Esox species

Waaaa

Plecostomus
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Jul 12, 2019
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Anyone know why esox species specifically pike and Muskellunge are not commonly kept in aquariums. Even large predators like wolf fish, tiger fish, gars and huge catfish are more common. I was wondering because I rarely see these fish in tanks, besides YouTube fishermen keeping them.
 
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tlindsey

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Anyone know why esox species specifically pike and Muskellunge are not commonly kept in aquariums. Even large predators like wolf fish, tiger fish, gars and huge catfish are more common. I was wondering because I rarely see these fish in tanks, besides YouTube fishermen keeping them.

Don't they require cool water? Probably require a chiller to keep them long term.
 

Itsadeepbluesea

Goliath Tigerfish
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Most require a very large tank, some require cool water, and they are notoriously hard if impossible to get on pellets. Mostly they need live food. That and they just sit there most of the time. Don't get me wrong I love pickerel, they are beautiful fish, but I think those are the main reasons people stay away from them.
 

Waaaa

Plecostomus
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Jul 12, 2019
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Most require a very large tank, some require cool water, and they are notoriously hard if impossible to get on pellets. Mostly they need live food. That and they just sit there most of the time. Don't get me wrong I love pickerel, they are beautiful fish, but I think those are the main reasons people stay away from them.
Oh I got you.
 

AaronKWolfe

Piranha
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Anyone know why esox species specifically pike and Muskellunge are not commonly kept in aquariums. Even large predators like wolf fish, tiger fish, gars and huge catfish are more common. I was wondering because I rarely see these fish in tanks, besides YouTube fishermen keeping them.
Because they get absolutely huge, are sensitive, require cool water, aren't very active, eat an obscene amount of food, and are near impossible to get to eat pellet food. Have you seen some of the things these fish eat when they are fully grown? They eat full grown ducks, massive carp and suckers, large bass, and crazy amounts of bluegill. I kept a pickerel in a 3,000 gallon pond and he grew up to 28 inches. I gave him bluegill I caught, on one occasion I caught 30 bluegill and stocked them in that pond and within a week they were all gone.
 
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piranhaman00

Redtail Catfish
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K krichardson had a musky for a while iirc. But like others said, ambush preds dont move, get huge and only eat what darts around.
 
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