Sigh, looks like I have snails...

[GaryE]

Start saving for a large tank now. A rope may not move a lot, but like any living creature, it excretes. It needs space. It will probably be able to persist in your tank, and will move a lot less than it might as it gauges its surroundings. Methinks you're trying to fit the fish into the tank, and not making the tank fit for the fish. They are a very sturdy, survivor species that can take a lot, but since you'll probably receive a small one you do have time to adjust before its growth is slowed by conditions.

They're "hot" right now, as predators, even shy ones, are in fashion. I've never kept one, but I have handled a lot of them as they arrived and passed through the supply chain. They are very active in holding tanks. If I were into predators (I'm not) I'd consider them too large for my largest available tank. Plus I don't have any 4 foot tanks with no other inhabitants. They hunt at night, and if it fits in their mouths, it's gone.

I hate pond snails. I like ramshorns. It's because pond snails are voracious fish egg eaters though. If you don't breed fish, it's less of an issue.

 

[jaylach]

If the rope does get large I'll just get a larger tank. I could go out right now and get a 100 gallon tank so it is not an issue if the rope gets too large.

Ya, I know that I've gone back and forth on this but really want as they are my all time favorites. I'll adjust tank size as needed. I just hope that my tank is as safe as I think... Since I totally tore down and cleaned even down to replacing the substrate it should be OK.

 

[jaylach]

Scotty: "There be whales here!".

Rope fish showed up this morning and looks good. Came packaged in a Styrofoam insulation container and has already come out of hiding in heavy plants and the tree trunk and consumed a couple of live meal worms.

Also, from a local source (Dan's Fish) I also have Panda Garra that I picked up this afternoon. These things are a total hoot! Their description of being an active fish is a major understatement. I'll probably get yelled at for the Pandas being too large for my tank but they don't get any larger than the dwarf cichlids I wanted that people said were fine.

Plants are also looking good as I have another sword with a stem node that has sprouted roots. I put in the live plants ~3 weeks ago and already two new plants.

I just need two more fish; dwarf cichlids. I'll probably get yelled at that too as to over population. But it isn't. I will have a total population of 7 fish.

It is really about two things.
1) Do the fish have enough swim room. The only question here is the rope. If it gets much larger than I expect tank adjustments WILL need to be made but, from past experience, I really don't expect this to happen.

2) Bio-load... There used to be an old rule of thumb that stated 1 inch of fish for 1 gallon of water. With the Pandas and, hopefully, the dwarf cichlids I would be at ~16 inches of fish. The rope fish puts me actually ~3 inches over the 1 inch per gallon but a rope has to be looked at a bit different as it is a lung fish and takes less water oxygen.

It also has to be seen that this tank is very heavily planted adding oxygen to the water and the plants also consume fish waste. I mean really pretty heavily planted.

Then there is filtration. I use two under gravel filters along with a built in sponge filter. Between the three I'm pushing 8-10 water cycles per hour through filtration.

I know that the biggest gripe will be my rope fish. Yes, technically, the tank is too small but it really isn't. Going by my past experience and that of an aquatic vet, tank size is second to environment. Please consider this. For a rope a 20 gallon tank with a good cave system and a lot of plants is much better than a 100 gallon tank with nothing.

Get out of the text book now and then. Ya, there are averages and stats but they are just a general rule and each and every tank has its own rules. Some will still say the tank is too small but it isn't. It is very unlikely ( from past experience ) that my rope will get longer than ten inches which would be OK for my tank. It is MUCH more important to give a good environment.

I just see a difference in how I and some others here look at a tank. I feel that if it works all is good. Seems that some others seem to think that established 'rules' are mor more important.