Elopichthys Bambusa Growout

thebiggerthebetter

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Hey mate! Sorry I just saw this thread. I too got 5 from Wes. Lost 3 over many months to unknown reasons, perhaps too soft a water or unstable pH. Fixed my water since then.

The two survivors are still with me, currently on a second try in 4500 gal at ~18"-20". I concur with your observations, practically all of them. Will make up a thread on my guys eventually.

Oh I didn't know that. Thanks for letting me know :). What happens to them if you just do 1 meal / day?
Because they have a simple, straight gut and similar to perch and bass their metabolism is very quick and when small requires frequent feedings, lessens with age but still a factor.
 

sunnysjourney

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Hey mate! Sorry I just saw this thread. I too got 5 from Wes. Lost 3 over many months to unknown reasons, perhaps too soft a water or unstable pH. Fixed my water since then.

The two survivors are still with me, currently on a second try in 4500 gal at ~18"-20". I concur with your observations, practically all of them. Will make up a thread on my guys eventually.



Because they have a simple, straight gut and similar to perch and bass their metabolism is very quick and when small requires frequent feedings, lessens with age but still a factor.
Thanks buddy. And I'd love to see how yours look! What are they feeding? And how are they doing with the other guys in the 4500?!
 

thebiggerthebetter

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Thanks buddy. And I'd love to see how yours look! What are they feeding? And how are they doing with the other guys in the 4500?!
They look just like yours only slightly bigger but if God is willing, you will see :) They have been easy to feed for me from the start. I give them catfish farm pellet (Zeigler Bros) and thawed marine baitfish. When they are relaxed, their appetite is superb but they indeed stress way too easy. They are indeed exceedingly timid with other fish.

The first try in 4500 gal was a few months ago at ~16" and lasted a week. They've not eaten while in there and apparently have been harassed around. Eventually I think my two ~16" VATF started biting them badly and I fished them out half-alive with ~all fins damaged, lots of scales missing, and a few bad fleshy wounds near the tail.

They healed up well and thickened up a lot in a 240 gal for a few months and added on a few inches, so I'm giving them another go in 4500 gal. This is day 4. The first day my smaller ~1'-1.5' mahseer were giving them hard time (they do it to all new comers by biting their fins, not that they can bite them off, so I am not sure what they are trying to accomplish) joined by a 10" dorado, so I stuck a large fish net in the tank overnight. They all respect the net (or are afraid of the newness it introduces) and stop their aggressive behavior, giving new fish a chance to adjust at the expense of the old population being a tiny bit stressed.

But the yellowcheeks still have not eaten :( The bodily damage is a lot less than the last time. At this point I'd say it's a 30%-40% chance they will make it in their new tank. The hope is dimming but still there.
 

moe214

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They look just like yours only slightly bigger but if God is willing, you will see :) They have been easy to feed for me from the start. I give them catfish farm pellet (Zeigler Bros) and thawed marine baitfish. When they are relaxed, their appetite is superb but they indeed stress way too easy. They are indeed exceedingly timid with other fish.

The first try in 4500 gal was a few months ago at ~16" and lasted a week. They've not eaten while in there and apparently have been harassed around. Eventually I think my two ~16" VATF started biting them badly and I fished them out half-alive with ~all fins damaged, lots of scales missing, and a few bad fleshy wounds near the tail.

They healed up well and thickened up a lot in a 240 gal for a few months and added on a few inches, so I'm giving them another go in 4500 gal. This is day 4. The first day my smaller ~1'-1.5' mahseer were giving them hard time (they do it to all new comers by biting their fins, not that they can bite them off, so I am not sure what they are trying to accomplish) joined by a 10" dorado, so I stuck a large fish net in the tank overnight. They all respect the net (or are afraid of the newness it introduces) and stop their aggressive behavior, giving new fish a chance to adjust at the expense of the old population being a tiny bit stressed.

But the yellowcheeks still have not eaten :( The bodily damage is a lot less than the last time. At this point I'd say it's a 30%-40% chance they will make it in their new tank. The hope is dimming but still there.
Best of luck!
 

sunnysjourney

Peacock Bass
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They look just like yours only slightly bigger but if God is willing, you will see :) They have been easy to feed for me from the start. I give them catfish farm pellet (Zeigler Bros) and thawed marine baitfish. When they are relaxed, their appetite is superb but they indeed stress way too easy. They are indeed exceedingly timid with other fish.

The first try in 4500 gal was a few months ago at ~16" and lasted a week. They've not eaten while in there and apparently have been harassed around. Eventually I think my two ~16" VATF started biting them badly and I fished them out half-alive with ~all fins damaged, lots of scales missing, and a few bad fleshy wounds near the tail.

They healed up well and thickened up a lot in a 240 gal for a few months and added on a few inches, so I'm giving them another go in 4500 gal. This is day 4. The first day my smaller ~1'-1.5' mahseer were giving them hard time (they do it to all new comers by biting their fins, not that they can bite them off, so I am not sure what they are trying to accomplish) joined by a 10" dorado, so I stuck a large fish net in the tank overnight. They all respect the net (or are afraid of the newness it introduces) and stop their aggressive behavior, giving new fish a chance to adjust at the expense of the old population being a tiny bit stressed.

But the yellowcheeks still have not eaten :( The bodily damage is a lot less than the last time. At this point I'd say it's a 30%-40% chance they will make it in their new tank. The hope is dimming but still there.
Oh man. Good luck. And worst case you can keep them in your 240 for a little while longer until they're about 20"+..? I'm constantly kicking myself for not considering death by herbivores.. :(
 
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thebiggerthebetter

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Well, we don't know until we do.

I was surprised that yours did well with the GATF for a tank mate. I did note the tail tips of yours have been always (?) bitten off. I suppose it's the GATF. My VATF do it to many fish. But if so, it didn't bother your yellowcheek enough that it stopped feeding.

Mine don't feed yet. No / not much new damage except the tails get more tattered bit by bit. Even saw my lonely koi lunge at them today. What in the world is wrong with these fish?! 25% they will make it in 4500 gal...

240 gal is a bit too tight for them already. When they beg for food they do it exceedingly energetically, often hitting the glass lids and splashing water out. They are great swimmers and need space. Regrettably, I've got nothing between 240 and 4500 gal. I am pondering of placing my 2' true piraiba in there though and fishing out anything that can be eaten by it. Maybe I'll take a risk and leave the cheeks in there. IDK.
 
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sunnysjourney

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Well, we don't know until we do.

I was surprised that yours did well with the GATF for a tank mate. I did note the tail tips of yours have been always (?) bitten off. I suppose it's the GATF. My VATF do it to many fish. But if so, it didn't bother your yellowcheek enough that it stopped feeding.

Mine don't feed yet. No / not much new damage except the tails get more tattered bit by bit. Even saw my lonely koi lunge at them today. What in the world is wrong with these fish?! 25% they will make it in 4500 gal...

240 gal is a bit too tight for them already. When they beg for food they do it exceedingly energetically, often hitting the glass lids and splashing water out. They are great swimmers and need space. Regrettably, I've got nothing between 240 and 4500 gal. I am pondering of placing my 2' true piraiba in there though and fishing out anything that can be eaten by it. Maybe I'll take a risk and leave the cheeks in there. IDK.
The GATF was totally fine with the bambusa. The tail tips were damaged by my sheep pacu; they're big nippers. Lol I have no idea as to why they're so timid! Btw there is a monster fish keeper video on youtube in which the owner has a 3' bambusa in his monster community, and that fish wasn't timid at all! I'm trying to find that video, will post it up as soon as I find it. Hopefully everything works out well with your guys.
 
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thebiggerthebetter

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Well, maybe once they get accustomed and comfortable, or when they get bigger, they will turn? Can you find the video?

No new big damage here, just the tails are getting more tattered. But one started feeding and rather well. The other, that has a good size bite on its flank, has shown no interest in feed yet.

So at least we have a 50% success, more or less.
 

sunnysjourney

Peacock Bass
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Well, maybe once they get accustomed and comfortable, or when they get bigger, they will turn? Can you find the video?

No new big damage here, just the tails are getting more tattered. But one started feeding and rather well. The other, that has a good size bite on its flank, has shown no interest in feed yet.

So at least we have a 50% success, more or less.
I searched for over an hour but no luck... :( The video was about a news channel covering a local monster fish keeper's aquarium, well it was more like a pond... And it was Asia. The owner had an impressive collection, a GATF, a few armatus, the bambusa and of course datnoids.
And at least one of them is eating now, which is great... Hopefully the other guy will start eating soon!
 
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