2' Yellowcheek aka Elopichthys bambusa, 1 for 5 so far...

[sunnysjourney]

Sorry for your loss buddy. And it is amazing that you got the bambusa to 27”.

I wanted to get some from Wes as well but unfortunately I don’t have the space . Even my growout Goliath is around 12” and a 5-6” bambusa will be a quick snack for him.

And I’m looking forward to hearing more about your new growouts!

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

Here is a second try under way.

Got three cheeks from Wes a 2-3 months ago. One died after about a month for an unknown reason. All behaved well, fed well. I don't know what happened.

The other two have been doing alright. Grew 2"-3". They are greatly skittish though.

 

[celebrist]

Good luck

 

[suckerfish]

I’m surprised your pbass hasn’t taken him out! I couldn’t leave the tank with them in there.

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

Good luck

Thank you.

I’m surprised your pbass hasn’t taken him out! I couldn’t leave the tank with them in there.

Thank you. There are two cheeks in there. The yellowcheeks are slim but much longer than the three kelberi in there. I have never had a problem with pbass predation on any tank mate that's obviously too large for them to swallow. Perhaps I have been merely lucky.

 

[I31]

[QUOTEThank you. There are two cheeks in there. The yellowcheeks are slim but much longer than the three kelberi in there. I have never had a problem with pbass predation on any tank mate that's obviously too large for them to swallow. Perhaps I have been merely lucky.[/QUOTE]
I would keep very close eye on that, I had a Siniperca chuatsi that was too small to swallow a Rhaphiodon vulpinus didn't stop it from swallowing half of it.

 

[Deadliestviper7]

I think adding some more plants will make them more secure,especially when younger.

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

The second try is over. Lost the remaining two cheeks - one 2 months ago, the other a month ago. Not sure why.

I could blame the 15 small ATF they were with but having had my two big ones preyed on by VATF in a 4500 gal, I was watching these little cheeks like a hawk for any exterior damage. None happened except for them bashing their snouts every now and then due to their great skittishness (which I also didn't quite understand).

The second cheek might have died from self-committed overeating. It ate a LOT of pellets that day and it's tummy is chock full even in the post-mortum photo (the tail was bitten post mortum):





The exterior damage on the last cheek is post-mortum from what I could tell (there was nothing on it while it was alive) except for the eye damage. That must have happened a while ago:




I wonder if the ATF were stressing them out (or some other tank mate) some how other then biting or bullying. The cheeks were 6"-8" while ATF were 3"-4".


Anyhow, my miserable yellowcheek record as of today is zero for eight. If there is ever another try, I should aim to keep them separate or with the meekest of tank mates.

 

[moe214]

I see you mentioned it at the end, I was gonna add to keep them with smaller less aggressive fish like pictus cats or if you have small balas etc. if you decide to give them another go

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

I see you mentioned it at the end, I was gonna add to keep them with smaller less aggressive fish like pictus cats or if you have small balas etc. if you decide to give them another go

I kill fish and waste money before I learn. That's what hoarders / "wanna-have'em-all's" do.