and girraffe cats are ugly in my books.

 

[Oddball]

giraffes are cute as a button!

Any way, i have a rule of thumb that should be considered here, if in doubt dont stock it! there are some huge differences in opinion here, and in the end the tank only is the only one who can sya yes im gonna chance it, if i wante d to gamble a £30 orn\ate birchir with a tigrus, i dont think u guys could stop me, then again if i had made my mind up about NOT stocking the birchir you couldnt make me!

In this instance if paul does not wnat to stock the birchir because he has reservations on the issue, then who are we to say yes but thats not what i think, unless anyone out there has a tig with a birchir then we cant say with 100% certainty that it wont be eaten! and in that case paul has everyright not to stock it!

 

[Black_Ghost_Guy]

I'm not telling him to stock anything, a tig is unsuitable for his tank. However, for anyone that may have a suitable, they would most likely look at this thread and think it impossble, which is simply not true. I have seen a full grown tig stocked with a 14" palmas polli, and even though it was 2" longer than a senegal would be, that is not hardly any difference. It should be made a point that tigs do not to be stocked singly, and they will not eat fish half of their own size!

 

[ryan]

Perhaps you could a giraffe cat, they do not grow horribly large, and are quite peaceful. Or maybe an Oxydoras niger? I forgot what tank size it is that we're talking about. biggrin.gif But if it is a larger tank (I would say an 8' X 4' tank should be quite large enough for O. niger), the ripsaw cat would be a great choice. wink.gif

Giraffe Cats do not grow horrible large!? I presume we are talking about Auchenoglanis occidentalis? A fish that reaches around 3' and wild specimens have been recorded at 4', they may stay smaller in captivty, but will still reach around 24". But one plus side is that they're mouth is designed for detritus feeding, and they would not be able to eat larger fish like the shovelnoses. However, you may be talking about the Dwarf Giraffe Catfish (Anaspidoglanis macrostoma) which only reaches about 8"?

 

[Paul_MTS]

I already have a dwarf as there quite cute...haven't seen him for a week now though

The other store of my work has a 2ft giraffe cat and my local Swallows has 1 aswell.

 

[ryan]

I already have a dwarf as there quite cute...haven't seen him for a week now though

The other store of my work has a 2ft giraffe cat and my local Swallows has 1 aswell.

Yeah, I like the Dwarf Giraffe Cats, but as with alot of catfish they have the downside of disappearing for weeks on end and then only reappearing for a split second. Seems to be an occupation that alot of my smaller catfish have taken up and a few of the Peacock Eels .

 

[Black_Ghost_Guy]

Yes, I meant the dwarf. However, A. occidentalis would not be too bad either,As you said, they only get to about 2' in captivity and I've yet to hear of one over about 30" even in public aquariums.

 

[Black_Ghost_Guy]

I already have a dwarf as there quite cute...haven't seen him for a week now though

The other store of my work has a 2ft giraffe cat and my local Swallows has 1 aswell.

Yeah, I like the Dwarf Giraffe Cats, but as with alot of catfish they have the downside of disappearing for weeks on end and then only reappearing for a split second. Seems to be an occupation that alot of my smaller catfish have taken up and a few of the Peacock Eels .

Yes, unfortunately, that has also happened to me... they just look too much like worms.

 

[Black_Ghost_Guy]

I already have a dwarf as there quite cute...haven't seen him for a week now though

The other store of my work has a 2ft giraffe cat and my local Swallows has 1 aswell.

I need to move to the UK. I've never seen even a small one around here, always have to order my cats off of the internet.