Ropefish

[sparrow6190]

I ordered 1 ropefish for my 100 gallon tank, i have a small pacu in it, will put my pink gourami in (buy one more pink gourami because the other died today), am going to put 4 pictus catfish in it, and will put in a pleco.


Do I need to buy another ropefish? I read on here that they are gregarious and need more.
Would one do fine or not?

 

[AMS]

They prefer groups, usually at least 4. If kept singly they become very shy and rarely venture out from their lair.

Dont mean to be a PITA but you are aware pacus are giants? They will need at least a 300 gallon aquarium, and even more. Do you know what species of gourami you have? Hope they are not Giant Gouramis .

 

[sparrow6190]

pink kissing gourami

yes, i know the pacu grow very large, I am not the one who purchased him, I guess if we move I will need to set up an indoor pond of some sort...

 

[sparrow6190]

how much should a ropefish cost? I ordered one from my small lfs (been around since 1903 lol) for about $15

i'm not sure about getting 4 pictus catfish, they only get 4" - 6", and I read they don't hide all the time when they are in groups

 

[nmonks]

I'm with AMS on this -- ropefish _must_ be kept in groups. I have no idea what the going rate for ropefish is in the US, I never saw them for sale where I lived in Nebraska; in the UK, they're not expensive, so a group is certainly worth investing in.

I'd suggest taking the pacu back. If buying three more ropefish strikes you as expensive, you will go into cardiac arrest at the idea of what you need to keep a pacu for more than a year or so. Indoor ponds are expensive to build, and even large (multi-hundred gallon tanks) aren't any cheaper. Heating, filtration, and lighting all add to the price.

Ropefish will only eat very small fish, things like black widows, tiger barbs, rainbowfish, and congo tetras will all be just the right size and much easier to keep.

Cheers,

Neale

 

[beblondie]

Be warned ropefish are also the escape artists of the polypterids.Make sure any openings and closed-Anne

 

[sparrow6190]

i can't take the pacu back, and yes i know all about them, I would never buy one, the fish store lied to someone and sold them to them, I had to take it or else the fish was screwed...., but the pacu seems to really like his tank.

I want the rope fish most of all, look like really neat fish, i'll have to get 3 more I guess.

i'm not too worried about the rope fish getting out, i just need to cover around the filter on one side, the glass lid was custom cut for the tank setup.

i've got a hiding place for the ropefish that will be easy for me to put his food in so that the pacu doesn't eat it like the pig he is.

when it comes time to build a pond for the pacu, we had better moved, because if we haven't moved, the pacu is gonna be stuck in that 100 gallon for a while

 

[The-Wolf]

I have just, 5 mins ago, added 2 more ropefish to me existing 3
they are a fantastic fish and already they are all out and about.

 

[sparrow6190]

i'll get three more when I have some spare cash.

btw, I have 1 pictus catfish, and I read they like groups, and that I should have 4, can anyone shed some light on this issue?

 

[sparrow6190]

I have a spare 2.5 gallon tank I am going to grow brine shrimp in to feed the ropefish, I can't wait to get the ropefish, they are just so interesting.

 

[Jox]

If I were you I would watch out because ropefish get long but not thick. The nightcrawlers I feed my fish are thicker than most ropefish.

 

[sparrow6190]

I read to add salt for the ropefish, and isn't a little bit beneficial for all the fish?

 

[AMS]

I read to add salt for the ropefish, and isn't a little bit beneficial for all the fish?

Needing to add salt for ropefish is an old wive's tale. Ropefish do not need any salt added to their tank. Ropefish prefer soft slightly acidic water, just the opposite of slightly salty water. It is true that many ropefish are often found in slightly brackish waters, captive specimens live just as well or even better in complete freshwater.

 

[flamingonhot]

From my experience they do not need to be kept in groups. THey do just fine as long as they aren't kept with big fish that will out compete them.

They also will take a variety of foods other then live fish. The one I had (and my cousins) usually took this: live feeders of course, frozen silversides, frozen and live shrimp, frozen and freeze dried krill, and shrimp pellets (not the best food though...too messy). Your ropefish may not accept theses types of food readily though, it took my cousin's ropefish 2 weeks before it went after silversides. The one I had would go after worms and krill the first few days I had it. Sadly mine only lasted about 2 months before it got some bacterial infection out of the blue, after some research I found out it's actually pretty common among ropefish. Watch out for open sores, red spots, and the like. Mine started getting red sores and floating to the top, needless to say it died the next day and I had to move all the fish and re-do the tank.

Two more things;

Brine shrimp aren't even worth it, maybe as an occasional snack that's about it. Not only does it not provide nearly enough nutrition, but it probably won't reach it with your other fish in the tank. By having just one pictus- it'll be hard to get the ropefish to eat. B putting a small group your ropefish probably will either starve or be thin all the time. The aren't the best at finding food and pictus cats are notorious food vacuums of death.

And your pacu....

Your pictus will definitely outcompete your ropefish by themselves, but on top of it all you have the giant fat garbage truck of a fish in there too. Trust me, when you have a pacu in the tank NOTHING gets to eat. The one I had, when it was only a foot, ate a whole bag ( the BIG bag) of wardley algae discs, a stalk of kale and lettuce, (and various other things it decided to eat) EVERY 2 WEEKS.

YOur ropefish is going to have a lot of competition.

 

[sparrow6190]

i only have one pictus catfish, and i'm going to feed the ropefish brine shrimp i'm growing at night, as well as small feeder fish sometimes, as no other fish in there will eat the feeder's right now

if he picks a cave I will put food in there at night for him

i found out i have a frontosa cichlid in there, and its a female I think

I got the ropefish today! she is 9"-10", I can tell shes a female because she is brown and has 9 spines.
I hope to get 1 or 2 more.