rope fish info

[alex456]

Does any one here know anything on rope fish( tempature,pH,diet ect.)

 

[Dwarfs]

I keep my ropefish in a tank at 80 degrees (farenheit), with neutral pH. I feed mine frozen shrimp and mealworms. Other good foods would be frzen bloodworm and other treats like that. Good luck

 

[beblondie]

they are the most social of the Polypteride family and do best in groups, In the wild they reach 30'' but closer to 18'' in home aquaria.They need acess to the surface as they breathe air so keep water level a cpl inches low.While not overly agressive they will eat small fish. they prefer a soft sandy bottm and low lights
along with places to hide.
temp 77-85F
pH 6.5-7.5
oh a big warning they are escape artists cover any openings -Anne

 

[alex456]

thanks dwarfs.....also do you know if they are bottom feeders? I was thinking of putting an african butterfly fish and large gouramis in the tank with the rope fish

 

[alex456]

ohhhh also i forgot to mention are there any LIVE FOODS that are good to fed to rope fish?thanks dwarfs and beblondie

 

[alex456]

something live like ghost shrimp or something.......sorry about all the questions but I find this fish very interesting

 

[beblondie]

feeder guppies, minnows if you want ghost shrimp are good too.the butterfly fish (Pantadon bucholzi) should be fine however the gouramis may pose a problem
with the butterfly fish -Anne

Just a note about feeder fish try and quartine them first feeders have the potential to carry all kinds of nasty things into your tank.You are better off sticking to frozen bloodworms,ghosties, even small chopped worms and pelletized foods (Hikari sinking carnivore pellets)

 

[Dwarfs]

I keep a blue gourami with my rope, but he gets distracted by my cichlids so IDK if a gourami would case probs for a rope ABFs are good tankmates for ropefish (That's African Butterfly Fish in short)

 

[DeathAdder]

Ya, bigger fish are better for things like Ropefish, they will eat anything that will fit in thier mouth pretty much. So Gouramis are fine, and depending on the species, there shouldn't be too much trouble with the African BF. The ABF is a top dweller, and the Gourami's will go all over so if you were to throw something like a bounch of floating plants, such as Cambomba (yea I can't spell it), than he could have a place to sit and enjoy the tank. But not everyone likes plants to just sit at the top. Its your tank .

 

[penguinpimp1990]

do rope fish get their food by bottom feeding or do they go to the surface?

 

[SirMinion]

Cannot stress strongly enough about the importance of a good cover for your tank, make sure all holes, however small are covered or blocked or the fish will escape. Although they can survive for a long time out of water, they cannot survive getting dry.

Just to make my point, here's some posts from another forum I use where someone else asked about keeping ropefish.

oh and does anyone have any experience (with ropefish) and tips besides cover the tank.

Yeah, when you've finished covering the tank, have another look at it and cover it again.
These amazing creatures can fit through tiny, tiny gaps.
If you have any gap, you will lose your fish.
Been there, done that, got the mummified ropefish.

(posted just four days after warning her!)
I thought i almost had a petrified rope today. i get back form classes have a snack and just genreally sit around and i just get up and start checking out my fish watching htem swim the usual. i get to the rope tank and i look in his usual hiding spot not there, check the other side of the tank not there. i check the ground and there he is curled up under a part of the carpet. i freaked, grabbed a net got him in the water and he started to swim around like nothing was wrong. i had to make like 5 passes over him to get the carpet fuzzies off of him. the only place there is a opening is for the filter, i guess he cimbed his way out the filter. i have a reptile cover for the tank i might just use that and have all underwater filters going on in there so he cant get out.

Please be careful, we learned the hard way, but not as hard as our poor ropefish!

 

[penguinpimp1990]

yes iam aware that they can escape but DO THEY BOTTOM FEED OR GO TO THE SURFACE TO GET FOOD

 

[SirMinion]

yes iam aware that they can escape but DO THEY BOTTOM FEED OR GO TO THE SURFACE TO GET FOOD

Both!

Rope fish actively search the entire tank for food.

 

[dreadedsnail]

My rope fish helps himself to frzon chiclid mix and im sure iv seen him eat a catfish pelet, he eats live daf and bloodworm too, he seems fine upstairs in my 25 gal, i had to move him from my comm tank, i was told he was friendly ( which he is its just he eats tetras at nite!) I was a bit worryed at first because of all the chiclids and theres a african butterfly and an elephant nose, as well as my giant plecs, hes fine, he can look after himself every now and then i throw in some tetras at nite for him, i dont know if he ever gets one, its a bit of a freeforall

 

[Jezah]

Does anyone know if a Ropefish would be ok with Mollies and Platies? How about a bumbleebee goby...?